Plein air season begins with trip to Minto-Brown Island Park

S. Sedwick, A. Salness, me, J. Reimer, R. Tipton, C. Bergin, C. Marine, R. Armitage

My friend Randall David Tipton recently organized a plein air excursion to Minto-Brown Island Park near Salem, Oregon. It was a great kick-off to Oregon's plein air season. The weather cooperated, allowing us to paint a couple scenes in the morning and early afternoon before it got cold and drizzly again.  Although Celeste Bergin and I often paint together, sometimes at Kat Sowa's Studio 30, I'd never painted with Randall before and was excited to see him in action. It was a treat to meet artists, whom I'd only known and admired "on line" until that day including Carol Marine, Ruth Armitage, Jo Reimer, Annie Salness, and Sarah Sedwick! I hope we'll have many chances to paint together again in the future. Here are my two paintings from the day and those of some of the other artists. Click here to see Celeste's slideshow from the day.

A Calm Day In Early Spring/pastel/7x9

Early Spring in the Floodplain/pastel/9.5x11.5

Minto Brown Winter by Randall Tipton

Path by the Lake by Sarah Sedwick

Minto Brown Park by Celeste Bergin

Art from my heart will help raise funds for nonprofits, school

"Girl in a Green Shirt Grooming Her Horse"/pastel/7.5x5

My professional career prior to art was devoted to public service with nonprofits, schools and governmental entities. I'm a strong believer that everybody has something to give, be it time, talent or treasure and am pleased to support the following organizations through donations of my artwork.

Parenting Now! (formerly known as Birth To Three) is holding its annual fundraising event on February 15, and included in their auction are three paintings I've donated to fit their theme of Midnight in Paris:  "Roses in a Blue Vase";  "Girl in the Green Shirt Grooming Her Horse"; and "Homage to Mary Cassatt's Girl Arranging Her Hair." The organization provides parenting education and support for families with young children and is my favorite nonprofit. I'd like to thank the following friends who also donated works of art to the auction: Celeste Bergin, Carol DeGregory, Maris Cavanagh, and Janet Amundson-Splidsboel. (Please see earlier blog posting for photos of their work.)

"Quiet Hour," depicting a lovely late afternoon on Sauvie Island, will be auctioned off at Oregon Repertory Singers' Vegas, Baby! fundraiser on February 23, along with "Pink Tulips at Dusk."

"Quiet Hour"/pastel/9x12

In support of Holy Redeemer Catholic School, I've donated two paintings, "Monastery of the Precious Blood," and "The Old Rose Motel Sign." The school will hold its annual fundraiser auction, "Reach for the Stars," on February 23.

"Old City of Roses Motel Sign"/pastel/8.5x11

Art donations to benefit Parenting Now! organization that serves families

"Roses in a Blue Vase" pastel, Sarah Peroutka 

I think you'll agree that there's no more important--or challenging-- job in the world than being a parent, and that's why I'm asking my art pals to consider donating a work of art to the Parenting Now! "Midnight In Paris" auction coming up on Friday, Feb. 15 at the Valley River Inn in Eugene.  This nonprofit organization brings families with young children together to learn about early childhood development; share parenting information and experiences; gain skills; and form support networks among themselves. If more parents had the skills and support necessary to raise healthy, well-adjusted children wouldn't this world be a better place?  (Click here to learn more about Parenting Now!.)  If you decide to donate, I need to know immediately (no later than January 20.)

I'm donating "Roses in a Blue Vase", and want to express my gratitude to Carol DeGregory for her pastel painting "Bart The Beagle";  "Janet Amundson-Splidsboel for her oil painting "Gorge Impression";  Maris Cavanagh for her felted vessel "Metallic Rivers" and a felted scarf; and Celeste Bergin for one of her paintings. 

"Metallic Rivers" felted vessel, Maris Cavanagh

"Bart the Beagle" pastel, Carol DeGregory

"Gorge Impression" oil painting, Janet Amundson-Splidsboel

"Columbia Gorge Vista" included in plein air exhibit

"Columbia Gorge Vista", pastel, 7x5

I recently participated in a show of plein air paintings at Cathedral Park Place in North Portland's St. Johns neighborhood. Oil painter Celeste Bergin posted a video of the event on her blog. A couple stopped in front of my "Columbia Gorge Vista" painting and excitedly told me they recognized the scene because they've hiked there many times. I was pleased that my painting stimulated happy memories for them shared my own joy in painting "en plein air" (outside in nature), especially on the Columbia Gorge. Although plein air painting is very popular these days it was revolutionary in the late 1880s when the Impressionists "invented" it. 

I was the only pastelist in the show (other works were in oil, watercolor or acrylic.) This gave me an opportunity to share information about pastels, a frequently misunderstood medium. Because pastels are hard and often cylindrical in shape, people sometimes think they are chalk but they aren't and don't contain chalk (limestone). Pastels are made of pure pigment held together with a gum or other resin binder and formed into round or square sticks. All colored art media contains pigment--it's the nature of the binder that creates the specific "kind" of paint (oil paint pigment is held together with linseed oil, for example).  Pastels are a dry medium applied by hand to a ground (paper or other surface). The artist can moisten the pastel, blend it or smudge it, and I have a friend who's currently experimenting with applying encaustic wax on top of pastel! The Pastel Society of America calls it "the most permanent of all media when applied to a permanent ground and properly framed. There is no oil to cause darkening or cracking, nor other substance or medium to cause fading or blistering. Pastels from the 16th Century exist today, as fresh and alive as the day they were painted!"