The Sunday Post- Beauty in the Forces

This week mother nature is wreaking havoc, and I am thinking of my friends in the Carolinas.

I can't imagine the severity of the winds and tons of water...literally being dumped on the coast.
I have experience over 50 mph winds ....on the shores of the Hudson River, and even that was fierce.
My thoughts and prayers go out to them.

Out here in the west, our concern our big concern is  the wildfires.
The past several days have been smoky...I can feel it with a scratchy throat, and irritated eyes.
Fortunately the current ones are far enough away that they are not a threat...nor are they to other homes.
However, there is one that glows in the night sky, and find a raw untamed beauty in the event.

This nocturne was painted from memory the next day, after viewing from the roof deck.

"Night Spark", pastel 20x16 is of a current fire, burning about 40 miles away. The flames are visible at night. This one had started as man-made ( A campfire?) Fortunately it is not threatening any structures, and is a way of clearing out undergrowth .It is being contained, but allowed to burn.


"Let it Burn", pastel, 16x20 was done from my studio window a little while back. It is in the same wilderness, but was closer. It had been started from a lightning strike, and the forest service also allowed it to run its' course. In the late afternoon, the smoke became quite gold.


Eerie, destructive beauty. Nature's way takes many forms.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Sunday Post- Artists Collecting Art

Image
Today I am reframing some of the pieces in my own art collection, by talented other artists. Indeed, I do have many of my own works that I want to keep, but I am an art lover. "Florentine Gold" is one of my own that will stay in my home. However, I always think it is a little strange when I visit another artist's home, and only see their own pieces around. I think they are missing out on a great joy, and constant source of inspiration! I have written about this previously , on my blog that was on my web site. Since then I have added a few pieces , and it is always a good reminder to enjoy another perspective. I certainly consider myself quite blessed that I can support other artists, albeit in a small way! Here is the piece that I am most proud to own. It is a portrait study by Eugene Speicher, a name that is sadly all but forgotten today. In the time, he was considered one of America's top portrait painters in the 1930's and 40's. I purchase...
Read more

"Thursday Stories"-One Inspires Another

Image
In today's post, I'd like to write about two paintings, as they are quite similar. In fact, the first inspired me to paint another, although in a different media, and a much different size. It is something I like to do from time to time, to see how works translate from oil to pastel, or vice-versa, particularly if I like the subject matter. "Shadow Whispers" is a pastel painting that I painted earlier this year. I entered it in a national pastel exhibition, where it won a first place award...nice!  I had been plein air painting in this particular spot, and really enjoyed how the late afternoon shadows played across the desert landscape. It is a subject that I knew I wanted to go deeper in to, and make larger  ( 16x18) as I was quite inspired, so I did this studio version from my plein air pieces and photos. I was fortunate enough to have the work out on exhibit, and it  then went home with new collectors during a studio visit. However, it was a work that was ...
Read more

Thursday Stories- Amethyst Path

Image
Very often, since I work in both pastel and oil, I'll use the inspiration from one piece to paint another in a different medium. Such is the case of "Amethyst Path" This is a 12x 12 gallery wrap oil. It was influenced by a larger pastel, that was a successful painting. I wanted to simplify things a bit, and have the work be more about the shapes and warm/cool color palette. I also wanted to see how my original painting would translate to an oil. I used different source material, but with very similar lighting, and in the same locale. "Shadow Whispers " is the pastel painting that inspired "Amethyst Path" . As you can see, I kept the square format, which I like working in. There is much more detail , and stronger value contrasts. This piece won a 1st place national show award, and also sold...so I consider it a success! Last winter I spent a lot of plein air time in the locale of these two paintings. Here is one of the pastel plein ai...
Read more