Still having fun with pastels

I got going with pastels last summer, and since then I have acquired some nice materials. I am indebted to my fellow Alaskan artist and friend Kaye N Goodrich, who kindly gave me an introduction to pastel technique. 

I have oil paintings in progress, but this makes a nice change, especially during weeks when time is limited. The preparation time for working with pastels is shorter than for oils. (But the clean-up takes just as long!)

The piece below was inspired by an oil done in a drenching rain at Broad Pass. A virtue of oil paint is that it works fine even when everything is wet. I, on the other hand, got very soggy. Water's Return, 22 x 30, pastel on gessoed watercolor paper.

The second piece comes from colored pencil and oil sketches I made on trips through Broad Pass. The colors there are always vivid.  Late Summer Hills,  12 x 15.5, pastel on watercolor paper.

The next item is based on watercolor and ink sketches I made in southern France in 2011. The terrain was hills, olive trees, paths, and vineyards. I loved it and I look forward to working more of my sketches into finished pieces. Windy Path, pastel on watercolor paper, 12 x 15.25.

I am showing you Bed of Nasturtiums, pastel on paper, 11 x 15, for the second time, because I was not happy when I looked back at the photograph I used the first time. This is an improved photo. Though the difference might not be obvious, I feel better about it! 

I mentioned I was working in a few new media. This post is all about pastels, and I hope soon to post about my new printmaking projects. I will blog about new oil paintings soon as well. Thanks for your interest!

For more information, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Noodling around in the summertime

This summer I finally went full time with the artwork, but, inevitably, other activities worked their way into my schedule: time at a remote cabin, and a trip to the Kenai river, getting in a winter supply of  salmon. And we got a dog, so I became a dog trainer. Life, in other words, intervened. Nevertheless, I noodled around with my sketchbook. Here are some results.

A graphite study of the birch just outside the cabin bedroom:

A quick watercolor of Mt. St. Elias, one of our prettier volcanos. That's the Kenai river in the foreground, where my friends were fishing for salmon while I kept the dog company!

I spent some time in the studio as well. Thinking about a still life I want to tackle, I made this preliminary sketch in charcoal. The second photo gives you an idea of how things are set up in the studio. Such a small space, but all mine.

There are no finished oil paintings in this post because I worked on painting florals for the rest of the summer. Florals are a challenge! Of three paintings started, I am satisfied with only one. It is drying and waiting for varnish and its "official" photograph, coming in a week or so. 

Our summer is ending, and I am headed east for a month of classes. I'm excited to see what will come of an intensive period of painting and drawing. More on all that later. I hope you had an enjoyable summer!

Plein air August and September

Recently, I drove a few hours north to catch some favorite views. My first attempt was a wet one.

It turns out that 2 umbrellas just make 2 drippy edges to get you wet! Only the painting stayed dry. Oil paints don't mix with water, though, so I was able to carry on until I was just too soaked.

I finished this in the back of the car. Thanks to the brave soul who took the photo with my camera.

The next time I tried, the weather was much better, but this is the only other painting I really like from the trip. I have lots of ideas to work with in the studio, though.

Several people stopped to take photos. Thanks to everyone who said hello and checked out my work, and special thanks to Jim Mayo, who included me in a video of his Alaska road trip, and to Cherie Smith and Roger Kulwicki, who took these photos.

In fact, so many people have taken photos of me at work over the years, I have just created an online collection of those photos. You can see them in an album titled "Painting in Public" on my Facebook page. Please have a look when you get a chance, and if you like it, please "Like" it.  

Broad Pass in Mist 

12 x 16

oil on linen panel

Snow and Streams

12 x 16

oil on linen panel

For more information, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Polychrome Overlook

This is the painting I began at Polychrome Pass. When I got the two panels home, I permanently joined them by fixing narrow strips of wood to the back. The result is quite sturdy, and the seam is not very noticeable.

If you enjoyed the photos of the bears and rams on my previous post, you might like to visit my Facebook page to see an album with more photos.

16 x 40, oil on linen panels, joined.

Please direct inquiries to me at: info@carollambertarts.com

Plein Air in Denali National Park, Part II

I only lasted 3 hours on my first day of painting, due to the high winds, and almost gave up. After I got to camp and had a meal, I felt better and decided to stick it out. The next morning the winds were down a bit. By eleven the wind died, the sun came up, and it was a glorious day. In a lull between buses, I had an unexpected visitor. He appeared from around the corner with very quiet steps.

Then there were two.


Over the next hour or so, several rams emerged from over the edge of the cliff. They were making an annual migration, and probably nervous about being at an altitude where bears might turn up.


Before long, there were photographers all over the place. Funny how that works.

I needed to catch the 5:10 bus, and got busy packing. I moved gear to the other side of the road so that I could hail my ride, but had to wait for the rams to mosey along. That's my easel and paint box on the ground.


