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.

Lex's Cool Stuff

While gunkholing on a recent trip to the Oregon Coast, we stumbled upon Lex's Cool Stuff in Netarts, Oregon. What a fun little shop it was. Netarts isn't along the coast highway, so get there, you need intention as well as time. It was worth the side trip to browse the shop, visit with Lex, and to eat one of Lex's complimentary chocolately gooey delicious brownies!

On the Road Again . . .

I'm heading for the Oregon Coast tomorrow morning for seven glorious days at Cascade Head, more specifically, Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. Although the class I'm taking at Sitka doesn't start until Monday morning, Howard and I are heading out early to do a little beachcombing, relaxing, and maybe a bit of hiking (or not).

The class? Painting With Natural Forces: Sand, Sun and the Tides. The instructor is the talented Judy Vogland -- I was lucky enough to take this class a few years ago and I'm thrilled to be taking it again. We'll be working large, so the car is packed to the gills with five big canvases. On some I'll be putting sand (yes, sand, so stay tuned for more about the process) and on the others will be collage. BIG BIG BIG! Today was packing day (and a wee bit of playing) at my studio. Thank heavens for a class supply list to keep me on track!



Time to load up the canvases.