Old & Sort of Old

My business manager, Kathryn, encouraged me to inventory all my paintings. In so doing, I came across this acrylic from, oh, about 30 odd years ago. I was in art at the Univ. of Idaho and was told to make a still-life. This one's a bit painful to recall, since I broke the pewter candle holder not long after painting this - I comforted Julie by letting her keep the painting of it.

Among the photos and prints of my grandfather's that Uncle Dag sent me was a small print of this scene. Grandpa had obviously copied it at one time, too, since it had some watercolor paint splatters on it. So, I tried my hand at it. (I've never seen Grandpa's version, but I hope I came close!)

Summer Pieces (Some are not?)

Julie and I were returning from my nephew's wedding and driving through the Columbia Gorge when I spotted (as we often do) a tug with a barge going downriver. The day was windy (normal) and very sunny (not so normal). I love these tugs and the landscape, so I pulled over and took the shot. (The barge had a large 'happy face' sign that I left out - hope you agree!)

This work was a bit of a departure in some ways. First, the image is based on a photo that my Grandpa Garfield took (which was included in a pack of material Grandpa owned and was recently sent to me by my Uncle Dag). So it's from Toronto, not the Palouse! Next, it was black and white so I had to insert colors I thought would work. (I did a couple studies first.) Then, I painted it using a watercolor board (vs just paper) that my daughter Carolyn gave me. To be honest, I'm not crazy about the result - I think I like paper better, but I will try another board just to be fair.
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