9-11

9-11 Where were you when ... I happen to be standing directly in front of the TV just after it flashed up on the Tube. The announcer was going on and on about how could a jet crash into the Tower. As a pilot myself I knew what had happened as soon as I saw the picture. Then the second plane. I stood there frozen. The image of the planes hitting the towers and what it meant hit me as it did many others. The very next day I sat down and drew this pencil drawing. It helped me work through what had just happened.

Lake Selmac, Or

This is a "painting-sketch" I did this weekend on a camping trip. The location was at Lake Selmac, Or. It is a Josephine County Park just out of Grants Pass on Highway 199. It a beautiful place to camp. This is the first time I've used Gouache is some time. I really like the medium. It's obvious that I will need to get is some more practice to manage the colors. I was pleased though with some of the brush work.

Ranch View

A view from the Ranch where several of the sketches were painted. This one is looking South West towards Mt. Shasta hidden in clouds. This valley is most interesting because it is filled with many cinder cones.

Deturmined Trees

These two trees are like many that were located in this Oregon coast campground. There have often been floods in the area. This last winter this area was covered with 8' to 10" of water during a flood. You can see how the soil has been washed away many times exposing the root structure. However these tree continue to hang on.

Deer Camp Tenent, CA

Deer Camp is a series of camping sites near Tenent, CA where a group of friends have been hunting since the 1950's. The main event of this outing is pot luck dinner that usually take place near the end of the season. Often there are over 50 friends that gather for this event.

Indian Scotty Campground

This sketch is from the camp ground that is just 1 hour from our home. It is on the Scott River. This is on the edge of a large wilderness area in Northern California. The last time we were there we heard a Mountain Lion just outside our trailer. It was doing that deep groweling sound that cats do when there are communication to another cat that "this is my area". It was quite exciting!

Shared space

This Oak tree and Pine tree must have started out with their seeds very close together. When this drawing was done it looked like the two bases of the trees were growing out of the same spot. If you look close at the drawing you will see how the trees twisted around and within each other as they grew. It reminded me of some married couples who seem so different yet get along so well.

Ranch Stump

Another painting sketch. This limited pallet uses G,R,and P.

Wintering tree

From water color sketch book. This tree is a real surviver. It sat just off our porch at the ranch. During hard years the California Ground Squirrels would strip much of the growing bark off of the tree. It was able to survive these attacks.

Ranch Wild Flowers

Image form water color sketch book. Lupine with grass

Ranch Wild Flower

This example was done on the place we called our ranch. I researched one spring and found 138 different wild flowers. Many were no bigger than the head of a pin. It was a fairly dry area.

Lakeside Grasses

This image is from my water color sketch book. This is a new approach to the sketching. And I'm pleased with the results. The thing I especially like is the expressiveness of the background. Plants can't move around, however they expand into the space around themselves. To me they are eternally reaching and searching.

Power Corrupts

I created this drawing some years ago. I never dated it at the time. I also had several ideas for a title at the time, but nothing seemed to stick. Over the years I have turned to it many times and tried different titles, however never settling on something. Just the other day I looked at it again. Power Corrupts stuck. So I have borrowed form Shakespeare. His statement goes something like this, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Somethings never change.
Don

Morris

Morris was a maintenance man at the Fremont R.O.C. in the mid 70s. He was one of those great people that you just had to stop, say hello, and chat for a while. He always added warmth to the day

Oxnard,CA

This is a water color I painted while we were taking sailing lessons in Oxnard, Ca. The fishing boat on the left shows the Captain waiting for his crew and the day's fishing.

Mt. Shasta

This is an acrylic painting of Mt. Shasta in Northern California. It is the second highest peak in California. The painting was done form property we had at the time that was 35 miles across the valley form the mountain. This painting was created about 24 years ago. This picture is on the inside Fly page of our Book, Yreka. Am Images of America pictorial history

Design Fantasy

Organic

Design Fantasy

This design started with the largest of the shaded purple edges.

Design Fantasy

Changing gears- Through my drawing/art history I have often sat down with pencil and paper and started by just making a line and seeing where the drawing takes me. I guess this is drawing on the right side of the brain. My high interest in anatomy, science, dreams, and mechanics often slip into these designs. My major direction when I'm doing these works is design, composition, and often color. Sometimes they are very dream like other times they can be quite mechanical in nature. What they mean I'm not sure. I don't worry or think heavily about that while I'm working. I'll leave that up to you.

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico sketch circa 1974

San Maguel de Allende courtyard

This courtyard was in the town on the high plateau. It has great architecture and at the time I was there was a true Mexican village. A splendid place with splendid people. Their celebration of Easter was amazing.

The Transparent Essence Called Life

A favorite drawing! All artists have favorite drawings or works that they have done. This is on of mine. It was drawn in San Miguel de Allande in the early 70’s. It is of a Bougainvillea. It was early morning and the sun was shinning through this magnificent bush. The sun made part of the flower glow with transparency. To me this drawing captures the transparency that is life itself. The living force the thing we call life is very transparent. When it is gone, that what remains is just physical stuff. The smile, the twinkle that little movement has faded to the invisible. The energy of the sun passes through life and sets it aglow. It is at this time that we can witness and experience the transparency we call life.

