Painting With Natural Forces

I've just returned from spending a week on the Oregon Coast, four days of it at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. Sitka is nestled in the woods at Cascade Head, located between Lincoln City and Neskowin. Here's the facility:


My Home Away From Home

Sitka does not provide housing, so most people stay in either Lincoln City or Neskowin, however, a friend of ours has a cabin that is located right across the street from Sitka, so that is where I got to stay. Here's a few photos of the cabin nestled in the trees and a couple of photos of the view out the front window.

And So It Begins

Here I am on the first day of my class, Judy's Vogland's Painting With Natural Forces: Sand, Sun, and the Tides.

And the "teacher's table" up front.


To the Beach

We headed to the beach on the very first day of class, in the afternoon, to get some sand on our canvases. It is one of my favorite parts of the class (I've taken it before), although I was initially a little frustrated because I was trying to steer the sand and water and as you can imagine, neither are very steerable!

Let There Be Paint







A Closer Look

Here is one of my pieces, Nightfall at Neskowin (like the name, Judy!?!), from initial painting to completion (Howard wanted us to hang it in our living room at home!).










Evolution of My Collage

I started with a large canvas, added textured papers and distressed cardboard, slapped on some clay slip (I love that stuff!), some black lines and smudging, and presto, Reconstructed was born.









Fun-Filled Days

There was always lots of activity going on -- painting, giving and getting feedback on pieces of art, redoing pieces of art (isn't that what white paint is for?), and end of the day appetizers.










Final Sharing










Thanks, Judy

And here I am with Judy, who is an excellent (and patient) teacher.