Come see my work at the Pittock Mansion

Every year at Christmas, volunteers deck the halls of the Pittock Mansion with holiday finery. This year, you can also see artwork done by seven specially invited artists hanging in the Social Room show "A Northwest Christmas: The Natural Beauty and Bounty of Oregon."

Participating artists: Celeste Bergin, Michael Fisher, Pam Flanders, Carrie Holst, Brooks Hickerson, Jim King, and Katherine van Schoonhoven.

I hope that you will come and see the mansion lit with thousands of lights and filled with historic Christmas decorations. There is a charge to tour the mansion, you can read more about hours and details here.

Open Studios

This was the second weekend of Portland Open Studios and I zipped into town to visit a couple of my artist friends. My first stop was the studio of Kitty Wallis, internationally celebrated artist and inventor of Kitty Wallis Sanded Paper. Kitty is also my mentor and dear friend. She was instrumental in starting Portland Open Studios about 13 years ago, when she moved to Portland from Santa Cruz, CA (where she had also been involved in their open studios tour).

In the second photo you can see Kitty's demonstration of a new abstract painting. Visitors are always interested in how she achieves her eye-popping paintings. It starts with a pigment dispersion underpainting and finishes with application of her hand made pastels. You can see more of Kitty's work on her blog here.

Next a stop in Northwest Portland at the studio of Michael Fisher. Michael, a premier pastel artist, has a passion for architecture and urban landscapes. At one point during my visit, I was the only non-architect in the room. His nocturnes are lush with brilliant color and his landscapes show his sensitivity to the nuances of land forms. Click here to see more of Michael's work. Michael and I participate together in structured critiques and also have the chance to paint together from time to time. He is a wonderful, focused, passionate artist, and a good friend.

I do not live in Portland, so I am not eligible for Portland Open Studios. But, my new studio door knocker is installed and my door is open for guests. I hope you'll come see me some time.

Catch the glimmer

Wader
18 x 12
Dakota Board

The Eight+ have a new show hanging at O'Connor's Restaurant in Multnomah Village. Come in for the art, stay for the food. Or come for the food and stay for the art.

You'll see new by Celeste Bergin, Mary Luzinski, Marge Rood, Eileen Nelson, Carrie Holst, Kitty Wallis, Carolyn Rondthaler, Michael Fisher, Kimberly Kent, and me.

I used some iridescent paints in the underpainting for "Wader." You can get up close and see the shimmer along the bird's belly and head and in the water. It's a subtle look and not one I would want to overdo, lest my painting start to resemble a glitter-laden Valentine. Let me know what you think when you see it!

Working with Critique Comments

using feedback from critique to improve painting

original

Once a month, I meet with a Structured Critique group. Kitty Wallis leads the sessions by first giving her feedback and constructive criticisms of the paintings. Other participating artists also give feedback. Yesterday there were four of us at the meeting. Four excellent artists! Kitty Wallis, Celeste Bergin, Michael Fisher. And me, of course.

I brought in this refuge landscape for critique. I liked the atmospheric quality to the forms, but I knew it had some value problems and wanted to hear what others thought. Some of the comments related to the extreme values in the main tree and the line of grasses near the tree. In addition, the painting seemed to be sagging off to the side because of the drooping horizon line.

Today I addressed those helpful comments and you can see the results of the improved painting in the top photo.

It is not easy to take criticism. But it is crucial for growth. I am grateful for the generosity of the other artists in considering my work and offering their feedback about how it misses the mark. Eventually, I will improve my aim.