East of the Mountains - Studio version

I started working on East of the Mountains in my studio. 24"x34". I had been thinking if I should take the post and the berbed wire fence a while. But I decided leaving them in. It would be very interesting how the colors of the mountains and rolling hills would end up.

Autumn in Apple Valley

I stayed at Wenatchee last night then went out for painting this morning.
I climbed up a rocky hill along Columbia River to set my easel, where I was surrounded by animal bones, likely a mountain goat or some sort. I tried hard but I couldn't recreate the colorful poplar trees on the canvas. Also the contrast between shadowed part and lighted part was not clear enough. It ended up quite flat painting. I'll definitely try again on a bigger format.

Even though my straggling, I really liked the scenery. I'll come back around Wenatchee before all are covered by snow.

Slowly coming to life

Slowly making progress on cattle. They're gradually coming to life. I need to play with colors more.

Seeking "truth"

Yesterday, when I was browsing galleries in Seattle, a series of abstract paintings got my attention. The artist's name was James Brown. At the receptionist's desk, I read his artist statement and understood why they pulled my attention. He wrote "...what I am looking for is truth. I will paint and paint...and eventually, if I am lucky, I will start to see certain colors, or lines, or patterns that ring of truth. When I see these, my speed picks up..." I saw the process he described on his pieces as well as the truth he found through the process.

My process is somewhat similar in terms of finding colors and brush marks, I think. I can't get to the goal spontaneously. With this "Stampede Series" I'm working on the background pasture now to seek something that ring of truth. I haven't gotten there yet. I'll keep trying.

Last Piece of Stampede Series

This is the last piece of this series. Rough shapes of cows are almost done. Now I need to work on the background for all three pieces at the same time to keep consistency of colors and their values.