so what have I done today, you ask?

Well I started out with a little workout on Excercise TV, ordered a new photo backpack for my Crown Graphic gear, got out some art festival applications, sent out my email newsletter (which you can subscribe to on my Contact page) and started the second edition of both "Garcia Bend" and "Tree Lovers:"



I'll see what else I can do with the rest of the day...

large format shooter

January 25, 08
afternoon at home
cold & rainy, windy outside
testing the Crown Graphic with Polaroid back - type 55 film (4"x5")

I am now a large format shooter - technically I was shooting medium format film before - and my shooting process has become more cumbersome but I am determined to keep my wandering habits.


Test #1 - out the studio window - zone focus, same old light meter in my head, seems to work fine.


Test #2 - front porch - old light meter has it's flaws, but zone focus looking good.


Test #3 - I'm not used to the film process & forgot to pull out the envelope, so I didn't actually expose the film - need a new mental checklist.


Test #4 - I've figured out a a decent exposure, zone focus is good for a wide open lens - I'm doing my best to stay light on equipment, not use ground glass but see if I can get the hang of the Crown's rangefinder - the focus link doesn't seem right but zone focus is fine, especially for my wide landscape shots - still the gear is bigger & heavier and now I need a new pack, too... Even so, I'll probably take the ground glass & a tripod with me at first, just in case -


new dragonfly stamp

tree lovers

So I worked on the other piece last night & gave it a last polish today -



I call it "Tree Lovers," and besides reflecting my own love of trees, it would make a perfect Valentine for that special tree hugger in your life - this is number one of ten, so there won't be too many. On my screen it's actually larger than life, really it's about 5x6" and would be matted or framed to 11x14". ($200-$250) If you're interested, just email me...

it's been two weeks

since my last confession - uh, post - and I haven't been as productive as I should -

I did get into the darkroom last week, though and today I finally did some coloring, so maybe I'm getting back into a creative routine.

Earlier today I started with watercolors on both pieces that I printed last week - one on the left from Garcia Bend with an overlay of a map of that bend in the river that creates what is known as the Pocket area of Sacramento - and on the right, a little something romantic for Valentine's...



After the paint dried, I put pencil and pastels on the Garcia Bend piece - this one is already sold, but there will be another I'll work on soon - Peggy, this is for you. ;)

sunny new year

Jan 7, 08
1:30 p.m.
Antelope Community Park
sunny w/clouds, light wind, not too cool

A break in the recent storms has given me a great desire to get out. I've come to this park, next to where they're building the new high school, and the high school grounds are taking more park than I expected. It's a small blow to my heart. The "tree along (the) fence" is gone, as is the old fence - it makes me a little sad but glad that I caught it on film while I could.

Many of my favorite trees are still here though - I'm also looking to see how they all weathered the recent 65mph winds, so I'm enjoying my old friends for as long as I can -


An old heritage oak, previously photographed as "oak near Palmerson Drive."

A small flock or doves roosts in the top of the "woodpecker oak" and a few magpies at the top of another.

The ground is wet but not too soggy, covered in short green grass sprouts and fallen oak leaves. I wander around the park and find a well worn foot path that dead-ends at a chain link fence. New taller fences, looking appropriate for sports courts, are just beyond.


One of the "s curve oaks," brings memories of my kids playing here when they were little.

Lots of tiny little finches flit around branches, twittering and calling out to each other.


I frightened a larger flock of doves on the ground around the felled branch of this tree - the only real damage I find from the storm.


This is actually my last piece of known good Polaroid 665 film - I have some very old boxes I might experiment with - otherwise, I could be transitioning to the Graphic 4x5 camera I got last year, in anticipation of this moment - the end of another era -


Quick digital shot as I was leaving - saw this sign that shows what's being built. Not only the high school, but part of the park is being developed as a "joint use improvement project." Sports fields and a swim center for now - at least they plan on leaving the heritage oaks, too bad they can't stay in a more natural setting.

working

Even though I wasn't posting to this blog, I've been working on the series for the publisher, as well as getting some framing done, paying bills, getting groceries, etc...


Here's number seven and eight for the publishing project, wet with watercolors.


And finished with pencils and oil pastels. I'm not quite happy with how they fit with the rest, but we'll see what happens.


This is an extra one for this project that I think will fit better - wet with watercolors.


Here's how I've been working, adding each piece to the wall space around my drawing table nook, so that I can see the pallet of what I've completed & adjust what I'm working on to stay on target.


And the final piece for this project done - I think - I might offer another vertical to make up for both of the ones I don't think fit so well together. But that will depend on what the art director says; I'll have to make scans and send them off to her tomorrow, then get her feedback.

