Why do you paint?

Freezing Point   9x12 Oil

It didn't take long to answer this question: it's because it's so much fun to be outside, in all seasons, enjoying the sites, finding new lakes, ponds, stream, forests and fields.  Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill outside Harrodsburg has probably thousands of acres to explore, and different in all seasons. One morning last week the ponds were in the process of freezing over.  Shadows on the ice were a deep blue, almost glowing, much darker than the sky. All kinds of reeds, species unknown to me, added an amazing texture to the scene. The sky was Kentucky baby pink and blue. So there you are.

Big Deal

At the Gravel Bar 9x14 Oil

I learned from Bill Fletcher, our Central Kentucky art teacher extraordinare, that focusing first on recognizing and painting, blocking-in, big shapes first allows us to create paintings with a simplicity and sense of distance. After practicing this and seeing results, I've also found it creates a sense of power in the painting. This view of the Kentucky River late in the afternoon this October caused me to stop in my tracks and say "Wow, look at those big shapes". If you squint at the image, they are even more evident.

Tree Hugging

October 9x12 oil

Grey days are the rule the last few weeks, but cabin fever got me out of the house and to Lexington Cemetery, the premier arboretum location nearby. I looked for big value contrasts among the greenery and sat down and painted a small plein aire piece. This turned out to be "How not to paint this scene". But since time spent in front of the subject is worth many photos, I came back to the studio and used both to complete this painting.

Memories

Clear Creek Logjam
Casting about for something to paint this past week, I riffled through my boxes of photos. In the process, I remembered a photo I had taken of Clear Creek years ago. In the middle of the stream was an island with large sycamore against which was piled debris from the occasional floods. The scene, I thought, had potential. I never found the photo so I painted the scene from memory. This is a handy technique, I'm told, for avoiding extraneous detail, the bane of my painting.

Dappled Light

"So near and yet so far". This scene is barely thirty feet from a very busy country road. Always on the lookout for streams and ravines which promise the possibility of a painting, I parked on a narrow shoulder as soon as possible and hiked back into this washout. In the middle of summer, there's not much water. Little pools reflect the trees and what sky is visible. There is such peace here in contrast to the fleeting traffic above. I'm reminded of friends who have a meditation room in their house, reserved only for that purpose.

Boone Creek Gorge

One of the virtues of kayaking is that you can poke into places only accessible by water. The Kentucky River and its tributaries provide a host of inspiring sites for plein aire painting, picniking or loafing away an afternoon (after you paddle there).

In Red River Gorge

There is no indication of scale in this drawing. The largest rock happens to be near 12 feet high. The Gorge is full of amazing landscapes and rockscapes. We're privileged to have this gem within an easy drive. Here the late afternoon light strikes diagonally in an otherwise dark scene dense with plants and soggy after months of weekly rain.