Chamisa landscape, pastel - SOLD

Chamisa Along the Wash - SOLD
9x12 inches - pastel on Strathmore 500-series paper
© 2011, SJohnson

Chamisa, also known as rabbitbrush, is to the southwestern plateau country what Goldenrod is to the east:  the bright yellow flower that rings in fall.  Several species inhabit the Colorado Plateau region, some of which are non-native.  However, it is an attractive plant and is popular with artists who paint the southwestern landscape.

I've taken several reference photos of blooming chamisa along the lower area hikes I've done recently, including the one this photo is based on - an unnamed trail near the Dry Fork area west of town.

I've run out of my favorite black Strathmore 12x12" paper (and apparently, it is discontinued), so I've resorted to using some Strathmore charcoal paper I've used until I can get a pad of the 12x18" Artagain.  It has a laid surface, which I don't care for, but for some reason, I've found it easier to use with these recent paintings.  I used the #220 sandpaper on the smoother surface of this warm gray sheet, and it seemed to work out well.

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Some photos from that same hike, which was mostly intended as a butterfly outing:

Melissa Blue male on chamisa flower

A bee fly visits a late summer aster (Eurybia glauca)

A view of the meadow to the north along the trail
When I did this hike the first time in late June, the meadow was filled with lupine in bloom, and was a lush green.
This area made me a bit nervous due to evidence bears had been in the area (several piles of scat on the trail, and flattened bushes.  Thankfully, I didn't have an encounter with one.

A female Melissa Blue shows off her beautiful top colors while resting on the spent leaf of a Western Flag iris

Cloud studies

Clouds - for something different, and because:

1. I have heaps of reference photos

2. Something simple was in order

3. It's been a long time since I've painted clouds as a sole subject

Cloud Study #1

12x9" - Strathmore 500-series paper

Cloud Study #2

9x12" - Strathmore 500-series paper

Plein air, resurrected

River  Boulder and Willow Stand
12x12 inches - pastel on Strathmore
© 2011, S Johnson

Sometimes things happen when you aren't really expecting them.  Like the completion of this painting.  I mentioned in a recent post about one of the plein air trips I did about 2 weeks ago where a sudden wind/water vortex developed just yards from where I was standing along the river, unnerving me, and the uncompleted painting that I'd planned to toss.  This is that painting.

It has been sitting, along with a few others, off to the side on my studio table, waiting...for what?  Who knows - I seldom toss paintings away immediately unless they are just downright atrocious.  Anyway, for whatever reason, when I walked by the table today, I had this urge to work on it.  Nothing left to lose, I suppose, and no expectations.  It was about 75% completed when I abandoned it, so there wasn't much to do.  There were already pastels laying about as well, so I didn't even need to pull out my plein air box to finish it.

I didn't even sit, put on my painting apron, or do anything that would indicate a dedicated studio session.  Just from memory, which actually was better than I might have thought.  

It's not going to go down as a personal favorite, but when I look at it, I'm reminded of what attracted me to the scene originally.  And, by golly, I actually finished it!  And, it felt really good to do so.  It could probably stand some vigorous cropping, and I see a few areas that could be tweaked a bit, but no big deal.

So, I guess maybe the take-home message (if you can call it that) is for those of you who have unfinished paintings, or any abandoned projects lingering around, perhaps destined for the trash...maybe don't toss them just yet.  Because you just never know when you might decide to get a proverbial wild hair and spontaneously finish it.  After all, you have nothing to lose, and it might just qualify as a success, at least on some level.  

A Prelude to Fall - San Juan Mountains

The summer continues to blaze by, and feels like it's rapidly drawing to a close.  There is a sense of urgency to cram in as much outdoor activity as possible in the high country before the season ends.

Two painting excursions - to Lemon and Haviland Lakes - in the past week have resulted in unfinished paintings that may or may not make it to completion.  One has promise; the other not so much.   Lately, it seems my creative energy has been focused through the lens of my camera rather than my pastels and paper.  So, I have to run with it.

Today, a trip back up to hike and fish along west Lime Creek.  Since our last trip a month ago, the deerflies have finally been knocked back, the summer alpine meadows are transitioning away from green towards the golden browns of fall, and a new round of mountain wildflowers is making an appearance.

August 30 in photos:

Cascading falls along Lime Creek

Raspberries along the trail - tasting as good as they look

A marmot casts a wary and scornful glance from his look-out point below the trail

A tiny Arctic Blue nourishes itself on a Showy Daisy

Mountain Gentian, filterized

Mushrooms, everywhere!

