"Falls Gold" ©

"Falls Gold", 20" X 24", oil

Natures natural color harmony is difficult to resist.  Lavender and hues of blue are the perfect backdrop for falls golden leaves.

Carmel Art Festival and plein air painting.....

Plein air painting or painting on location has become a "thing" for landscape artists.  All the talk, the term plein air, has trickled down to the masses.  Competitions, workshops and so on have reinvented the basic idea of plein air painting.  With rare exception until recently the process of painting on location was to learn, create studies, explore ideas, to then take into the studio for a work of art that would eventually find it's way to the gallery wall and then on to a collectors home.  It was a long journey that took time and thought.  

With the last 20 year or so, reinvention of the plein air movement, artists, organizations and collectors have put on the pressure to create finished, super paintings.  With all the "painting process plates" of value, composition, design, color, edges etc. in the air, it's tough in the field not to drop one or two.  For the beginner it's almost impossible.  With that pressure the simple pleasure of painting on location can be lost.  

Admittedly I enjoy the pressure of a plein air competition.  It forces me to finish each painting,  knowing I will be judged by the formal juror and all the other artists.  

During last years event in Carmel I made an effort to paint scenes that offer the collectors a nice selection of local views with the mood of the day, highlighted.  Below is an example of catching the incoming fog bank off the ocean as it drifts up the rural Carmel Valley.  

Carmel is a tough plein air event because you never know what the day will bring as far as the light.  It's not unusual to wake up the morning, a thick layer of fog hanging over the trees.  Tempting as it is to tuck down in the warm blankets, I jump up and dash off to paint.  I didn't mention yet and some may not know, time is fleeting.  In this event we have 2 days to finish as many paintings as possible.  Most artists finish at least 4, often as many as 6 or 7.  

Here is one morning set up of all my gear and the view I picked to work with.  

At this point the painting is pretty well figured out and nearly finished.  It's time to move on to the next location and start again.  

Talk about a change in the light!  Just a little while longer and bright sparkling light is bouncing off the sand and sea.   While painting on location it's a good idea to at least have a guess where the light is heading and the weather in general for the day.  This way you can  paint where the light is headed, not what you see when you first set up.  Then you have a bit more time to paint the scene before it's entirely gone.  Again, this is very tough for the artist first starting to paint on location, unexpected clouds can ruin their experience.  My advice to them would be to take that sunlit canvas off the easel put up a blank one and create a new study of the cloudy day.  Think of the learning possibilities, not the fact that your original scene is gone with the light.  

At the end of a plein air competition all the artists frame and hang their paintings.   You can see two of the paintings that you saw in process, framed and on the wall in this photo.  

If you decide to venture out painting, give yourself the freedom to explore, enjoy and paint with pleasure.  Sir Winston Churchill, wrote a lovely little book "Painting As a Pass Time", on the joys of plein air painting, saying eloquently what we all feel struggling out of doors.  

"Sycamores" ©

This group of Sycamore live in the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, just down the road from my home.  The California drought has been rough on all the plant life and this years rains have brought promise for wildflowers and some beautiful landscapes that have been absent for a long time.  

From the creating side of this piece, it's so difficult for me to decide "it's done".  I keep attacking the trees, pushing light here and there, adding limbs and tweaking here and there.  I stopped at this point and will let it rest for a few days, out of my sight and look at it anew.  Usually, only then is it really easy to see, what needs to be addressed to make it a good painting or possibly, decide it's truly finished.  

18" X 24", Oil

"First Snow" ©

Christmas day I started this painting and shot the process for an upcoming January workshop.  It seems to help people if they can see how you painted the piece from the start and they realize how truly simple the process is.  Which is encouraging for everyone, including me, when the the look of realization gleams in their eyes.   I enjoyed every moment painting the cliffs, picking my way though the warm and cool colors, watching the rocks take on form.  I will probably keep tweaking this one for a long time because there are so many opportunities to fine tune the details.  

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

"Canyon Morning" and "Canyon Evening", © #placeritacanyon #laurawambsgans

 "Canyon Evening", 11X14, Oil

"Canyon Morning", 11X14, Oil

Already painting for next years shows, these two paintings are headed to the Hillside Gallery in Claremont, California in February.  The show will be called Double Take, two different lighting situations at the same location.  I took to the idea instantly, because it allows me to observe and paint the difference between two times of day or seasons and get work done for an upcoming show.  Double delight!    

