Back from a blogging and painting break

Because sometimes a break from everything is in order.  I've been caught up in non-art creative ventures that have taken my attention away from painting for a while.  It happens during this time of the year, as I transition from eight months of exhilarating outdoor painting to the doldrums of the studio.

Our area is expecting its first snow of the season tomorrow and Saturday.  So, probably no more plein air work for me this year.

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what I want to do this winter, and one thing is returning to oils and working on my drawing skills.  I'm also going to spend more time reading and studying the paintings and drawings of the Old Masters; library books on drawings by Picasso and Michelangelo are sitting on my night stand and I look forward to working my way through them.

In the meantime, here are two paintings done in the past two weeks.  The first is a plein air from the 4CPAP paint-out in Simone Canyon, in New Mexico.   I ended up going with the purple sky here because I forgot to bring my box of sky colors along.

Roadside Cottonwoods - 12x12"
pastel on black cardstock

The second is a studio piece, from a photo taken during our Escalante trip.   The afternoon of the quick-draw event, after I'd dropped my painting off, we drove west of Escalante, to the town of Cannonville, and then headed south along the road that leads to Kodachrome Basin State Park.  This is a view of the Kodachrome area further down the Cottonwood Wash road:

Cloud Over Kodachrome Basin - 12x16
pastel on dark gray Mi Tientes

While at the Escalante Canyons Plein Air event, I was delighted to meet a local area pastelist whose work I've enjoyed since I first discovered it in the past couple of years - Scotty Mitchell .  A few of her paintings are featured in the book Painters of Utah's Canyons and Deserts, which is one of my favorite coffee table art books.  Talking shop with another pastelist is always interesting, because we all use such different techniques and materials, so of course, I had to ask her what surface she uses for her paintings.  Turns out, she works exclusively on the dark gray Mi Tientes.  Between the chat I had with her, and the studio painting I did - Wash Wall Shadows - on Canson, I was inspired to try this paper again.

I like it, especially this dark gray.  So much so that I ordered a 10-pack of 19x25" sheets from ASW.

Anyway, that's all I've got for now.

Fall Colors, and studio skies - pastel landscapes

The Green Shed - 12x12"
 pastel on black cardstock

Saturday afternoon's painting, from one of my favorite locations along the river, which of course, isn't visible in this piece.  Each year at this time, I'm reminded of what a fleeting season fall is, or at least as it pertains to fall color and painting.  

The cottonwoods, both narrow leaf, and Fremont, are rapidly fading and dumping their leaves, and I am sort of bummed I wasn't able to make the most of this season.  But, it was peaking in the high country when we were in Escalante, and here in town when we were in Moab, so I can at least bandy that around as an excuse, right?

I had plans to go up to Baker's Bridge and paint there, which I did last year around this time, but I think the window for that is shut; tomorrow, the 4C group has a paint-out in northern NM, and after that, the temperatures are supposed to drop precipitously as the storm hitting CA moves east to our region.  By the time things warm up again, no color will likely remain anywhere in our area.

Here's a small piece I did during the 4CPAP's recent outing the Wildflower Ranch in La Plata Canyon a couple of weeks ago.  This paint-out fell between the Escalante and Moab trips, and was the only painting I got done that week. The larger morning piece, of aspen, I worked on for about two hours before deciding I didn't like the direction it was going, and became bored with it.  I know from experience that it's best to just quit and move on, rather than keep pounding away at it, hoping I can make it work.  This was done after lunch, about 1/2 mile down the road on this property, and the first "keeper" painting I've done of the La Plata river.

Cottonwood Shadows Across the La Plata
8x6", pastel on black paper

And, finally - two studio pieces, small, both done for this week's DailyPaintworks challenge - "The Sky's the Challenge". 

Both reminded me that painting skies/clouds is always a challenge, and that I find it increasingly difficult to work from photographs, probably because it is so easy to overwork the clouds.  You just don't that as an option when painting them in real time.

Burr Trail Sunset - 9x12"
pastel on Strathmore 400-series paper

Monsoon on the Mesa - 6x12"
pastel on black cardstock

A new blog name and two new paintings

As the four year anniversary for this blog approaches, I realized it was time for a change to reflect the direction my work has taken since September '09.  Back when I started blogging, I wrote in my initial post that I was not sure where my work would head based on my past experience in various media, so it was easy to call it a "daily art journal".  For some reason, that just doesn't seem to fit now.

