Mt St Helens, Spirit Lake & Mt. Adams
This one is the first one I ever painted back in December 1997. I'm not even embarrassed by it because it amazed me that I could actually paint something recognizable! Generally speaking, I can't draw a note, or paint a stitch, so this "lack of drawing" method is right up my alley!
It was several days before I noticed that I had SEEN what I painted somewhere before. About a week later, I remembered St. Helens. My instructor says that "we tend to paint what we know" and that it is not unusual to duplicate our memories instead of what we are copying from a book. In fact, one thing seems to stand out about my paintings, at least in class: most of my classmates are Native Texans, and they constantly compliment my mountains and my trees as being so much better than theirs. I, on the other hand, am never pleased with EITHER and they can't understand why.
The puzzle is solved when you realize that I spent 37 years of my life nestled between the Olympics and the Cascade mountain ranges in Washington State, with numerous yearly excursions through the Siskiyous & Sierras in Northern California and Nevada. I KNOW what a mountain is, and I KNOW what the trees of the area look like...and that's why I'm never pleased with my painting of them...and likely never will be.
Tropical Seascape
This is my first seascape. Against my instructor's advice, I added detail to the palm trees' trunks based on my familiarity with the Los Angeles palms. Surprisingly, it worked! Then,of course, I had to add hairy coconuts...which really cracked up my instructor!
I was also complimented on my beach. Another case of painting what I know, since I grew up on a beach...
On Frozen Pond
This one is my favorite one. Not because it's any good, but because I just LOVE the way the sky reflects in the pond. I wish all my reflections could come out this good.
Falls Out of Oval
I suppose I should mention that I am referred to as a "renegade artist" in my classes. I have a tendency to leave out buildings that were intended to be in the paintings we are working on, and to add streams, ponds and waterfalls where they don't belong.
This one wins my personal prize for being the most humorous. Both in class and in Bob Ross's PBS series, it is stressed that if you don't paint water with perfectly horizontal strokes, it will "run off the canvas and spill all over the floor". So...I figured, why not do it and watch it splash off the frame?
Winter River
This was my first winter scene, AND my first cabin. The instructor didn't call for icicles on the cabin, but I just couldn't see leaving them out. It just isn't a northwest winter without icicles...an uncommon occurence here in Texas.
Yellow Pond
The original of this one is so bright that it burns your eyes to look at it! But then, if you were looking at such a bright reflection on a REAL pond, you'd burn your eyes there, too. Actually, I'm kinda proud of that effect.
Green Mountain Lake
PSSSSSST! Wanna buy a painting?
This is the first one that I'm going to attempt to sell. There is nothing technically wrong with it (surprise!!) but it was a boring painting for me to do and frankly, I'm tired of looking at it. Make an offer if you're interested, I'm curious to see if there are any takers. It is currently hanging on the wall of a Denton business, just for grins, I guess. Who knows?
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Updated: November 10, 1998