Northwest Harbor (Cancer Benefit Auction)

Here are a couple fishing boat just waiting to go out and catch some salmon. This painting will be auctioned for a cancer benefit I will post details later. starting bid will be $200. (12"x 15" 140# paper framed)

Jefferson Park in Watercolor

Here are a couple paintings I did based from photos I took on a backpacking trip to Jefferson Park two years ago, the figures in the lower right corner are my dad and friend Les.

Watercolor Boats

Here are a couple boat paintings completed this week. Monterrey Wharf

Having taken many family trips to Monterrey growing up it holds a special place in my heart. The smell of clam chowder, waffle cones, and salt water air on the wharf is especially memorable. One favorite memory was when my little brother and I saw a man with a long white beard in full wizard garb board a small boat with a women and chicken and row into the foggy bay .... strangely beautiful. Harbor Scene

I was very pleased with how this painting came out I am always striving to keep my paintings loose and impressionistic however I have a tendency to start drawing in too many details and over working the watercolor. This painting took less than an hour to paint and was based on a painting by John Levette

Landscapes

I have never been a huge fan of landscape paintings so I have only done a few, but after getting a new "Ron Ranson Hake" brush I got inspired to do a few. The brush is 1 1/2 inches wide modeled after a traditional Japanese brush and is ideal for quick landscapes. John Lovett's landscapes provided the inspiration for these.

New Watercolors

Its been a long time since I have been able to paint but with a couple days off for the holidays I busted out the watercolors. I am working on a series of paintings that will be donated to an art auction to help raise money for a friend who is battling cancer. Hopefully I will have a few more to post in the coming weeks. St. Ives Harbor

Fall Morning fishing trip

it took a few practice ones to knock of the rust from not painting for about a year but I think its coming back.

Jefferson Park Adventure

This past weekend my Father came up for our annual backpacking adventure, this was actually the first trip we have made in the past few years due to the triplets being born and my dad breaking his hip. We headed over to Jefferson Park with our good friend Les. Jefferson Park is located on the north slope of Mt. Jefferson (Oregon's second largest peak)it is a large basin containing huge meadows and beautiful alpine lakes full of brookies and cutthroats. We left the trail head about 11am Saturday morning and did not arrive at our camp spot till about 6pm, it was a about a 6 mile trek with a 3000ft elevation gain coupled with full packs it was quite the test for my Dad's new titanium hip, and Les' new heart stint they both held up great. The next day we fished in Russel Lake all morning catching 8 nice Brook trout with a black elk hair caddis. We then took a 4 mile day hike up to Park Ridge Butte about 1000' above the Basin (7100' elevation) with awesome views of the mountain and the lakes below. After a nice nap that evening we hit the lake again and this time fishing the exact same spot and fly I caught 3 beautiful Cutthroats 9-12", trophies for a high mountain cascade lake like this and they made a great dinner along with the Brook trout Dad caught with his deadly "bubble and fly" rig. The next day after eating Oatmeal with freshly picked huckleberries,we sadly had to pack up and head home. It was much quicker heading down the trail than coming up altough it was tough on the knees. On the way home we stopped at a small diner for an Buffalo hamburger that was one of the best tasting things I have ever had after eating dehidrated food for 3 days.

This was a very memorable trip with my father and Les. Of all the hiking and fishing I have done in Oregon I can safely say that this is the best scenery I have experienced in so far Oregon, it was pretty amazing. Now that my legs have recovered I can't wait to get back to Jefferson Park.

First Painting of the year - Colorful Harbor

This is another exercise in painting loose and with limited amount of detail. The focus in this painting is in the horizontal band created by the boats and awnings. I tried to keep the buildings loose and let the watercolors do their thing, after painting I added some pencil and white conte crayon line work.