On the Coquille River at Bandon Marsh

C1508

“The Turn of the Tide”

(Coquille River at Bandon Marsh, Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Centurion Oil Primed Linen Panel

4” x 6”

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This is the Coquille River about a mile and a half or so from where it enters the Sea at Bandon, Oregon, and we are looking across at Bandon Marsh, a protected  Nature Reserve, and at the turn of the tide.  As I painted from the driver’s seat of my SUV, it being too drizzly off and on to do otherwise, I watched those big tree trunks out in the river slowly drift upstream to the left, as the tide rose.  Eventually they slowed, became stationary for a time, and gradually began to move back to the right towards the sea, as the river’s current began to take over again; perhaps they might make it to the open sea this time before the next rising tide. 

And yes, there was birdlife to be seen and enjoyed.  Besides the odd seagull, there were various ducks and waterfowl, but I was too busy painting to try and identify them unless I already was familiar with them, such as the heron keeping vigil in front of where I painted.  Although I am not a wildlife artist per se, I am interested in and do enjoy observing them, and so they do get included from time to time, as staffage in my work, much as others include people in their cityscapes.  I am sure there were more to be seen across the river in the marsh. 

I had tried to find a spot further up the river, where the marsh is more extensive, but there were no lay-bys from which to paint from the truck, but here was good enough, as the drifting logs, the birdlife, the bit of mist drifting in and out over the marsh, and the light effects, made for an entertaining painting session.  The real subject of the sketch is the light breaking through and reflecting on the water, with the promise of a better afternoon; it was just a promise.  In Oregon, that patch of blue sky that comes to nothing is called “a sucker hole.”

The imprimatura was a mixture of Burnt Sienna & Venetian Red, and the pigments used were Yellow Ochre, Naples Yellow (hue), Burnt Sienna, Venetian Red, Cobalt Blue, a bit of Ultramarine Blue and Ivory Black, and a touch of Gold Ochre; all by W&N, save for the black which was by Bloccx.  I know, I know; you’re wondering why so many colours, for a grey painting?  I had some of the colours still on my palette from the last painting session, and I was also testing various mixtures for the greys; the Gold Ochre was to see if it would brighten up the strip of marsh in the brightening light breaking through the clouds; perhaps it did a bit.

The Coast at Christmas

C1537

“Looking North from Face Rock Overlook”

(Bandon, Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Telati Pintura Oil Primed Linen Panel

6” x 8”

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As I said in a previous post (here), I returned to the Oregon Coast on Christmas Eve, and made my way down to Bandon by the 27^th.  Just before the end of the year I managed to finish this sketch of part of Bandon Beach from the cliffs at the Face Rock overlook (I will deal with Face Rock in a future post).  This gives you a bit of an idea of the coast here at Bandon; islands and sea stacks, reminiscent of Bedruthan Steps, North Cornwall near where I lived for many years.  Bedruthan was wilder in feel since it was miles from any town, and it was more personal in a way since most of the sea stacks were closer in to the shore, but there are corners of Bandon Beach where this is true also.  An aside here … Bedruthan Steps was named for a giant who in fleeing from the Devil ran across the sea stacks to his escape; the Devil seems to have certain real estate connected with him in Cornwall as well as numerous acreages here in Oregon, although Oregon seems to have the edge for some reason (see here). 

The island just to the left of center, against which the wave is crashing, is called Elephant Rock (or maybe it’s Island).  There is just a hint of why this is so called in my sketch, and there seems to be a frieze of elephants within the island seen from various vantage points; once seen … not forgotten.  Table Rock (here) is the one on the far right in the distance; at the time of this writing it is covered in nesting Cormorants, along with many of the others, which I just noticed the other day.

For you sharp-eyed observers … yes, that is gorse on the sloping cliff in the foreground.  It was brought over in the 19^th c. from Ireland by a homesick Bandon resident; it has also been responsible for the burning down of Bandon on at least one occasion in the town’s history.  Having lived in Cornwall, and visited Scotland several times, I have a soft spot for the gorse, although it is not highly regarded by many hereabouts; but in the Springtime when it is in full bloom it is magnificent, and with no sheep and goats keeping it in down this Gorse is some of the finest I’ve ever seen.  Tell me, for those of whom it is familiar … does it smell like peaches or coconut to you?

And not forgetting the tech-heads, the imprimatura is Venetian Red, and the pigments used were the triad of Yellow Ochre, Venetian Red and Cobalt Blue plus Titanium White (all W&N); a restricted palette, but a useful one I’m finding. 

