When "Place" is Important you can't beat the Canadian Rockies

Banff and the Canadian Rockies makes it apparent when plein air painting that, "Place" or the setting in which you are painting makes for better paintings.

The Banff area of the Canadian Rockies has been painted by the famous and not so famous for a century.  At the Whyte Museum in the town of Banff, I picked up some exceptional books on just that subject.

Lisa Christiensen, assistant curator and hiker, has written "A Hiker's Guide to Art of the Canadian Rockies" $29.95, ISBN 1-894004-39-6, complete with paintings, maps and local information on exact places artists such as Carl Rungius, A.C. Leighton and the Group of Seven Painters, J.E.H. MacDonald and Lawren Harris stood to paint 'en plein air' at Lake O'Hara, Lake Louise and many, many other wonderful places.  These books are indespensible to the plein air painter, saving many hours of searching for good painting vistas.  Many of the places they painted can be accessed from your car but many can only be got to by hiking or helicopter.  The Canadian Rockies are exceptional with regard to accessibility and convenience.  Canadians have allowed guides to build lodges in the back country.  Mountain climbing and heli-skiing have been a tourist industry for some time. 

Aside from the wondrous panorama's available to painters there are easy opportunities to observe wildlife.  We saw mt. goats, mt. sheep, bull elk, bull moose, cow moose and calves, coyote and a silver back grizzly.   You have to keep an eye over your shoulder when you have your nose in your paint and pepper spray wouldn't be a bad idea.  A paint brush doesn't make a very impressive deterrant.  Maybe a can of paint thinner placed on the tail? 

I look forward to returning.  September is the best as the Larch and Cottonwood are turning.  Earlier in the year such as spring or early summer and you may find too much snow.  It was 28 f when I was there in October.  Glad I took my warm clothes.  It did warm up to 45 during the day.

One thing we did find is that Canada is down for maintenance after their Thanksgiving, second weekend in October.  Many of the trails and activities were closed.  It was so bad we joked that "even the sun is down for maintenance" it was so cold.

Literature for plein air painters in the Canadian Rockies;

Lisa Christensen ,"The Lake O'Hara Art of J.E.H. MacDonald and Hiker's Guide", $29.95, ISBN 1-894856-17-1

Jane Lytton Gooch, "Artists of the Rockies, Inspiration of Lake O' Hara," $19.95, ISBN 0-9680036-2-1

Beautiful Canadian Rockies

Betts and I are having a superlative time painting and hanging out in Canmore, Ab, Canada thanks to our good friends Bobbi and Gene Weller who gave us a week at a condo of our choice anywhere that WorldMark had a place to stay.  We chose to drive 8 hrs north to the Canadian Rockies to see the 'other' studio and landscape country that fabulous wildlife artist, Carl Rungius (Run' gus) painted.  He had a studio in Banff and loved to pack into the backcountry on horseback.  He worked from the early 1900's until about the 60's.  When we were in Jackson Hole, Wy we had the opportunity to see his work at the National Wildlife Museum and may take the time to go over to the Fyrnie Museum in Calgary to see the largest collection of Rungius work in the world.

Unfortunately, the wild and virgin land that Rungius had the opportunity to paint is well developed.  The resort town of Banff is like Disneyland and everywhere you turn it costs to get in or see the sites.  But there are PLENTY of unspoiled landscapes off the beaten path such as the Kananiskis Country where we get close to HUGE (9pt) bull moose and trophy size bull elk.  A coyote walked up to the car and was startled when he saw me move inside the car.  I think he was going to pee on the tires!

The lakes and river are clear and clean.  The colors are literally unbelievable.  The sort of colors that if you painted them peope wouldn't believe them.  I painted on a cold, overcast day on Emerald Lake, a lake that is absolutely tourquoise blue.  It must be from the limestone and calcium the feeder rivers deposit.  The resort is fantastic and very reasonably priced at $160 a night +.  Great food and drinks after a cold day painting.I had the Spray Lakes country above Canmore absolutely to myself.  Crazy!  It's a 40 mile long gravel road (4 lanes wide and well graded), that goes through the high country.  Anywhere you look is a painting. 

I will say, this isn't the first time I've made the mistake of traveling in Canada after their Thanksgiving which happens the second weekend in October.  Everything shuts down for maintenance hot springs, park facilities etc.,  we even joke the 'sun' shuts down for maintenance after Thanksgiving in Canada (it snowed this morning).