Turned out they wanted me to move, so that they could comfortably hike up the trail behind my position. I did my best to keep a respectful distance, but soon found myself in a bit of a swarm. Eventually we all got sorted out, the bus arrived, and everyone got to see them again, up on the hill around the corner.

The next day, the weather was back to cold and windy, but it never got as bad as the first day. Here is a photo taken by Mr. Michael Mauro on painting day 3.


I'm particularly grateful that he sent it, because I had managed to damage my own camera. Thanks, Mike! I lasted another 2 days, then headed home to complete the painting in my studio. My next post will show the final result.

Plein air in Denali National Park, Part I

Right after Labor Day I made my annual plein air painting trip to Denali National Park. In past years I have camped at the west end of the park road, and concentrated on the views in the vicinity of Wonder Lake. This year I stayed on the east end, car camping at Teklanika campground, and riding the green buses west to my painting site.

I also changed how I worked. Previously I painted as many small panels as I could during my week in the park. This year I decided to go for the big picture. I set up at Polychrome Pass on the first day, and spent the entire time on one painting.


Because I was riding the bus with all my gear every day, I needed a way to carry a large wet painting without completely disturbing the paint, my fellow passengers, and the wonderful bus drivers. My solution was to use two 16 x 20 panels. I clamped them together to make a 16 x 40 surface, and packed them in a 16 x 20 panel carrier for the trips to and from camp.

I also ordered a new easel, and I was really happy with it. This design is called a Take-It-Easel, and is beautifully made. The first painting day was difficult, with wind gusts up to 40 mph. My easel was steady! The weight of my paint box anchored it well. I went for the original rather than the cheaper knock-offs, and am glad I did.

I also carried a piece of heavy cardboard, measuring about 10 x 30, to help brace the outer edges of the panels. That was the most awkward item to carry on the bus. However, once the panels were clamped in place, all was well. Until that moment I had to throw big rocks on whatever I needed to put down to have a free hand.

Here's my notebook with rocks and my foot, since both hands are holding the camera. No matter how hard the wind blows, I make my Munsell notations. For those who are interested in such things, the view was very much in the 5YR range, with some variations in the YR and R hues. Luckily, I used my notes from last year to mix up and bring what I needed.

I chose Polychrome Pass primarily for that great sweep of glacial plain, with rivers, mountains, snow, skies, and weather. My second reason was human presence. Every one of the many buses traveling the park road stops at Polychrome Pass. I met 50 - 60 friendly and enthusiastic people a day, had my picture taken about 20 times a day, and ran out of business cards. Next time I'm bringing at least 300.

I figured that, because of the many buses, the wildlife might choose to be elsewhere most of the time. As much as I like to see wildlife, I preferred to see wildlife at a respectable distance.


Once I had spent a few days there, my attitude shifted a bit. There was a bear close by for several days, and I am sure the bear knew of my presence, but like all the other bears in the area, my bear was too busy putting on fat for the coming winter to indulge in idle curiosity. Just in case, though, I kept the bear spray on a belt around my waist.

Before long, just about everyone in the park knew about the crazy woman standing out in the wind 5 or 6 hours a day, easy to see from a distance in her bright yellow rain gear.

Many thanks to Mr. Rob Chambers for the photo at the top of the post, and to the kind person who took this one with my camera! More photos in Part II, coming soon.

Denali Plein Air Trip Part 6, McKinley in Autumn 2

On the last glorious sunny day I hiked back down the McKinley Bar trail, hoping the frost had not entirely wiped out the colors we saw on our rainy day hike. No such luck, the trees were going brown, though there was still color in the low vegetation.


While I was working, two young men from Fairbanks/North Pole, Chad Odom and Diego Servan, hiked down the trail and stopped to talk and take pictures. Many thanks to Chad Odom for these photos of me and my set up.


They were interested in how I set out the paints on the palette. I explained my strings of color, arranged by hue, value, and chroma (for more on strings, see my post of 8/18/10.) . These were colors I premixed and tubed for the trip. You can see some reds and yellows from the Munsell soils book, and some blues and greens from the Munsell student book. It sure is easier to squeeze colors from a tube than trying to mix them on the palette while fighting off bugs!


As I worked on the painting, it occurred to me that I was in danger of falling into heavy cliche territory: big mountain, autumn colors, reflecting pool, perfect, right? Or maybe not, maybe too much like a cheap postcard????

Luckily, there was a broken up tree just to my right, which relieved a bit of the perfection. Those familiar with paintings of McKinley will say, yes, but the mountain with dead tree in foreground is also a cliche. Point taken, but my tree is even more broken up than most, so I think it does the job.


Here is an oil sketch, McKinley Bar Trail Reflection, by Mary Bee Kaufman, painted at a nearby location, but before the colors were completely gone. I like how the trees, with their variety, shadows, and reflections, create visual interest, and how the soft edges portray the indistinct boundaries of the marsh stream. The whole effect is light and delicate.