Fishing Boat, Monterey Harbor

Sitting on the back of the sail boat in the harbor having a cup of hot tea and sketching, It doesn't get any better!

Monterey Harbor Sketch

This is a sketch made in Monterey Harbor of the wharf. This was done from our sail boat while tied up at the pier. Most of the commercial sight seeing boats leave from this spot.

Practice paintings

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Get your own

These painting were done in Nathan Fowkes Class from models in class.

Self portrait Indicator?

Sometimes one should pay attention to ones own work. This was a practice painting for Nathan Fowkes class. I did this painting at home. I decided before I started the painting that I wanted to try and do some kind of expression. So I made an expression and began painting. In retrospect when I look at this painting a realize that several months after this work I had a heart attach. My teaching job had become extremely stressful. We look in the mirror, but do we see?

Self portrait

This Self Protrait was done as a homework project form the Portrait Painting Class of the Artist Nathan Fowkes. This is the portrait of the bunch that I like the most. Form, Color, and likeness fit my illusions of myself the best. I will be including additional painting form the class itself. The work in class was to be completed during the nite class. This was a great experience for me. The idea of finishing a work within a set period of time. Working at that speed was important development for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the classes.

Self portrait

Home work for Nathan Fowkes Portrait Class. Self Portrait

Self portrait

Weekly home work painting form Nathan Fowkes Portrait Class. Self Portrait

Self portrait

The self portrait is an interesting thing. I have asked myself, why do artists feel compelled to do self portraits. Here's my thoughts on the subject. Being able to create images that others respond to is and interesting experience. Especially if one gets these responses starting at an early age. One gets use to having these positive responses and they become addictive. Another side to creating images is that they are often very personal. And displaying personal things and ideas can be very threatening or rewarding. Once you have put yourself out there, you then want to say this is the person that goes with these images. Any thoughts out there?

Simple toy

This illustration was created for a class in drawing. After covering the basics in shading the simple geometric forms I wanted to give the students a practice drawing subject for their next assignment. This simple toy was what developed.

Speek with forked tongue

Several years I worked for a School District. I drew this character during one district meeting while our Superintendent at the time was speaking. I hope this drawing tells the story.

Brother Bob

The drawing of Brother Bob was done using a photograph. I made this picture to go on the handout for his memorial service. He passed away suddenly at the age of 59. This is how I remember him.

Copying great artists

I don't think I need to tell you where this image came from. I chose to copy this image because of the flowing nature of the beard and hair. As you have probably noticed in other works of mine flowing and movement are important.

Jelly Fish, Monterey Bay

Jelly Fish and the Monterey Bay go together. I have always found them to be a most fascinating creature. At the right time of the year Monterey harbor area is filled with millions and millions of Moon Jellies. There are so many they only 6" apart in the water. Monitoring out in our dingy I would put my hand in the water and let it bump from Jelly to Jelly. I special experience.

Fishing Boat, Monterey Harbor

Fishing Boat in Monterey is a sketch from one of the sketch books I often drew in while staying on our sail boat in Monterey, Ca. Most of the drawing listed below were strongly influenced by that experience.

31 Cadillac V12 Sedan

This is a pen and ink drawing a created for a t-shirt design. We had this classic car for many years and it was great fun.

Triptych Eagle with heart

Triptych Eagle has the symbol central in the body to symbolize the heart. The inside of the symbol depicts three heart shapes. The wake patterns in the backgrounds were early explorations of the movement idea in this drawing.

Before Triptych

Before Triptych, this image was produced before the Triptych concept became part of the series. In this image the fish have the faces characteristic of people rather than fish. I was playing with the concept of what a fish is through the eyes of humans. If you look at the other drawings you can find hidden human faces or parts in the drawings. Again alluding to our concept of these creatures. Also as all creatures move through the medium they live in they leave a wake as a record of their path through life. Some are more obvious than the trails of others. The kelp like water vines are a beginning of that symbolism in this drawing. This theme can be found in most of these drawing.

Triptych,reptile,mammal,bird

In this drawing three animals that thrive well in their given areas peer into the Triptych.

Triptych Fish

Triptych Fish has the symbol in its mouth. This symbolizes that the three elements of nature, air, water,and earth must pass through the mouth for life to survive.

Triptych Lizard

Triptych Lizard became a study in texture and detail. The Triptych symbol is being used to represent the center of movement awareness.

Triptych Floral

Floral design and background inspired by the Triptych graphic.

Triptych Sea Whale

Another early study with only one animal.

Triptych Sea Bird

The Triptych symbol was used as the source for the bird only. This is an early drawing from this series

Creatures of the Triptych

Each of the elements of the Triptych has its' own creatures.

Natures Triptych

The Land, the Water, the Air, where they all meet is the stuff of Life.