Monsoon skies

Painting in the Pine River Valley - Four Corners Plein Air

So a week has passed since my last post...not really sure where the time has gone, but it took that long to get back in the groove of painting, I guess.   My sole excursion outdoors last week did net an unfinished painting, but it's not one I'm likely to bring to any conclusion.  Add to that an alarming wind gust out of nowhere that produced a wind vortex over the river (it was essentially a dust devil over water) less than 30 feet from my easel was so unnerving that I couldn't finish on location if I wanted to.

Today was the biweekly paint-out for the 4CPAP group, and I decided that I would go and that perhaps I could get my mojo back.

Late Summer in the Pine River Valley

12x12 inches - pastel on black Strathmore

© 2011, S.Johnson

Location was well east of Durango, on a huge private ranch located in an area known as the Pine River Valley.  East of Vallecito Lake, along a FS road and tucked away from civilization, it's incredibly scenic.     The granite peaks and valley layout have tones of the Sierras.

It took me probably 20 minutes to settle on a location to paint.  Not only from being overwhelmed with choices, but at the time we arrived at this location, it was in full shade, which I found unappealing to paint.  Despite the presence of a charming little creek running right near the road, I decided that I'd beg off painting water for a bit, and decided to paint this mountain peak.   As is often the case, the dirt road clinched the deal.  The slope to the right was in full shadow, as was the left side of the granite peak.

Monsoon season is still in full throttle here in southwestern CO, and while the sky was initially clear when I set up, clouds soon started developing, and I couldn't resist adding some.  

What the sky looked like around 12:30 PM - yikes!

Thankfully, I was finished by this time

As usual, the group offered up some good suggestions during the critique session, so I came home and made a few adjustments and reworked the blue spruce trees in the middle ground, added some more yellow to the foreground grasses, and called it done.

A few more photos taken from the area where many of us painted:

Sunset along Florida Mesa in photos

No painting today...so I thought I'd share some photos taken yesterday evening at my favorite location on Florida Mesa before I head off to tonight's photography club meeting.

All:  tripod-mount, with Nikkor 18-70mm DX lens.

Enjoy!

Horses and the lone ponderosa 

Making her way 

The barn along Hwy 550 

Field and fencepost

Skies to the north

Heading east on CR 220

Final light along CR 220

Tree against sunset virga

Approaching Teec Nos Pos - graphite on paper

Approaching Teec Nos Pos

9x12 - graphite on sketchpad

So, today was one of those days I felt inclined to sit down and draw.   Drawing skills, aside from being an absolute necessary skill for painters, are something that I suspect many of us don't practice enough.  I'm always in awe of the artists whose blogs I follow who regularly post drawings they do, either as the beautiful loose field sketches of Sherrie Y or more detailed renderings in colored pencil, such as William (Bill) Cook.

I'm in a slight lull as far as my sense of direction goes for painting.  It's not really an artistic block, but more like being overwhelmed by the possibilities and all the things I want to accomplish.  Yesterday, we took an afternoon trip to Haviland Lake, and I brought along my gear (noting to leave the heavy French easel at home), excited about getting out to paint.  And, I painted, but it didn't go anywhere, and I felt my concentration sort of slip away as things just didn't come together.  But, that was totally okay - it was good practice to try and paint the ever-changing reflections on the lake.

Ever since we got back from AZ, I've been itching to do a new roadrtrip series based on the photos I took.  It seems that Hwy 160 is my artistic muse, always beckoning with that constantly changing landscape that draws me in every time.  I see the same features, and structures, and even creatures, on each trip, yet they never get old.  

So, I thought I'd at least dip a toe in that proverbial bathtub and do a drawing of what will be one of the first paintings in the series...whenever I decide to start them.  It is of this long sweeping stretch of highway that is just east of that small Navajo community Teec Nos Pos, and a few miles west of the actual Four Corners monument.  

The drawing thing was good.  I like it because, unlike painting, I can draw right at my computer, and listen to my favorite songs on my YouTube playlist.  After getting into "the zone", it's great.  Drawing with pencil is a very disciplined thing - you can't be lazy and use color.  It's all about value.  Since this particular image doesn't have a great deal of value range, that made it a bit difficult.    And, it took me longer to do this drawing, which isn't much to write home about, than it does to do a painting of the same size.  It was exceedingly difficult to photograph as well.  

But, it was just what I needed today.

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On an unrelated note, I was delighted to find out that all 3 of the photos I entered in the county fair last week won ribbons!  And, both of the paintings took blues and reserve champions, but there weren't many entries this year, so it wasn't quite as exciting as the photography wins.

Here are two of the three photos - both entered in the "Wild Animal" category in the Adult Intermediate division:

"Melissa Blue"

10x8 inches

First Place and Reserve Champion in its category

"Bramble Hairstreak"

8x10 inches

Second Place

Both shot with my entry level Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200mm DX AF lens, and printed at Walmart's 1 hr. photo lab.  Just in case anyone thinks it's all about having expensive DSLR's and high-end glass...it's not.