 I hoped to stand where Rungius painted on Lake O'hara but I was naive to think things hadn't changed.  It was closed!  Not only was it closed but when it is open you have to reserve a bus ride in, A YEAR IN ADVANCE!  Sheesh!  Lake McArthur, the other wonderful place Rungius painted, is even more unreachable as it is a long hike in from Lake O'hara. 

Oh well, there's plenty else to make my own.  Like these wonderful places unless it keeps snowing as they will close the backcountry roads.

It doesn't look good.  Over an inch has accumulated while I am writing this blog.  Maybe it's a day to stay close to the fireplace and eat the wonderful snausages and patte' from Valbella's Imported Meats in Canmore.  A must stop if you are into good exotic meats and snitzel.  I love sausage rolls and they had spinach/chicken, pork and beef.  But the best was their chicken pot pies which come in many different flavors including curry.  They are BIG pies, like 1

Painting with Don .ning Maier,

I painted with Don .ning Maier, his wife Suzy and Lynn Haines.  Don and Suzy drove out from Georgia on a whirlwind tour of the Western States.  He ran out of wind in Cheyenne, Wy., and had to check into the vets hospital and get some oxygen as the altitude effected his breathing.  A true road warrior and plein air painter Don and Suzy continued on to Lynn Haines place at Lincoln, Washington and her lake place where we all met to paint and jawbone about art.

Don is notorius as the builder of the web site http://www.pleinairartist.ning.com/ which has something like 1700 participating plein air artist that post paintings on the site and palaver about things artistic.  It's a great site and we all owe Don a big Thanks for keeping us all in touch.

Compromise is for the Ordinary

Mike Kowalski stopped by to paint the fall colors at the ranch.  He's been on the road painting at Mazama, Wa., with the Plein Air Painters of Washington and then on to N. Idaho.  A figurative painter he has an eye for subject matter and is a masterful watercolorists.  Mike has won many awards for his painting, recently winning best of show and best historical painting at the world's finest plein air event in Hood River, Oregon, not to mention being accepted into the Oil Painters of America show in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  I don't mind sharing landscapes with the guy, he's the genuine thing and an all around good guy. 

We talk art and life into the wee hours of the morning.  We're both working on a new body of work that we hope to find a venue for next year.  I'm hoping to we BIG watercolors from Kowalski. 30x40 or bigger.  He's got the chops.  Whatever he does it will be exciting to see his new stuff.
Our styles are dyametrically different but we share the same muse.  We agree that life is to short to dwell upon the mundane.  Fortunately the 'muse' mandates her lovers pursue the substance of life.  Compromise is for the ordinary.

Plein Air Road Trip

Finally back at Westfork Ranch after a couple hundred miles of traveling which started out painting on the way down to Hood River and the best plein air paintout in the NW at the Columbia Art Center.  About 40 of the most prominent plein air painters of the NW gathered for a week of painting in and around Hood River, Oregon.  What an extraordinary place.  10 minutes west and you are in a green rain forest of waterfalls.  10 minutes east and you are in the desert.  World class windsurfers fly across the Columbia river in kites, parasails and boards and if that isn't enough Mt. Hood is only an hour away as well as Mt. Adams in Washington.

The folks at Columbia Art Center really know how to put on a show.  Artists are hosted by area patrons.  Maps are provided and a number of receptions are held.  Sales are great and the comaraderie is even better.  Thanks everyone.  Look forward to seeing you all next year.

Elio Camacho Workshop
As I was painting in Hood River, I came around the corner of a building where we were all painting to find Elio Camacho set up and painting.  I had never met or heard of this artist.  To say I was delighted to see him paint would be an understatement.  Rather, I had an epiphany.  Here was a guy painting BIG.  Big easel, big canvas and big paint!  I sat mesmerized as I watched his technique.  He's a shy guy around people he doesn't know but a very warm and friendly person once he gets to know you.  I was so inspired I gave myself permission to 'do my thing' which is to paint big.  I drove to Portland and picked up some 24x24 canvases, the size I have been painting on at home.  It turns out I 'dumb down' my work and paint small at paint outs.  It's not good for me as I don't do well on 11x14.  Guess these old eyes and being 6'3" I need to paint big.  The next two days I did 3, 24x24's and was 'back in the groove' and enjoying myself.  My pieces really stood out in the show and one found a home with a delighted collector.
Brookings, Oregon Workshop with Elio Camacho

On the spur of the moment I decided to attend Camacho's workshop in SW Oregon near the California border.  It's a big deal for me to expose myself to the influence of other's work but I've been looking for an artist to paint with that I appreciated their work.  I considered attending a Ovanes Berberian workshop but kept putting it off for years as I didn't want to get out of the groove I've been in.  Turns out the Camacho is a student of Berberian and quotes him a lot as well as Berberians mentor Sergie Bohngart, an artist my mentor, William F. Reese, held in high regard.