Since then, it's evolved along with my interests and art and priorities.   I identify as much as a painter as I do a photographer now, and the blog has always been about more than just posting a painting or a couple of photos and calling it a day.

Anyway,  there you go.  I've done up a new banner, which I do periodically anyway.  I'm going to keep tweaking the format to hopefully make it more appealing to readers.

On to the paintings....

Fly Fishing Waters - 9x12", plein air
pastel on black cardstock

This one is from yesterday, on another trip to Cascade creek, and was actually destined for the trashcan because I lost interest in it about 3/4 of the way though, partially because of the greens which I didn't want to deal with, and I was also having difficulty concentrating, probably from a poor night's sleep.  That happens sometimes, and I've found it's very much linked to those periods of "artist block" that I go through.  Having had the same thing happen a few days ago the last time I went out painting, I wasn't terribly surprised when I realized I'd left my game back in the locker room, so to speak.

A digression here regarding the trip:  we got off to a late start, and as is typical, the chance of rain in the mountains was pretty high.  From the parking area, it's about 1.25 miles to get to the section of the creek where I'd planned to paint, so I brought my folding table and stool, rather than my french easel.

Wayne split off to hit the creek and walk upstream, to practice with his brand new fly fishing gear.  I got to the location - one I'd scouted and photographed during our June trip - and already the sky was filling with dark clouds.  Thunder rumbled off in the distance, and it was clearly doing to start raining within a few minutes.  I wasn't enthused about the spot; the water was down, and the green was just not something I felt like dealing with.

So, I gathered up everything and decided to head back down the trail to find Wayne, who told me he'd meet me walking upstream as he fished.  Right before I got back to the junction to the main trail, the wind kicked up suddenly and it started to rain.  I dropped my gear and was putting on my rain jacket when I heard a loud crack - a sound unlike anything I'd ever heard before.  I looked up to see a rather large tree blow down not 15 feet from where I was standing.   Had it fallen towards me, I'm not sure I would have had time to get out of the way.

Worse still was hearing another tree fall about 30 seconds later on the other side of the trail.  I started worrying about a blowdown (a large number of trees blown down in a localized area from a windstorm), because those are a frequent occurrence in Colorado forests, and I've seen plenty of them after the fact on hikes across trails.  It was, needless to say, a disconcerting experience.

At that point, I started running down the trail in the rain, and ran into Wayne coming up to meet me.  We decided to go to the historic cabin near the trailhead and wait out the storm.  Within minutes, it was over, the wind and cloudburst heading south to torment some other hikers.

We went back to the creek, and I settled on this new location to paint.  Wayne, who has been talking of  learning to fly fish during the entire 7 years I have known him, finally purchased all the gear, and this was literally only his second outing using it.  He started right where I was painting and worked upstream.

The title of the painting comes from the fact he caught his first fish with a fly right in front of me.  It was an exciting moment for him, and fun for me to witness.  For those that don't know, the nice thing about fly fishing is that the fish can be released, unharmed.

Oh yes - here's the other painting:

Afternoon Cloud Study - 12x12", plein air
pastel on reclaimed cardstock

Not to be deterred by two back-to-back "failed" paintings, later that afternoon, I decided to wipe down the earlier one and stand on the sidewalk and paint the clouds outside.  Really, when all else fails:  go paint a cloud - it's good for you.  Bonus:  painting 10 feet from the front door.

Then today, as I pulled out my pastel boxes from my backpack, I looked at yesterday's creek painting, and thought:  "what do I have to lose?  Why not sit and finish it with no regard to the outcome?"  I had planned to toss it anyway.  So, I worked through it, with a different frame of mind, and made it happen.  Maybe there's something in this readers can take away for themselves?  I hope so!

Along the Animas River, and another cloud study - plein air, pastel

Both from yesterday.

Riverside Stata and Cottonwood - 12x12", plein air
pastel on black cardstock

In the morning, local 4CPAP friend Lori and I painted together along the river, right along the A.R.T.  I've been wanting to paint this particular view since last fall when I took the photo below during a walk.  So, I probably will come back in the fall and revisit it.

