Northwoods

As much as I enjoyed the workshop up here, I was happy to see the weather improve and was able to spend a few very pleasant days with my wife and kids.

Very enjoyable!

Little Red Wagon in the Northwoods

Over the years while teaching and competing, I have seen a great number of easels and overall travel equipment, always keeping a keen eye out for any new ideas I can steal or utilize.

Deb and Melanie, two very energetic and fun gals that I have been fortunate enough to have worked with in the past, brought as always their little red wagon up to the Northwoods. Yes that's what I said, literally a little red wagon. Love those gals!!

North woods in August

Just got back from spending a week in the north woods of Wisconsin, Manitowish Waters area. Gave a 3 day workshop then hung out with the family, even went up to Bayfield and Madeline Island, very nice place.

After the summer we have had hear in Viroqua, I was not prepared for the weather up north, who would have thought it would literally be 25 degrees cooler! It is very tough to pack for cooler weather when it has been so dang hot here.

The workshop got off to some pretty windy days and even ended on a rainy note, not happy about that, but way out of my control.

Even with the inclement weather the students did a great job. Good variety of folks, lots of good energy and a very responsive and delightful gang.

Want to see an artist get nervous?

Just got done installing the final mural for the Temple Theatre, Encore in Viroqua.

Jim La Sater of Legacy Painting and Decorating, wonderful guy and very good at what he does, could still make the hair on the back of neck stand on end. It happened every time he took out his trusty exacto blade. Even though he has been at this for a few decades, it still makes one cringe.

Take a 62" x 137 " canvas that you have worked on for a few months and have a guy start cutting on it with one of these exacto blades. Then you'll know what I mean.

As always Jim came through just has he did on the other 9 murals.

Thanks nice job Jim!

Closing the Garden Gate

After many years of teaching and always suggesting to students to leave an opening for the viewer to enter into the painting, such as, if there is a fence to make sure and leave the gate open and not closed off . . . . I found myself in Easton this past July and on two occasions ended up discarding my own advice.

I have always said there are no rules in painting, just principals.

On these two occasions I found it better to leave the fence crossing the bottom of the painting and chose not to open a gate.

In the first instance I did beat up the fence and provided a small opening for the eye to travel up through, but on the second I chose to leave the gate shut and gave the viewer a kind of peaking glance into the life of the neighbor, not fully welcomed and yet enough movement within the design to invite the viewer into the scene, and feel comfortable there.

So as I have always said, there are no certainties in painting or in life for all that matters. Just wanted to share that.