"High Sierra Trail", ©

A few weeks ago a small group, known as PAC6 Painters, packed into Lake Ediza to paint for a week.  All of the words that John Muir wrote came to life visually on that trip.  We saw scenes that took your breath away, stunned you to silence and made you want to sing and cry at the same time.  This painting is the trail to Iceberg Lake and we actually did sing, hiking down the trail.  

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

This painting is available for sale at the Traveling The West Art Show & Sale, Southwest Gallery & Featherstone Arts, 4500 Sigma Road, Dallas, Texas or online

"Julia Pfeiffer Falls" © #Bigsurart

The Julia Pfeiffer Falls has been an iconic location for photographers and painters for decades.  Usually the scene is captured in the late afternoon, with the falls and cliff face warmly lit.  I happened upon the scene early in the morning and was struck how the opposite lighting created a whole new view and thought I would give it a try.  

20X16, oil    

Painting in the Adirondacks

 Lower Saint Regis Lake, 18X24, Oil

Last week I traveled with Marian Fortunati to upper state New York, deep in the Adirondack's to paint in the 2015 Publishers Invitational.   The variety of the color green, from the trees to the fields was endless.  Around every bend in the road you didn't know if you would find a pond, waterfall or stream.  Eric Rhoads put the event together and I can't think of a thing that could have been done better.  We were very well taken care of from check in to the final goodbye party.

 At the same time there is a very serious man hunt for the 2 escaped convicts and it's still going on.  Most of the painters stuck together for safety and only a few saw wanted posters tacked up in the forest.  

It was a great week full of painting everyday, singing songs at night to Rick Wilson's guitar and making new friends.  The world of plein air painting is small enough that I am sure my path will cross with some of the wonderful people I met.    The photo below is the whole tribe of painters, about 120 in all.  

If you would like to see more photos from the week, I have an album on my Facebook page you are welcome to view.  

"Summertime" and traveling with oils....

For this painting I experimented with Gamblin's Fastmatte oil paints.  I wanted to see how the paint would work, because I was considering taking Fast Matte paint on my trip to the Adrirondacks, since they dry fast.  Bringing wet paintings home on a plane is always a bit of a concern.   To get wet paintings home safely, I have figured out how to use little beads as spacers, placing the panels face to face and then taping the "bundle" together to prevent any movement.  Finally, taking the bundle and placing it in a plastic trash bag and taping the bag tightly around the bundle, works well.  

Here is a picture of how I pack my paint.  If you are flying with oil paint, NEVER call it paint when speaking with the TSA.  Use the words, "artist pigments", which is what they are.  I print out the MSDS's from each manufacture and place that with a letter to TSA explaining that I am an artist and place these clearly visible on top of my packed suit case.  So far the TSA agents have never removed any of my pigments or gear.  

Each tube is wrapped in plastic kitchen wrap and then wrapped in bubble pack.  This way the sharp tube corners won't bite into any of the other tubes.  Finally, I place all of the tubes in a zip lock bag for extra protection.  There is nothing more frustrating then squeezing a tube of paint in the field and having paint sneak out of a hole in the tube, into your hand.  If a tube or cap does happen to leak, at least the paint will be contained by the plastic wrap. 

"Lingering Warmth" © #HansenDam #wambsgans

In a couple of weeks I am flying to Vermont and driving up to the Adriondacks with my gear to paint the classic scenes of the Hudson River group, from long ago.   In this painting I was thinking about those tonal paintings of water and hardwood trees but truly I don't know what to expect as I have never been to the Adriondack National Park.  Along with painting everyday,  I made more linen covered gator board panels, ordered bug repellant clothing and have started making little piles to be packed.  I really can't wait to jump on the plane!

Oil on canvas, 16" X 20"

"Placerita Canyon Evening" © #santaclarita #landscape #laurawambsgans

With a little rain, spring greens are popping up in the canyon.  After so many months of muted gray brush the bright green is almost shocking and clearly a delight for all living things.  

Oil, 16" X 20"

"Teton Morning" © #Tetons #landscapeoilpainting #wambsgans

Grand Tetons early in the morning, what could be more grand?  A FB friend Gary Keimig, another painter, generously allowed me to paint this from his photograph.  I saw the image and knew what the painting would look like before I started.  Fortunately I have painted on location many times all around the Tetons, from both sides of the range and know the landscape very well, which always helps when working from a digital image.  