Hard to believe it's the same location.  Both Lori and I took the same artistic license and left out that distal mountain.

Later in the afternoon, as a large monsoon storm was building to the northwest over the mountains, I set up the easel in our front sidewalk area for a fast cloud study, with the eastern slope of Smelter Mtn:

Sky South of Smelter - 12x12", plein air
pastel on yellow cardstock

Two plein air landscapes - waterfall and clouds, and a studio sunset - pastel

Lime Creek Falls - 16x8", plein air
pastel on black cardstock

Today's painting, from our hike up Lime Creek.  I had this piece and a 6" square piece of paper taped to my board, and decided to try a vertical format for this set of falls, rather than my usual square.

Cumulonimbus to the North - 12x12", plein air
pastel on black cardstock

Yesterday's painting, from Pastorius.  The gray Unisons I used to do most of the cloud weren't really that keen on adhering to the surface, but what can you do?  It's an occasional consequence of working on smooth paper.

Monsoon Sunset - 12x12", studio
pastel on brown cardstock

I haven't done a studio painting in months.  But, on the late afternoon of the full moon, the monsoon clouds were spectacular, so I drove south of town to get reference photos.  This one I just couldn't resist painting, so I started it yesterday after I got home from painting at Pastorius.  

Sunsets are one of those subjects I don't have a problem painting from photos; to be honest, the light changes so rapidly from "wow" to "meh" that I'm not sure how effective it would be.  I do know other painters can do it successfully.

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Full moon, taken further up this road after it turns to the left (east) and goes up a hill:

View to the north along the same road:

Quartet of plein air paintings - pastel

Today, I was on a roll, and pushed my plein air total for 2012 past 70.

First, the large one, from a park south of town:

"Passing To the North" - 12x12", plein air
pastel on black cardstock

Then, smaller, 10-minute cloud studies:  one at the same location as the above painting:

Cloud Study with Slopes - 6x6"

And, two more at home, from inside my studio looking west:

Cloud Study - from deck - 6x6"

And east, with an attempt at the moon:

Waxing Gibbous Moon with Cloud - 8.5x11"

Cottonwoods near the river

Summer Cottonwoods - 12x12", plein air
pastel on light brown cardstock

Yesterday afternoon's painting, down at one of my favorite locations behind the mall.  A fenced off field containing some sheds or buildings of a bygone era are right next to the section of the Animas River Trail.

The view faces to the north, slightly west, and the La Platas can be seen in the distance.

Wayne fished while I painted this, and while this cloud changed forms while I painted, it remained in essentially the same location...until about 10 minutes before I finished, and suddenly, the sky was filled with clouds.

A few sprinkles hit the windshield literally seconds after I put the easel in the car - talk about timing!

From our top deck yesterday afternoon:

We are leaving tomorrow for yet another three-night trip in the mountains - this time, over by Rico.  Our Bayfield friends, Sarah and Todd, are already camping in the area with their horses, and we'll be rendezvousing with them in an area known as "the meadows".

As always, the painting gear is coming along, and the river to paint this time will be the Dolores.  I might even see if I can drive over and paint in Rico itself.

Everyone have a great weekend!

More Skies on the mesa - pastel, plein air

Because the clouds are amazing, I need more practice painting them, and I can avoid using much green.

Both done from Pastorius SWA.

Today's painting, looking south.  It was time for some turquoise skies and a bigger size.  I forgot that there are certain pastels that don't handle well on this paper, and oops - those would be the turquoises.

Florida Mesa Sky - 12x16", plein air
pastel on black construction paper

The entire area surrounding the lake is farmland, with distal mountains, so almost anything can be incorporated into the landscape:  grain silos, sheds, fences, roads, green fields, etc.


Saturday's painting, looking to the northwest.

Convergence - 12x12", plein air
pastel on yellow cardstock

I decided to try a piece of the yellow cardstock that comes in the packs I have purchased.  Using it for a high-key sky painting seemed a logical choice, and aside from the effect on the relative values of the pastels I used, it was a surprisingly easy transition from the darker colors I'm used to using.

