bypass elevation

The notes on the sketch for this painting say: " Early over late beans    under bypass" and "Gray beans w/ yellow over" (in other words the closer beans were already dusty brown but the further beans still yellow).  and then "silver wire."  Seems to me the beans in back were probably planted later than the front beans, due to some dirt work associated with the bypass or maybe some flooding by the creek early on - it was pretty wet this summer. The elevated bypass runs from rt to left in front of the last tree line in light browns. The distinct difference between the 3 rows of trees did not turn out so distinct in my sketch as in real life but I remembered how it actually was and tried to return to that clarity in the painting. You can see the "silver" power lines hanging in front of the trees but I did not do the ones on the right side with the same approach- seemed to me they should be in shadow.    The date was 10/9/15, so the painting was done that night after the bike ride that took me there, as it was already afternoon when the sketch was done.  The back of the 5" x 9" sketch pad says: "Three Hills  8/15" so this is the pad that went with us to Alberta in August.  Cannot say I was too happy with the tone of this photo- the original is a bit lighter, as the day was a bright fall day before harvest.

Metro center

I had ran with my son-in-law to the north side of Minneapolis to replace a defunct washing machine. It was not early in the day by the time we finished our errands and headed down the interstate.  Don't get many chances here to do a city-scape on the fly, so this was a good exercise.  Maybe you can recognize the exit and the bridge with the lightposts above it.

Lyon County

Some days it has just been too long since you did any painting. That can be after a long hiatus, or after spending the good part of a week painting. Not that I ever have a block of time like that, but maybe a simple painting each day or so.  This was such a day, and I had this scrap of paper waiting to be used.  Then I found a thumbnail sketch from a recent trip up through Lyon county and this, after a prelim sketch to lay out the concept, was the result. We sometimes take the back roads home from down south, cutting through the Flint Hills by a different route for a change. This barn is the kind of stuff you might see whenever you travel in the mid-west- especially Kansas.  

Done on Canson 140# paper about 4 1/2" by 12" on the day before Halloween though the thumbnail was done a few days before.

This is the quick study done between the thumbnail done on the road and this done just before the water color.  It has the note, "all sky" to remind me to stay focused when doing the painting.  Also the name "Lyon Co." to further clarify the name in my mind.

201 W 8th

Maybe we've done enough drawings of this stretch of 7th between Vermont & Tennessee Streets. Then again maybe not.  Today I was counting the buildings there. There are five. I've done some of them all.  Probably 6 or 8 of this one, and I was actually contemplating another one yesterday, which because I had no sketch pad along then or today, I did one from memory this morning.  This drawing however was done on location but with only some of the most important detail rendered, That is easier for me with buildings than with cars, because I have had so much more practice doing buildings. I keep saying I need more practice on the automotive end.  This drawing was done with a reflection of the side mirror in the paint of the door. It is not a shadow, as the scene was highlighted by the sun from the south behind the building.

Billtown crossing

This is the scene from the Hamm shop on 24 highway east of Perry. I have seen this view for some 16 years, but just now thought it should get put to paper.  Seems like the sketch was done one day about noon on a scrap of paper in my pocket as I was headed out the door. If you have something somewhat memorized, then a few quick scribbles are about all it takes to turn it into something. The note on the painting says only "10/8/15  Billtown Crossing".   I think the crossing needed a little clarity in my sketch as it was transferred to paint. What I was wanting to catch primarily was the relationship of the trees in shadow to the houses in full summer sun.   Seems like it turned out OK.  It was that time of year when some of the fields were bare and dark from the recent rain.  This was done on a scrap of Arches paper about 6 or 7 inches tall.

a little entertainment

There is an order to these quick sketches of our kids place under the patio windows done just before Thanksgiving. First the lamp, then the chair, now this cabinet & TV. From left to right. I did the individual drawings to catch specific things at different times, and just to do a little drawing rather than a complicated study.   That is a problem, when you think more info makes it more complicated or somehow better.  Details do will not necessarily make a better drawing.  I like the angles and negative spaces & how they relate to each other and the overall drawing.  This drawing seems to catch some of the depth front to back even as simple as it is, and maybe because it is not cluttered.

the window chair

It was late in the eve-another evening- and things were winding down for the night. But I had a little time on my hands so time to do a little chair study.  This chair sits right next to the table & lamp posted earlier on...   And done in the same 5" x 9" sketch book, but in pencil.

from the north

Here is a painting done on location on the east side of town. Kitsmiller Rd I guess. This is just south of the new county shop.  I have done more than one drawing from this location. Have also done paintings of the small building and cattle chute on the horizon. It seemed pretty impressive to me from this angle through the trees.  There was a long front of white clouds on the south horizon stretching for some distance.  While I was standing there beside my pickup, working from the back of it along the road, the fellow came along with his tractor hauling a disc.  He missed my truck by about 18" maybe and above the top of my cab. I was over as far as I could get & there was a power pole on the other side. He knew right where he was, so I just kept painting as he passed. Dumb huh?!  The small shed in this view is now gone now and being replaced by a new house on the place. This painting was less than a year ago, on March 15th this year.    9 1/2" x 13 1/2"-   seems like this was Strathmore 140# paper  -more of a mechanical looking finish than say an Arches paper, but a little quicker drying.
Below is a detail of the chute and shed.

Wakarusa sunset

On a warm fall day when the sun has begun setting well before 6 pm I was on my bike trying to get home before the sky completely darkened. I am not prepared to ride a bicycle in the dark.  But I had asked for it, stopping too often to sketch or chase a hawk over the bottoms with my binoculars. These can be very peaceful rides, with almost no traffic especially if it is a weekend, and because it had been a spell since I'd ridden, I was enjoying it a bunch. This painting was not done on the spot, nor from a sketch that day, but rather by memory from the image in my head when I returned home. Though probably not very true to the scene, such pieces are a great exercise in recall of color and impression. They are also great at forcing some spontaneity in the approach and execution of the painting.  More info than you had asked for I know...  
Done on a scrap of 140# Canson paper approximately 5 1/2" x 13 1/2"

the window lamp

We had not been in Minnesota more than a couple hours when I did this sketch of Rebekah's living room lamp, just to see if the marker was still working. Yup, did ok. It was evening and the dark window made a great background for the marker, so I could not resist.  A small series of these "interior" drawings were done in a 5x 9 sketch pad.

Kitsmiller Road east

Unfortunately this w/c has no date to tell when it was done.  It was this summer though when the grasses had begun to mature. I had taken the bicycle on one of my favorite rides out to E1700 road where this fence is characteristic of the landscape.  Did a sketch directly on the Canson w/c paper and then later at home did this painting over the sketch.  Cannot say I was too happy with it to start, but after it sat a couple months I began to like it better.  I have often watched a hawk work its way along this tree line in the distance headed east -to the right of the picture.  According to the address on the utility easement south of here the name  is Kitzmiller Rd, though none of the signs indicate that. But I would suppose the Kitzmiller's, north or south had something to do with the use of all the woven wire fence, which has been here longer than I by far. They could also  explain the occasional use of an old streel framed bed spring in a fence here and there.  We are talking 60 year old or more springs -before the advent of the new wood framed "box spring".           This was done on 9" x 12" Canson 140 # paper. It reproduced here way darker than it actually is for some reason...