Oil on Linen,  20" X 24"

"Sycamore" © #landscapeoilpainting #trees #laurawambsgans

Sycamore trees always seem to have a unique and interesting branch structure.  You can get to know one and no matter how long in between visits, you will know your old friend the minute it comes into view.  It may have lost a limb, yet like a friend that is aging you don't really notice, it's the same tree.  I painted this one, simply because I wanted to explore those branches once again.  

Oil on Canvas.  24X20 

"Elsmere Canyon" #santaclarita #oilpainting #laurawambsgans

Elsmere Canyon is just down the road from my home and offers nature at her best for small hikes.  You see prints in the dusty trail of animals, large and small and the trees vary from coastal oaks to pine trees at the top of the canyon.  This scene is painted at the beginning of the lower trail with creek bed bushes and sycamores hanging on to some winter leaves.  It's hard to fathom that this canyon was destine to be a dump before a furious fight.  

oil on canvas, 20" X 24"

"Aspen Path" © #aspen #path #landscape #oilpainting

This painting of a small roadway or path cutting though the aspen trees is my last left handed painting.  The cast is off my right hand and I have been given permission to start using my hand for light duty in short amounts of time.  I have learned some unexpected lessons painting one handed.  First and  most surprising was how everything I painted leaned left.  Second, being forced to pick up the palette knife mix the paint, set the knife down, pick up the brush, paint the stroke and so on, slowed the process down to such a snails pace that I spent more time then usual making decisions.  It seems to be an improvement and will try to keep a slower pace as a rule now.  I do miss painting outside very much and can't wait until I get the go ahead to hit the hills.  

Oil on Linen,  18" X 24"

"Autumn Colors" © #lpinemountainclub #landscapeoilpainting #laurawambsgans

Painting left handed has been quite a humbling experience.  Timing is the most dramatic difference.  Every move I make takes twice as long, from squeezing out additional paint to wiping out the brushes in between colors.  I feel like I am watching a hand that doesn't belong to me moving the brush on the canvas willing it to go in the right direction. Soon I will have my right hand back and will be back to my normal speed and rhythm but until that time I will go with the flow.

Oil on linen,  16" X 20"

"Summer Evening", painting left handed #landscape #eucalyptustrees #laurawambsgans

20" X 24", oil

Two weeks ago I had surgery on my right hand, repairing damage from sculpting stone for many years.  The result will be complete use of my hand but meanwhile I am learning to paint left handed.  It's been an interesting time of discovery.  The most difficult task is cleaning the brush after using each color.  The second task that I often fail at is opening tubes of paint. Even with pliers squished under the half cast I have now and turning the tube, success is "iffy".  A dear friend suggested bringing in a small bench vise from the shop to help, which was a super suggestion.  As far as painting my brain knows the principles of value, color temperature, composition and so on, so I am getting some work done.  The brushwork is lacking in interest and I am working to increase the action with my left hand.  Tomorrow morning I will get a full hard cast and that will decrease the pain and increase the mobility of the little all knowing right fingers sticking out.  I wouldn't suggest anyone right handed painting with their left as an exercise but if you are ever forced into it, know that it's possible and just as pleasing of an activity as working with your right.

"Refuge Under the Eucalyptus", #cowpainting #Eucalyptustrees #landscape #laurawambsgans

A bucolic setting of cows tucked in and around a stand of Eucalyptus trees was my goal with this little painting.  I was going for a peaceful, timeless feel to the painting, using loose references I had shot in Carmel California and one plein air painting.  

Oil on linen,  14" X 18"

"Canyon Shadows" © #GrandCanyonpainting #laurawambsgans

We watched a summer storm break up after drops the size of nickels brought all the colors of the stone cliffs to a brilliance, unknown in the usual dry desert air.  The play of the sunlight sneaking under and over the clouds created it's own drama that demanded reverence.  

Oil on Canvas,  20" X 24"

"Sierra Snow" © #snowpainting #landscape #laurawambsgans

Painting for fall shows, while the temperature gauge is inching into the mid-90's is twisting my paint brush into a knot.  Not really, but it is very strange to be channeling the crisp mountain air and the crunching sound your boots make stepping onto the night hardened snow, while the ravens sit on the outside wall panting in the summer heat.   This painting is another piece for my exhibit at The Lake House in Arrowhead, CA.  

16" X 20", Oil