I did this in probably 30 minutes, if that.  As usual, I waited until mid-afternoon to go out, at which time the clouds were really starting to kick into high gear.  When I set up my easel, the sky above was blue, but a wall of rain was falling to the southwest, probably in New Mexico.

Within about 15 minutes, these two cumulus clouds had merged, wind had kicked up, and by the time I was finished, the sky was almost completely filled with rain-laiden clouds that looked to burst at any moment.  If not for the impending threat of rain, I'd have definitely done another painting.

Blessing of Rain - plein air - donation to American Red Cross

Everyone has heard of the catastrophic Colorado Springs area Waldo fire that has destroyed almost 350 homes and displaced 32,000 others, at least temporarily.   This fire is now officially the most destructive in CO history, and the fire season has just begun!

Blessing Of Rain - 12x12", pastel on dark brown cardstock
plein air
© S.Johnson

This afternoon, pre-monsoon clouds filled the skies, and I decided to drive out to Pastorias SWA on Florida Mesa to paint the clouds.  It was a joyous thing to see rain coming down in the mountains to the north.  

As I painted this, I was thinking of the people that have lost their homes, and how helpless and sad this has made me feel.  I decided that the one thing I could possibly do was donate to the Red Cross.  So, I've decided to donate $100 from the sale of this painting to the Pikes Peak chapter of the American Red Cross.  

Price for the painting is $185 ppd.   I will provide a receipt of the donation to the buyer.

Thank you for looking.

Lone Tree - plein air pastel

From late this afternoon.

Lone Tree and Passing Clouds - plein air
pastel on turquoise cardstock - 8.5x11"
© S.Johnson

Also at Santa Rita Park, looking across to the flat hillside that makes up the edge of the dog park.  The terminus of Smelter Mtn. slope is in the background.

We've been having weather conditions that are similar to the summer monsoons, although without the intense winds, thunder and lightning...or rain.

The skies are clear in the early a.m., and by mid-morning, clouds are building over the mountains.  Today,  the sky filled completely before I could head out and paint, and then we actually got rain.  The main storm had cleared away by about 4 p.m., so I headed out to slip in a quick painting.

It's on a new color - turquoise - of a pack of Colorbok cardstock I bought from Walmart.  These are dark jewel tones, and the smaller size makes them really easy to do for a quick daily painting.

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From our deck today:

Plein air studies in pastel, 6x6 inches

Four small studies done at Santa Rita park.  Two days' worth.

I don't spend more than 20-25 min. on each of these.  The goal is to work quickly and not fuss over details.  I also try not to duplicate sky and cloud colors if I'm doing two back-to-back.

Passing Clouds - 6x6"
pastel on dark brown cardstock

Cherry Tree
Pastel on dark brown cardstock

Cloud Study #1
pastel on light brown cardstock

Cloud Study #2
pastel on light brown cardstock

Another cloudscape in the road trip series - oil, 6x6

When all else fails, there's always a familiar subject to fall back on...

Cumulus to the North - #12
6x6 - oil on wood panel
© 2012, S.Johnson

So, the past week hasn't been a high point as far as painting goes.  Last Tuesday, I went out with the 4C group and painted at a lake near Farmington, NM.  About 4/5 of the way into the painting, I just sort of mentally checked out and couldn't finish it.   Couldn't resolve how to handle some of the elements, didn't have the right colors/values/etc. in my pastel set, and I just lost all desire to finish it.

At the critique, surprisingly, everyone loved it and offered up suggestions on addressing the issues I was having with it.  So, I didn't toss it right away.  Tried working on it the next day, and it ended up in the trash.  I was left with no interest in painting for the next few days, and another winter-type storm rolled in, killing off any possibility of painting outside until today, even if I'd wanted to.

So, last night, I decided I should at least do something, and these 6x6 oils have always proved to be, regardless of outcome, a good way to spend an hour painting.

Cottonwoods are starting to green up along the Animas, so I may head out today and try painting by the river.  Or not.

I've come to recognize that these artistic "lulls", if you will, are just part of the process.  They used to bother me, but now they don't.  I just try to find other creative ways to spend my time if I don't feel like painting.  It's funny how many artists will write on their blogs about these periods, and how it almost feels like they forgot how to paint.  That's sort of how I feel at the moment, and I know it's 100% mental.