This is the final chapter of our plein air trip to Denali National Park. Look for a link to Chad Odom's blog here soon. He is about to start some world travel, and will be posting more of his excellent photos on his blog as he goes.

McKinley in Autumn 2 is oil on linen panel, 10" x 12"

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Denali Plein Air Trip Part 5, Gorge Creek

Continuing the account of our September plein air trip in Denali National Park:

We thought we were going to have sun when we took the early bus to Eilson Visitor's Center, but the sky remained overcast. However, the views from that spot are so fantastic, we didn't mind that the big mountain was hiding again.

The colors of Denali in autumn are both subtle and exciting. It would have been easy to get carried away with the excitement, and miss the subtlety. Here is where my Munsell soils book really came in handy.


I hope my notes are legible in the photo. Essentially, I was able to make fine distinctions about what I was looking at, and note the specific hues, values, and chromas for reference.


I kept the notebook where I could see it while I worked (it's just under my right elbow here.) When the light conditions shifted (or, in this case, when the rain came) I was able to stay on course.

That's Eilson Visitor's Center on the right, I like the way it harmonizes with its surroundings. Thanks to Mary Bee Kaufman for these photos.

12" x 16" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Denali Plein Air Trip Part 4, McKinley in Autumn 1

When the mountain comes out, it's compelling. I mean, you can't not look at it, and if you are a painter, there is definitely a pull.

I recall reading that McKinley rises 18,000 feet out of the plain, from base to top 8000 feet higher than Everest. (Everest is on a higher base.) On some clear days I can see the mountain from the end of my street in Anchorage, across hundreds of miles. However, many visitors never see the mountain, it is so often shrouded in clouds.

So we felt pretty lucky to have conditions like these.

As soon as I set up my easel and had a preliminary sketch, I pulled out my Munsell books and made color notes. My notes helped me maintain control of my values and chroma, essential for painting atmospheric differences across a view of about 30 miles.

The regularity of nature comes through in the value notes. The mountain in light was obviously the highest value, 10 if not 10+; in shadow it was value 8; the lower mountains, 7-8 in light, 7 in shadow; the middle ground grassland, 6 in light, 5 in shadow. Near ground grasses, which were more chromatic, and had more contrast, were value 7 in light, 3-4 in shadow. By continually returning to my notes, I stayed out of trouble.

Here is a little color study Mary Bee did on the same day, of the mountain, seen from above Wonder Lake. She calls it Wonder Lake View. I like how she created an ethereal feeling of space, distance, light, and the slight chill of autumn, by using various low chroma, high value reds and blues.

McKinley in Autumn 1 is 8" x 16" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Tributary of the Thoroughfare

On our sixth and last painting day in Denali National Park, I went back to Eilson Visitor's Center to catch the afternoon shadows. This little river joins up with the Thoroughfare River, which runs roughly parallel to the Alaska Range. What a gorgeous last day!


Mary Bee came down from her hike on a nearby ridge, found me painting, and took this excellent photo.


The next morning we all went back to the north side of the lake for an early walk. We came across this old truck (no, it wasn't abandoned), and wished we could just get in and have our own adventure vehicle. I can't imagine two better people to have adventures with!


Mary Bee caught this photo of Paul and me having one last walk before leaving the park. Just another beautiful morning in one of the most beautiful spots on earth.

This is the last post of the Denali National Park series. Thanks to Mary Bee, to Paul, to friends who helped make this trip possible, and to all of you for being an appreciative audience!


9" x 12" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Fireweed in Autumn

These fireweed, gone to seed, were just a few feet from our tent. I admired them every time I walked past, so on our fifth day of painting in Denali National Park, I set up the easel and got to work. I thought for once I would not have the big mountain in my painting, but it got in somehow, just faintly in the background.


Here is a photo of the mountain a few hours later, flushed with alpenglow as the setting sun slanted through the atmosphere. This phenomenon comes on quickly, and the peak of color lasts less than 5 minutes, then twilight sets in. Hard to paint that fast.


Here's the rest of our view that night, the Alaska Range stretching out before us.

9" x 12" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com
$325 plus shipping, unframed

Wonder Lake, September Morning

On our fourth painting day in Denali National Park, we rode the bus to this spot on the north side of Wonder Lake, at the opposite end from the campground. Wonder Lake provides some great reflections of the mountain.


Mary Bee was amused by how carried away I get with the brushes, so she took this photo. Interesting angles! It says everything about how intense this experience was for me.


Mary Bee, looking very focused as well.


Paul hiked along the lakeshore to join us an hour or so into our painting session, and did some sketching, too! This photo by Mary Bee is one of my all time favorite shots of Paul. He really looks like he belongs in that landscape, which he most definitely does!

10" x 8" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com
$240 plus shipping, unframed