American Museum of Western Art

A month or so ago I found out through a friend of mine at work about the Anschutz Collection or as it is now being called, The American Museum of Western Art. The museum is only open to the general public on Mondays and Wednesdays and you must purchase the tickets online, in advance for either the morning tour or the afternoon tour, both of which are scheduled for 1.5 hours. I did not know exactly what to expect this past Wednesday when we went, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. I want to spread the word on this little gem in downtown Denver.

The museum is housed in the Navarre Building, which is across from the Brown Palace, and has a history of its own. There are approximately 300 paintings hanging on 3 floors. The collection of Western art documents the westward expansion of the US so we start on the first floor with George Catlin in the early 1830's and it goes through the illustrations for James Fenimore Cooper and others of that genre into the late 1800's. So there are some NC Wyeth's, as well as Remington's and Russell's. I can't leave out the Thomas Moran's (I think his big painting is my favorite on the first floor), and Alfred Bierstadt.

On the second floor is what I was really there for. It included the Tao's painters, so this floor starts in the early 1900's. Much to my delight there was a feast for the eyes on the second floor, and I thought the first floor was pretty darn impressive. Here is a list, in no particular order of some of what you will find on the second floor

• Birger Sandzen
• Nicolai Fetchin
• Gustave Baumann
• Maynard Dixon
• Georgia O'Keefe
• Ernest Blumenshein
• Burt Greer Phillips
• Joseph Henry Sharp
• E. Martin Hennings
• E. Iriving Couse
• Edward Hopper
• Guy Wiggins
• Childe Hassam

Plus I discovered a few new artists. I really fell for Walter Ufer's work and I love a painting by Carl Runglus. There were two amazing Grand Canyon paintings, neither of which did I recognize the artists name.

The third floor was different; housing mostly California painters, from early to more modern times, so quite a range of genre's. We were not allowed to take photos and there were no postcards for sale. Even though I recognized lots of artists that I am familiar with, most of the art in this collection I have not seen and would not have associated with the artist. For instance, a landscape in watercolor by Edward Hopper and an oil painting by Gustave Baumann, better known for his wonderful block prints.

I highly recommend you take a few hours to visit this museum and its collection. $10 admission fee.

Email I got today!

Wash Park Glory, 36x36, oil on canvas

Today I received this email about the painting above with the subject: "Not Happy:"
OK so I'm not happy about this.
No one is looking at MY piece
in the window because everyone is
looking at YOUR piece in the window.
SO unfair..

It is a show stopper. Literally. People
are stopping to look at it.

If you want to see for yourself, go to the Framed Image,  5066 East Hampden Avenue (Happy Canyon) Show is up thru August 25, but as paintings sell, they go home with the new owner...

Recycled Glass Jars, 12x16, oil on canvas

About a month ago, after plein air painting in the area of Parmalee Gulch, I stopped at a little cafe in Kittredge, CO to see if I could get something "to go" for lunch. While I waited, I was sitting at a bar near the kitchen looking around. Then I noticed this wonderful tableau right in front of me. I don't know if it is the colors, the color harmony or the fun shapes but I just started snapping photos. Then I picked up one of the jars as it looked like it had a price tag on it and sure enough all of this (except the salt and pepper) were for sale from the shop next door. What a brilliant idea. I decided I would regret it if I did not purchase all three bottles, jars or what have you, so I did. They sit on our dining room table where I just enjoy the jeweled tones. I painted this piece just for the fun of it. (They are made from recycled glass in Spain.) I expect you will see more of them in future...

Reflections Now and Then

This painting is a favorite of mine, and I like it so much that when we repainted our dining room this past winter, the new color matched this painting to a "T." I have been looking at it during every meal since. I decided I would like to enter it into an upcoming juried show. Now this piece got noticed in the online juried show, Bold Brush in January, so it is not that shabby. Yet there were a few niggle-y "little" things I wanted to fix. However, once I got it out of the frame and in the studio again, I realized there were lots of  "little" things needing to be fixed so I ended up starting all over on this one too.
For one, the waves were too white; the reflection was incomplete, the feet bothered me, the beach did not seem to recede into the distance as well as it might, his head faded into the drizzle too much, I punched the red up a notch,  etc etc. I think it is a much stronger, more adult, painting now.

Reflections, 36x18' - 2011, oil on canvas

We Three Geese

We Three Geese, 2012, oil on linen

Lately, I have heard many artists in my circle say they have so many paintings stacking up, that I decided to redo a few more "Oldies but Goodies" instead of starting a fresh piece. It does me good to see how far I have come and to try and salvage what I have. All about recycling!

I actually started the redo of this painting months ago when I needed to warm up before tackling a new project and there it sat until last Saturday. Where I left it was the water and the ground had been blocked in as big shapes. I had also redrawn the necks and blocked in the big shapes in the light and dark on the geese removing all details. So yesterday I just corrected more drawing and values and then started Sunday morning on details.

It was hard to tell in the original painting below, what was in the shadow on the birds. The value shift was not strong enough. The middle bird's head had been a conundrum for me at the time I painted this in 2005 so I was never happy with the head and beak on that bird in particular. This was a "good" painting for me at the time. Again, this was painted from a 6x4" photo, not a digital image.What a difference a few years make! Both in technology and in personal growth. I like the new name better, too!

Wash Park Sentinels. 2005, 18x14 oil on linen

Day 2 of OPA activities-Painting Evergreen

Thursday was the second day of the Oil Painters of America's activities. We started at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast hosted by Plein Air Magazine at Evergreen Fine Art Gallery; then maps and a goodie bag were provided for painting in and around Evergreen. I went off in search of something besides landscape so headed the opposite direction of most; towards the little town of Kittredge. I got separated from my two buddies I was going to paint with taking a few last photos before we headed up to Parmalee Gulch, or so I thought! I was sure I was not "that" far behind them. Did not catch up to them, but I did find a great spread of blue farm buildings, of which I sat and did a study for a larger painting just to get a feel for the place.

When I stopped in Kittredge for lunch, I got to talking to the waitress. Not only had she seen me painting alongside the road on her way into work, she told me that this family has started farming and they are on Facebook. I will have to give them a heads up when I get this painting done. There were two horses, who in this photo are off to the far right. I do have better references for them.

Abstracted Queen Anne's Lace, 10x8, oil on board

After grabbing my "to go" burrito, I looked to see if Margaret's car was parked where I knew she was staying, and it was! She had come back after losing me to just paint along Bear Creek right outside the cabin where she was staying. I decided to join her. Being ready for some shade, I set up in front of Queen Anne's Lace. It stayed in the shade, but as the sun moved overhead, I did not; I ended up moving to a shadier place to finish it, and therefore went for a more abstracted view of it than a truer to life version.

OPA had a meet and greet and get your registration packets starting at 4 at the Elks Lodge. I got there early thinking I would head home after signing in...ended up enjoying a beer with some folks from Montana and getting a bunch of freebies from reps from different paint companies. There was a nice spread of appetizers provided for us starving artists. I must say OPA has done a bang up job of putting all this together. It was fun meeting more new people and catching up with old friends.

Opening Night 2012 Oil Painters of America

Here is my painting on the wall of Evergreen Fine Art Gallery after the show was hung last week. The opening was a madhouse last night as most openings are. The painting to the left of me won an award last night, so I was in good company. There were lots of paintings sold which is always thrilling to see. You can barely tell, but each painting has 2 cards stacked. The top card had a pull tab for the buyer to take to buy their choice and my painting's card was gone when the doors first opened at 5 pm. The exhibit is up through July 21...so still plenty of time to get up and see the show for yourself.