Two more Road trip series, and a local painting - 6x6 oils

A trio of paintings from the past 2 days....

Above Black Mesa - #9
6x6 inches, oil on 1/4" wood panel
© 2012, S.Johnson

Yesterday's painting, which has a composition that is unconventional, but I was nonetheless drawn to it.  There's no foreground or real focal point - just three basic shapes of different colors and values.  It has an abstract feel to it, which is probably why I like it.

Clouds Over Organ Rock - #8
6x6 inches, oil on 1/4" wood panel
© 2012, S.Johnson

This painting was actually started (and mostly finished) before the large pastel posted a couple of days ago.  However, there were some minor things that bugged me about it, so I did a couple of touch-ups to it when I pulled out my oils again 2 days ago.

Dark Skies Behind Horse Gulch
6x6" oil on 1/4' panel

And this was a quickie I did on Friday afternoon.  Horse Gulch is the amazing trail system a few blocks east of where we live, and the north-facing mesa still had a lot of snow.  This is the view outside my upstairs window, and when I saw the dark, brooding sky behind it in the afternoon sun, I knew I needed to paint it.  I debated about whether to add the rooftops of the houses, but I'm glad I did - they are a part of what defines this as "Durango".

Southwestern monsoon and rain - pastel painting

Sometimes you need to go big or go home...

Plateau Showers - #7
18x24 inches - pastel on UArt #400 paper
© 2012, S.Johnson

One of those images that I have been excited to paint, and it needed to be big.  I bought a sheet of this UArt, and decided this would be the piece to use it on.  Since I'm not used to using an aggressive sanded surface like this, it was a bit of a challenge, especially for the clouds.  I lost track of how many layers of pastel I piled on there, blended, removed, re-blended.

The location, as we continue west along Hwy 160, is now west of Kayenta, AZ, and approaching what is hands-down my favorite section of the drive:  the Organ Rock monocline.  Those who were following my blog when I did the first Four Corners roadtrip series in late '10 will remember it.

To my mind, there are few things more visually stunning and emblematic of the southwest than a huge cumulonimbus cloud spanning a section of plateau country and an isolated sweep of rain in the distance. Discreet shadows cast by the cloud help define the elements of the land.

Regarding this paper, I can't say I like it.  I know it's really popular with pastelists, and maybe I'll try a finer grit in the future, but I found that it took so much longer to paint this than it should have - I had to use a ton of pastel and the light touch I'm used to using on my smooth black Strathmore just doesn't work so well here.  I found it necessary to finger blend almost everything to eliminate the harsh edges produced by the grit and texture.  However, it's still far better than Colourfix paper, which I cannot stand.

It actually started out as a failed painting from the winter series I was doing in Dec and Jan:

Nope, it's not a really bad abstract painting....

My true wish is that the company that makes GatorGrit wet-dry black sandpaper would produce it for the pastel market - as far as sandpaper goes, I've not found anything that matches it.

Anyway, I am going to switch back to oils for this series now.

Road trip series: Monsoon skies, oil, 6x6

Paintings from today and yesterday evening...

Cumulus Tower Over Black Mesa - #6
oil on wood panel - 6x6
© S.Johnson

A composite of two photos taken moments apart - one for the land and the other for the more dramatic cloud.  If there is one thing that never ceases to amaze me, it's how rapid the build-up of these summer monsoon clouds happens.  When a cumulus cloud is taller than it is wide, it is known as a "cumulus congestus".  Next stage:  cumulonimbus (raincloud).

This view is to the west, approaching Kayenta, around noon.

Cumulus to the South - #5
oil on wood panel - 6x6
© S.Johnson

These clouds are nowhere near those in the above painting; they are building up miles away to the south, probably over Second Mesa and the Hopi reservation.  The landscape itself is different as well; orange sandy dunes lead to a tilted slab of white Navajo sandstone, with more pink dunes and a wide, sweeping plateau.

Revisiting the roadtrip: a new series

After mulling over a few different ideas, I think I've finally settled on something to paint while I wait for plein air season to begin in earnest...

