Finishing Touches

I'm putting the final touches on this painting. I hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend!

Sketches: El Niños and Other Atmospheric Conditions

Angeles Forest Storm Square Sketch
©2015 Katherine Kean
graphite 8 x 8 inches

Conditions are good for more storm cloud artwork. It looks - and feels - like an El Niño year and my favorite weather blog confirms it. El Niño is already here and is expected to be one of the largest, in fact, "a majority of the global atmosphere ocean models are currently suggesting the potential for an event rivaling the strongest event in the historical record." Even though El Niño doesn't guarantee rain, it does draw the probability closer. And even though it won't solve our drought, it can't hurt.

Chain of Craters Clouds Sketch
©2015 Katherine Kean
graphite 8 x 8 inches

 The sketch above is from Hawaii, along the Chain of Craters Road. Storm clouds are much more dependable there. They also have a different look. I'd say the clouds are taller - loftier - and brighter.

Volcano Fumes at Night Sketch
©2015 Katherine Kean
graphite 6 x 10 inches

This last sketch, also from Hawaii, is of the atmospheric conditions over the volcano. It wasn't easily apparent to me whether the clouds were from weather or from the volcanic fumes, or a mix of both.

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Painting Dusk

Caspar David Friedrich A Walk at Dusk

Have you noticed how sometimes the sky at dusk creates an unbearable phenomena of color? I am often startled when I see it and pause to look and try to imagine what color, or combination of colors, might create the same indescribable low light effect in paint. I'm thinking of that almost colorless color that is still somehow full of light. The Friedrich painting above comes close in some ways to what I am thinking of.

Edward Hopper Shakespeare at Dusk

Conversely, sometimes at dusk one color seems to predominate. I suspect that part of the secret is in how our eyes perceive at this time of day. Hopper above, and Shaw below, nail down the effect simply and boldly.

George Shaw Scenes From the Passion: 10 Shilling Wood

Romantic pastoral or urban decadent, the indeterminate light of dusk compels with it's elusiveness, it's mystery, and it's mood - whatever that might be.

John Felsing Far From Babylon

Other well known favorites are George Innes, Atkinson Grimshaw, Dwight Tryon, the tonalists.

Suburban Murmuration 2 work in progress
©2015 Katherine Kean

This last one is a work in progress, with much to be done to the house.

For more on this topic from others follow these links:

Nocturne: prettiness in a face-off with edgelands grit

The Phenomenology of Twilight

Wilderness Mind: Activating Wonder Opening

 I managed to arrive at the Modest Fly Gallery in time to get a photo before the room filled up, not a difficult maneuver since I live just over a mile away.

Let the conversations begin; from left to right, artists Ann Isolde, Carolyn Applegate, Merion Melchiorre, and Sandra Mueller.

 Congressional staffer Teresa Lamb from Adam Schiff's office spoke about being delighted to see galleries and art exhibitions in the Foothills.

 

Curator Marie Cenkner told her vision for the exhibition.

Looking west at the Foothill corridor; the San Gabriel Mountains are north of Tujunga and the Verdugo Mountains to the south, as the sun goes down.

Wilderness Mind; Activating Wonder will be up for two weeks. The conversation continues at the closing on Sunday, May 17, from 2 - 4PM, with Suvan Geer and local activists.