Montana Workshop Review and Sketches .. Finally

If you travel a lot you may be like me and have a bit of a struggle to get back into a regular routine at home.  Now that age is catching up, it takes even longer.  I apologize for this long post to try and catch up.

I never showed you the paintings or reviewed the workshop in Montana.  I am pleased with the paintings.  The painting top center is not finished.  I worked on a pastel on velour in the afternoon so didn’t get the oil finished.  Velour is not a good surface for plein air for me. I need to blend or scumble more and the velour doesn’t allow for many changes.

The painting on the left was done of the bridge over Fortine Creek, I believe.  That was a great day, no trouble finishing up in about 3 hours.

The one on the bottom right was done at the Roger’s ranch.  My second favorite from the workshop and it will be in a show in Ohio for November with other work from the trip.  More about that in another post.

The Aspens and the one catty-corner from it were at the Wotton ranch.  I really like the Aspens, but it blew over in the wind and got some dirt and water spots on it so will need work to fix it.  I may just do a larger painting from a similar view.

The workshop was taught by Wanda Mumm near Trego, Montana.  We arrived on Saturday, August 25, for lunch and left the Friday morning after Breakfast.  It was a great week.  Gene and I stayed in our own cabin with a deck, kitchen, living room and two bathrooms.  Meals were provided in the dining hall.  We had breakfast, lunch and dinner included in the reasonable price.  The food was great at the Glacier Ridge Ranch and Indigo was a great inn keeper.

Wanda was our teacher and tour guide. Nancy Foureman arrived with artists from Ohio on Monday and provided instruction as well. Some of the group went on to Glacier National Park on Friday for a couple more days painting there.  We have been to Glacier a couple of times so decided to head to Canada.  I am always worn out from a workshop so was happy to finish up and hit the road.

We painted plein air morning and afternoon.  Wanda taught sculpting one day while the rest of us painted.  The instructors gave demos in the evenings and were generous with their time and expertise.

My goals for the workshop were:

• To try my water mixable oils for plein air work  (read below)
• To try velour for pastels  (not likeable for me)
• To get inspired and paint after we recovered from the big fire.  I had not felt inspired or very interested in painting.  (I am sure it helped, but haven’t painted since so .....)
• To meet different artists and see how they work.  (100% accomplished, we met some great artists and had fun learning from them.)
• To try some different and new ideas for painting from life. (read below)

I discovered that the water mixable oils are not great for me to use.  I quit using regular oil paints as I get headaches from the fumes.  I thought at first it was the turpentine and/or thinner.  It turned out to be more from the linseed oil.  The Winsor & Newton Artisan  water mixable oils I use do not have much of a smell, but it is there when stored inside a small area.

Wanda was teaching us how to premix some grays before we started to paint to help keep the colors coordinated throughout the painting.  Premixing also helps to paint quicker as you save time in figuring out colors.  The water mixable oils are softer than regular oils.  This contributes to one of the problems I incurred.  I would put down a dark color -big shape. When I would put a bright color for a highlight on top it would just sort of settle in and appear very dull and loose the impact and light.  My paintings looked very dark and had little value change .. light to dark.

It is interesting, though, when I unpacked them day before yesterday they have more definition.  They are almost dry now and look much better again.  It does not make me want to use them again, though.

Wanda told me about M. Graham Oil Paints.  They are walnut oil based.  I am going to try them soon. They are sold on Amazon.com and MerriArtist paints and other places I am sure. I will let you know how that goes.
I wanted to show you how we took my painting gear this year for the workshop in Montana and just for the two month trip.  In the past I had a show in New Mexico so we used a bin just for my paintings, but with no lid so as to accommodate larger paintings.

This driving trip was to a plein air painting workshop.  I did not need painting surfaces larger than 11 x 14 inches. The bin was about 19 x 31 inches in size.  I put in my folding easel, frames and the RayMar wet painting carrier with some panels inside -- 8 x 10 inches.  It will also carry 9 x 12 inch panels.

I then added in pastels, paints and other useful tools.

A few more items that I find helpful.

Followed up with the bags, towels and small items.  The black bag is stiff sided to sit upright.   It can hold my pastels, easel, water, lunch, wipes, tools and more.  One thing to carry when you get out of the car on location.  I usually end up with another bag, but I can manage with just this one.  I also carry a light folding table.  It is aluminum and canvas. (There is a picture on this blog post of the table and easel in my downtown studio.)

It is nice and compact when full and easy for Gene and I to put in the Expedition.  We could put other things on top and it didn’t have to be unloaded until needed.  Smooth sailing for the painting part of our trip.  Makes me think I don’t need a big studio, eh?

I sketched a bit this week for Scavenger Hunt 285.  It is good to get back in the swing.  I sketched in the travel sketchbook with the Prismacolor Premier 08 pen/marker.

 Number 1, organic

Number 2, next to each other - cars and Number 3, protruding from the ground - trees and fence posts here at home.

Number 4, sticking out - planter on the wall with dead plant.  Didn’t survive the heat with no water.  Ha. Number 5, makes me smile - ribbon on the glider make me think of Regina and Larry who gave it to us.

 Number 6, little and Number 7, big - antique irons on the porch.