Altocumulus Over Sleeping Ute
9x12 inches - pastel on black construction paper
© S.Johnson

A theme for a previous series - the roadtrip - and even the same route - Hwy 160 and 89A.  Even the Grand Canyon.  But, this will also take us further south and off the Colorado Plateau to Phoenix, via Interstate 17.  

The trip was back in early August, and early on, the skies started being interesting, but I had no idea just what an amazing transformation would happen just in the span of a few hours, courtesy of the monsoons.  Maynard Dixon would have loved this day.  

I've decided that for this series, it will be pretty much "anything goes", in terms of media, surface, size, style, etc.   Basically, I want to use this as an opportunity to focus on specific ideas or concepts for each painting, and the common element will simply be that they all are based from references from this trip to Phoenix and back, with a side trip to the Grand Canyon.  I've shared photos and the plein air piece I did from that trip here.  I even tested the waters months ago for this series with this graphite drawing.

For this first piece in the series, it's all about the sky and minimalism.   The view is south of the Sleeping Ute Mtn, located in the southwestern corner of Colorado.  The sweep of the clouds over the mountain, and their movement throughout the sky are what appealed to me here.  Blue seemed too conventional, so the sky is in some fun colors of turquoise and teal/purple-gray.  

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the drive!

Back to black - pastels

Two quickie pieces done today on some black paper picked up yesterday at the Hobby Lobby in the bustling metropolis of Farmington, NM.

It was black, smooth, acid-free, 12x18" and CHEAP (50 sheets/$3.85), so what's the risk in giving it a try?  They don't carry any of the fine art black paper in pads I was looking for, so I had to settle for this:  construction paper.  Yep, the stuff kids use in elementary school to make things.

Mesa Skies
9x12 inches

I used my #220 sandpaper on it, and the resultant texture was much rougher than the Strathmore black papers.  If not for the fact it is probably not lightfast and it's not quite as thick as the Strathmore, I'd be content using it.  Not that the lightfast issue really matters that much since so little of the paper shows.

Towards Barnroof Point
9x12 inches

Both based on photos, with the goal to work quickly and keep things loose and stick to massed shapes. This paper is really good for that, actually - much better than the colored Strathmore charcoal paper I've been using recently.

I really dislike the blue for the cliff shadows in the second painting, but I just didn't have the right shade of gray I needed.   Despite their shortcomings, they were satisfying to produce.

Coincidentally, the local art supply store finally came through with the pad of black Artagain I ordered over 2 weeks ago, so now I can go back to that for my black paper fixes.

Back from Boise and beyond

What a week.

Illness, travel, spending time with friends, shared creativity, and remembering the tragic events of a decade ago all wrapped into 7 days.  I'm not sure what it is about early September, but this sort of mild chaos seems to happen to me around this time of the year.

The "festivities" began last Monday afternoon, when I started feeling ill a few hours after eating something made at home with deli meat purchased shopping an hour earlier.  What initially was mild nausea went on to become full-blown food poisoning within the span of 6 hrs.  Thankfully, the emetic aspect of the illness only lasted a few hours, but I was left with a headache of epic proportions and a feeling that I was run over by a truck that lasted for the next 36 hrs.  Aside from the fact I was unable to do anything other than lay around completely wiped out, the more concerning issue was that we were scheduled to fly to Boise on Wed morning, and it was looking like I might have to skip the trip.

However, by some stroke of healing and luck, on Wed morning, I was 90% recovered, and able to proceed with the travel plans.

Wayne's boss is currently living in Boise, and had invited Wayne out to visit and discuss some company business.  When he graciously offered to buy me a ticket as well, I was thrilled, as Boise is not only a great town in itself, but it's also where my good friend and fellow artist Sarah M-B lives.  Have a look at her blog to see the amazing sculpture she does.

Before I started working in pastels and 2D landscapes about 2 years ago, I did mixed media realistic equine sculpture.  Not so much sculpting, although I have done some smaller pieces, but lots of painting of resincast sculptures by other artists.