12-14-07

12-14-07
late morning
William Land Park
sunny, clear, cool, no wind

Gem of a park just south of downtown - kids playing nearby, the squeak of swings a constant in the background. Birds chirp and call out in the trees overhead -



Sycamores are nearly naked - their white bark glows in the sun -



As I'm driving out, I see this view - I make a quick U-turn and have to stand in the middle of the road to get it. Thankfully, it's a pretty quiet street right now.

pushed off

Coloring on the publishing project got pushed off the table briefly for a little embellishment of a pigment print for my inlaws -


I use the pencil sticks for this type of job, filling in color where I feel it needs it, especially for these bigger prints. It's done when I'm happy with it -


Then I got back to work on the set for possible publication, working in details with pencils, adding texture and light color with the oil pastels - again, until I'm happy. (That's what it's all about, right? ;)

getting back

Took a bit to get back to the publishing project, what with getting Visions of Heaven up and rolling, the reception over the weekend, recuperating and all... (you can see me at the reception by clicking on the link.)



So here's the pencils & pastels on the next two of the publishing project. I had tried working on them some over the past couple days but I finally had to really just make myself get back to coloring - sometimes I'm not really excited or inspired, but just have to do it anyway -



Usually though, when I just make myself do it, I get in the swing of it again and can move forward. Here's watercolors on the next pair, I should get the next layer on this evening or tomorrow morning.

wet watercolors

Managed to get the watercolors done on the next pair for the set I'm working on for possible publication:

new series

Working on a series for an interested publisher (I'll share later when it's a done deal.)


These were wet with watercolors in the morning...


And these get the same pale blue watercolor wash, since it was mixed already & my goal is to use the same palette for the whole series.


By evening, the first two have details penciled and another layer of color (in the sky especially) done with oil pastels...

Dec 1, 07

Dec 1, 07 - midday
Carson Ridge Evergreens
blue skies, scattered clouds, light breeze
cool - predicted high here 45

Our annual trip to cut a Christmas tree -



We wander around debating the merits of different trees, until at long last both Phil & Dee say, "This one!" in unison. We come away with an incredibly tall tree - we'll see how close it comes to the peak of our vaulted ceiling -



"Planted in 1977."

clear skies

Nov 30, 07
9:30 a.m.
JFK High School
Clear skies - cool - high only predicted 57 today
no wind - sun feels good

Just outside the classroom -
Can hear black birds in tops of nearby leafless liquid ambar trees.

(Near black oak tree:)
Green grass still on the ground here - watered lawn - a few dry brown leaves where two months ago were scores of acorns, -



much fewer leaves on the tree than before (9-25)

We move to the Quad - most of the deciduous tree are bare now - several seagulls roost on the top of the library building.




Black oak

a little mess

And you thought your workspace was messy...


This is what my work table looks like getting ready for the
Visions of Heaven show, pieces strewn about -


and freshly completed. (This is my drawing table, not so messy right now.) This final piece is called "The Whole Earth Sings." It's a four panel work that I'm not entirely sure how I'll display it yet, but I'm sure that will work itself out shortly!

playing catch up

Catching up on studio work -


This was actually finished before the Crocker Festival - part of the Visions of Heaven show & my Tree Stories project - Tree Story #43: Things We Cannot See.


And this is actually wet with watercolors on the drawing table as I type, the last piece that will make it into the Visions of Heaven show, deadline next week! I call it 'The Whole Earth Sings.'

Stay tuned for more deadline work - I've still got to get work framed & new pieces done for possible publication, all in the next two weeks - nothing like creativity under pressure!

festival time

My booth at the Crocker Art Museum's Holdiay Art & Craft Festival, this past weeekend:



Empty...



and then busy!

Had a great show, now I need to get back to work for the next event, Visions of Heaven.

painted

Amidst all the framing & matting & miscellaneous preparations for the Crocker Art & Craft Festival, I managed to paint a piece for Visions of Heaven, now waiting for more layers of color...



Another Heavenly Tree Story: Things we cannot see...

busy busy

Busy getting ready for the Crocker Holiday Arts & Crafts Festival



coloring Polaroid transfers



work table as I mat the colored Polaroid transfers

heavenly work

Mustard seed tree story of heaven, to which I added colored pencils and oil pastels - finished, I think -

overlap

Finally got to painting one of the prints I made in the darkroom last week - this is the wet mustard seed heaven tree story, part of both Tree Stories and the Visions of Heaven project -



a little funny how the two projects have overlapped some, I printed another overlap, too - I'll try to get it painted tomorrow after more darkroom work - a few deadlines are looming all at once.