I've never spent much time at the ocean.  I'm a desert rat in that the first time I saw the ocean I was 18 and from Montana.  It's a little bit like the Big Sky Country but doesn't stop moving. It was something like being on an alien planet.  It was good weather and beautiful and I did some good painting but they are workshop paintings trying to work out the things Camacho pointed out needed work.  There isn't a painting that doesn't need improvement so I did a lot of scraping and still came home with 6, 24's that I'll keep as reminders of what I need to work on. 

Elio is a generous and knowledgeable teacher and very accessible.  His best teaching is done with the brush as he usually has a painting going.  His technique and color use is exceptional.  Check out his work at http://www.eliocamacho.com/ .

Interview; July, Rural Heritage Magazine

I had the privelege to get interviewed by Bethany Caskey for Rural Heritage Magazine, one of the few magazines which cover draft horse and farming issues. Ms. Caskey is an excellent writer and easy to talk to.  She is also a horse person and artists so it was an easy interview that turned into a 4 page article with many photos of my work!  I'm sorry I don't have a digital copy but have ordered many hard copies.  I recommend subscribing to Rural Heritage.  Publisher Joe Mishcka also has an extensive online library on things rural with an emphasis on draft horses.  Thanks Joe and Bethany for the opportunity!

Galleries and Art Shows July through September

Avenue West Invitational juried show August 1-27, reception friday august 6, 5-9

hours; tues - sat 509 838-4999 avenuewestgallery.org; one piece, 11x14 plien air, "Sherman Grotto", lovely little piece, impasto plein air view of Sherman Creek tumbling through the rocks on it's way to the Columbia.

Museum of Arts and Culture, Moses Lake, July 16-August 13, reception July 16, 6 pm

118 west third Ave, hours 11 am to 5pm tues-saturday, 509 766-9395, 20 large paintings of recent work. Equine motif, from representational, plein air and large 5'x14' conceptual piece of the 32 horse Talkington Hitch.

Confluence Gallery, Twisp, Wa 104 Glover Street, 509-997-2787, tue-sat 10;30-3pm, Confluencegallery.org; Harvesting the light, june 5-july 24; reception, 4-8, Saturday, June 5

Jenn Allen-Tate's, "The Studio", Twisp, Wa, 101 N. Glover, 509-997-3090 20 plein air pieces, winter series 16x16 and small towns, 30x40.

April Monday's, Silver Star Gallery, Chelan, WA., 108 East Woodin Avenue, 509- 682-4848, plein air landscapes, 11x14, equine subjects 30x40, large triptych screen, 6'x6' with aspen landscape.

Wedding Bells for Gregg and Betts

It's wedding bells for Gregg and Betts June, 26 2010, 4pm at the Westfork Ranch on the Sanpoil!

Barbecue and music by local Peacenik, Robin Ellis

Come boogy and help us celebrate.
Garden party or ranch attire appropriate.

Bring your tent, camper, fishing pole and sleeping bag or stay in nearby Republic at the Northern Inn, 775.2130, or the Kdiamond K, 775.3351.  Our friends at the K Diamond K are providing rooms for us at their special B & B rate.  If at all possible they'd like a 3 night minimum stay as it's their high season.  The ranch offers all sorts of extras, like horse rides, so come over and have a mini-vacation.
While you're here you should also check out the Stonerose Interpretive Center.
Check http://www.ferrycounty.com/ for even more information on things to see and do in our corner of the world.
Questions?  Call us at 509.775.2130.

Your smiling face is all we look for on our wedding day but for those of you that insist, we made wedding presents easy at Amazon.  We love music, books, movies and of course, Art.  Wedding present registry;

Eats the Sun II, 30x40, plein air, oil on gallery wrapped canvas

"Bodies made of Light, Eat the Sun"

"Bodies made of light, eat the sun"
11x14, plein air, oil