"Jax" - slipcast ceramic bas-relief sculpture of jumping horse 

~ 9 1/2 x 5 inches

 © 2008 S Minkiewicz-Breuning

Kiln-fired ceramic glaze finishwork to chestnut sabino:  S Johnson

This piece was actually started over 2 years ago when I was last out in Boise.  Sarah hosted a mini retreat for myself and another artist, and I got as far as cleaning the greenware (unfired) clay casting, and adding the purple and blue art glazes to the fired bisque.  Ever since that visit, I'd been looking forward to finishing it.  

Ceramic work, and in particular the underglazing/painting process, is a fascinating and somewhat magical process to me.  It is completely unlike anything else I've ever done, art-wise.  Unlike cold painting methods, in which the end result is "what you see is what you get", the process of working with earth-based pigments and a ceramics kiln takes much of the control away from the artist, and it's not until you open the kiln lid 8 hours later that you have any idea what the final result will be.

The basic technique involves masking off areas that are to remain white with either tape, cellophane or Miskit.  The eye is also masked.  

-Next, layers of underglaze pigment mixtures are applied in a directional manner using an airbrush to accentuate shading and subtle tonal shifts, just like you see in a real horse coat, along with the gray skin areas.  These pigments handle similar to watercolors, so you can't use a regular paintbrush to paint these areas or it will produce unpleasant streaks.  Mistakes are very difficult, if not impossible, to fix - another thing I'm not used to when I work in oils and pastels!  

-The masking is removed, and the piece is low-fired in the kiln to lightly "set" the colors, and cooled.

-An Xacto blade is used to selectively remove areas of pigment and form more intricate areas of white, such as this sabino pattern.  The hitch is that you cannot handle the piece except along areas where art glaze was applied (the purple/blue rectangle) or white areas since the underglaze pigments are very fragile in this stage.

-The eye is hand-painted, in this case, blue.   The hooves have a mix of hand-painting and airbrush (an experimental technique that worked very well).  Pink is airbrushed for the nose and areas of white where the fur is thin and the pink often shows through.  At this point, the colors are only somewhat suggestive of the flaxen chestnut color I chose, and very dull and chalky.

-Once all the work is done, layers of clear glaze are applied to the entire piece, also with the airbrush.  This leaded glaze fires clear but has an opaque dye in it when applied, so that by the time the piece was ready to go into the kiln for the final fire, it was a pale pink with no visible color anywhere save for the background.  

-Then, in it goes for the final firing to set the glazes.  Sarah has two electric kilns, and the smaller one (named Maury) uses a very low-tech but fascinating means of reaching the proper temperature and firing time:  a small stick of material, known as a pyrometric cone, is placed in a holder within the kiln.  Upon reaching the required time and temperature parameters for the particular glaze or pottery, it bends and the kiln shuts off.  The process usually takes 8-12 hrs.  This piece was fired at cone 06, I believe, which is considered low-fire at close to 1800 degrees F.  This heat produces a chemical reaction between the clay, underglaze earth pigments and clear lead glaze to fuse them into a single layer with rich colors that are essentially unlike what was originally applied to the surface.  The clear lead glaze gives a jewel-like sparkle to the final piece.  

"Jax"was finished yesterday morning.  Sarah excitedly came in to tell me how cool it looked, and when I saw it in the kiln, I was stunned at how different it looked, and how beautiful it turned out, especially since it is literally only the second ceramics bas-relief I've ever done.  

The fact it was done as a collaboration through the strength of friendship and generosity, and came to life out of the fire on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 - an event associated with loss and destruction - gives it symbolic significance that I will never forget.  

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On that note, it was odd actually flying home yesterday on that anniversary.  In the Boise and Denver airports, it was business as usual, with passengers hustling about to their connection, or engaged in whatever activities they do to pass the time between flights.  A bar TV showing the football game of the NY Jets had a memorial tribute during half-time, and it riveted people's attention.  A woman sitting behind me cried as she watched it.  

Here are a few photos taken during the Boise-Denver flight with Wayne's Coolpix.  I like taking these photos, as they are great for taking my mind off of the irrational fears and thoughts generated by my lizard brain (amygdala) that happen while flying, particularly after take-off when the air can be bumpy.  Despite this, I always try to get a window seat because I love looking out the window:  

Cumulus, viewing

Farms, abstracted

Mountains, folded

Storms, forming

Clouds, entering

Denver, approaching

Highways, curving