Still Painting at Seal Rock(s)

C1534

“Receding Tide at Seal Rock”

(Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Telati Pintura Linen Panel

5” x 7”

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A week later I was still painting at Seal Rock, weathering a storm on the 1^st of December, when I got another two small sketches completed from the driver’s seat of my SUV.  On this last sketch I again chose a view similar to the previous post, but it’s earlier in the day and the tide is receding, allowing for reflections on the expanse of wet sand; always interesting to paint.  There was an obliging flock of gulls pottering about on the wet sand doing gull things, and just generally reflecting … philosophical reflections, no doubt (sorry) … so I just dabbed them in with my brush.  I enjoyed the previous 5 weeks painting on the coast, especially since I only was going to spend a few days painting down there, after the exhibition opening in Bandon. 

There was no imprimatura this time, and I went straight into drawing with a brush on the white linen panel with the usual suspects: Yellow Ochre, Venetian Red, Cobalt Blue, and Titanium White, all from W&N.

Meanwhile back on the Coast

C1529

“November Afternoon at Seal Rock”

(Oregon Coast)

Oil Sketch on Ampersand Gesso Panel

5” x 7”

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Meanwhile back on the coast, the weather was good and there were seascapes waiting to be painted, so after my couple of days up in the mountains, I worked my way down to Seal Rock a few miles south of Newport.  At Seal Rock, of all the rocks here at the State Park, there is no one rock that is called Seal Rock.  One might think that this large one might be it, but no … none are.  Being bemused by this I sometimes call them in the plural and some of the captions of my several paintings of this area are entitled thus, depending on how I’m feeling at the time; contrary or otherwise.  I managed two paintings on his day, the morning one being in one of my Galleries at present.  This was Thanksgiving Day, and then still managed a dinner of smoked salmon & vegetables on a bed of cous cous cooking it after dark; a bit different from my Thanksgiving Day ham sandwich of the year before up at Blizzard Gap on Hwy 140 at 6200’, on my way to Winnemucca, Nevada, and points east.  I found a forest clearing six miles up in the mountains from Seal Rock and made it my campsite for 8 nights, coming down to paint every day.  I managed seven Oil sketches during the days spent here including two during the 1^st of December storm which swept in; most are in galleries, but there will be another on my next post.  

The morning haze cleared and as the tide receded, and the shadows began to lengthen I worked up this 2^nd sketch.  Over an imprimatura of Venetian Red, the pigments used were the triad of Yellow Ochre, Venetian Red and Cobalt Blue plus Titanium White (all W&N).  I’m quite pleasantly surprised to get the sea-greens as well as the green of the grass on the top of the big rock from just the mixture of Cobalt Blue & Yellow Ochre; I shouldn’t be since I got a range of mixed greens when mixing in Watercolour, but I’ve not done as much with Oil as I have with Watercolour over the years.

Morning Clouds

C1527

“Sky Study … Moon Setting just before the Sun Rises”

(Oregon Coast Range)

Oil Sketch on Ampersand Gesso Panel

5” x 7”

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Last November after leaving Bandon, Oregon where I’d been painting for a couple of weeks I drifted north and found a clearing in the National Forest up in the Coast Range, and a few miles inland from Cape Perpetua; here I spent a couple of days.  One morning I saw this wonderful pink cloudscape and put it down while it was fresh in my mind.  It’s always worth turning to the sky opposite from where the Sun I rising or setting; you may just see the Moon doing the opposite of the Sun, as well as catching some colour schemes not seen in any other way.  I have seen similar morning clouds before, both before and shortly after the sun rises, and these wonderful soft clouds fill the sky and seem to promise, and usually does, a fine day; this day was no exception.  This work is a Study and as such I could have left the forested mountains out, but I added them so that there would be an anchor to show where the clouds were in relation to the ground and to remind me that this was in the Oregon Coast Range and a few miles from the Sea; I didn’t actually have a view, but only glimpses of the mountains and the Sea through the grove of Red Alders. 

After I completed the study I explored the area, driving a few miles further inland down into the valleys searching for a couple of covered bridges; I found one, but there was nowhere to set up to paint it, nor to really take good photos, although I did take some average, informational ones.  The valleys were frosty and cold with frost building up thickly on the north facing slopes, while up at 2000 feet where I camped remained much warmer, even at night; camp at altitude, boys, and stay warm! 

I’ve always been good at painting my skies in Watercolour, but since I never liked working outdoors in that medium I never did a series of cloud studies, as Constable did throughout his life; with these small Oils I expect there to be more to come.  I reckon Constable would have taken photos for reference material as well as his small sky studies … yes, he would have … don’t argue!

Over the imprimatura of Venetian Red I used the following pigments, Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre & Titanium White (all by Winsor & Newton), as well as Caput Mortuum (by Schmincke), a lovely purply Earth Red. 

Into the Coast Range, Mark-II

C1547

“The Forest Clearing … Oregon Irises & Daisies”

(Oregon Coast Range)

Oil Painting on Sundalea Panel

with an additional Priming Coat of Rublev Lead White in Oil

5” x 7”

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In June the wild Oregon Irises were in their prime, and I determined to have them in a painting; not as a floral portrait, but as part of the landscape.  These Iris are and almost white lilac colour with a yellow center; quite nicely subtle.  I also wanted to paint the little forest clearing, in which I frequently camp on these long weekends away from town.  It is a young forest surrounding this clearing growing up after formerly being logged, perhaps 20 or 30 years ago.  There’s nothing particularly special about it, except that it is nicely secluded, just off a forest road, and if anyone else turns to come into it they can see my SUV 50 yards up into the, allowing them to reverse out with no difficulty, thus preserving my solitude; this is a plus come hunting season.  I chose a corner with taller grasses coming in, with a few of the Irises here and there, Manzanita shrubs to the right with their little urn-shaped flowers being worked over by the Bees, and the first Daisies opening out.  The week after, the Irises were pretty much gone and the Daisies which had been a myriad of little buds, had opened and become a myriad of blossoms; but that was in the future.  You can see that the young forest forms pretty much a wall which surrounds the clearing, impenetrable, save for the wild creatures which either live here or pass through.  Bambi and his Mom passed through early one morning, rabbits came out at dawn and dusk, and the resident chipmunk scolded me periodically; various birds visited throughout the day, including one Hummingbird that several times a day would buzz down and closely inspect the red of my truck’s tail lights before deciding that there would be no nectar found there!

I laid down and imprimatura with Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna (Alkyd), so that it would set up quicker, and proceeded to block in the lights and shades with a mixture of W&N Ultramarine Blue, & a touch of Burnt Sienna (Alkyd).  I mixed a variety of greens from W&N Cerulean Blue & Cadmium Yellow & Cadmium Yellow Pale, and Ultramarine Blue in the place of the Cerulean for the darker more transparent greens, and went over the block-in with these greens.  You can see the tips of the Douglas Firs have the lightest, yellowest greens depicting the new growth.  With such a green painting it is essential to have a variety of mixed greens, and to add touches of earth reds here and there to keep all that green from overwhelming.  The Irises were mostly Cremnitz White with a touch of Indian Red.

The complete Palette is Cerulean & Ultramarine Blues, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Yellow & Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cremnitz White (all W&N), and a little Roberson’s Indian Red; a very little W&N Cobalt Blue also got worked in.

Into the Coast Range

C1546

“The Trout Pool below the Beaver Dam”

(Oregon Coast Range)

Oil Painting on Centurion Oil Primed Panel

with an additional Priming Coat of Lead White in Oil by Rublev

7” x 5”

Click here to make this your Own

Back in May of this year, I started getting out for long weekends into the Oregon Coast Range above McMinnville, taking a break from the long preparations for this Blog.  I had finally realized that the weekend hours at the Library were not long enough to do any meaningful work, and I wished I had realized this back in March; before that I was busy getting a new engine in my SUV & readying my accounts for the fiscal year’s end, as well as there was just too much snow up there on the forest roads that I like to frequent.  But it was refreshing to at last be out there and refresh my mind as to what this Odyssey is all about.

I came upon this scene in the Autumn of 2012, but this Springtime Idyll grabbed my attention at first sight this year, shouting “Paint me!”  It is an example of how I want to approach my more complete Oils; that is to be somewhere between the fine detail of my Studio Watercolours, and the looseness of my Oil Sketches, and that is why it is signed as I do my more complete work, as you are no doubt aware since you all have obviously clicked & read every tab of my Blog, especially in this case the “Stuff” tab.  

I laid down and imprimatura with Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna (Alkyd), so that it would set up quicker, and proceeded to block in and draw the composition with a mixture of W&N Ultramarine Blue, & Rublev Italian Burnt Sienna.  Then I began on the colouring, again blocking in the big shapes of the sky, distant forest covered hills, trees, foreground water, etc. and then going over it all again refining the shapes and super-imposing the detail with finer brushes.  I mixed a variety of greens from W&N Ultramarine Blue and Rublev Blue Ridge Yellow Ochre for the darker greens (especially in the shadows of the tree on the left), W&N Cobalt Blue & the Yellow Ochre for the more subdued greens and Cerulean Blue and Cadmium Yellow Pale (both W&N) for the brighter greens found in the foreground.  The complete Palette is Rublev Blue Ridge Yellow Ochre &  Rublev Italian Burnt Sienna (both wonderful colour from Natural Pigments), Venetian Red, Cobalt, Ultramarine & Cerulean Blue (all W&N), W&N Cadmium Yellow Pale & Rublev Flemish Lead White. 

Throughout the painting sessions over two successive afternoons Trout were leaping for the occasional insect or now & again darting here and there; I watched a Bald Eagle come and go, and a Heron, as well as Dragonflies hunting, and listened to a few busy Bees working the flower nearby; only a few of the delights witnessed. Only one or two vehicles traversed the bridge I was lurking under while I painted away.