Painting Planting

The rain has been intense for the past month. Everything is wet and the farm is anxious to plant. Paul thinks that a week or 10-day dry period will allow the soils time to dry out enough to lightly till to prep new swaths of soil to plant.

This painting I started at the Keith Wicks figure class last week. The first day we painted something from a photograph. My choice of photographs was a subliminal one, and appropriate. I like parts of this canvas, but I don’t think it really works as a whole. The parts aren’t related to each other but I do like the various repetitions of verticals and diagonals, but maybe they are in competition?

Done?

I must say it’s better in person.

What do you think?

Gettin’ there

I will need to change “sonoma, calif.” to a dark green and draw a black line around the orange/red letters. I will also add lines of lettuce in the foreground field, which appears almost black, but is actually a rich, dark brown.

I love my job.

Next, the lettering

I think the painting is mostly done. On to the lettering. What color? What value? Help!

More fun that eating!

I’m so enjoying the process. Can’t wait til time to work tomorrow.

What a job!

Sometimes your job just can’t be any better a fit. This is the first pass. I want to take it to the market soon so I won’t fuss too much.

Little Sister

My little sister sent me these images of paintings of mine that she has been collecting over the years.

I don’t even remember this first one, apricots? Watercolor? That has to be the earliest of these works.

The Garden from Above painting is certainly reminiscent of my meticulous past, painting each crop a little too carefully to create the quilt-like pattern. I painted this maybe 8 years ago (?). What is most interesting to me is that now that we are farming on our own, this is the exact land we continue to farm. As I work on a logo for “Paul’s Produce” this image will influence me.

Gold Vineyard was painted in Old Hill Vineyard, obviously fall, leaves turning gold and red. I have certainly improved in my ability to create distance with color. But it does describe this place well and the undulation of the ground.

Three Onions was the last time I pushed the realism boundary. Somehow, my favorite part was the background! And the stems.

The two Lilac paintings I really love. I used a wax medium, mixed with paint, applied with a palette knife to create a super-flat, smooth background which is a nice contrast to the way the subject is treated.

Thanks Nanc! It’s nice looking back and I’m getting inspired!

Walk with me?

Our first weekend free in many months. If you have time, come with me on my walk to “The Grandmother tree”, a very distorted redwood tree on the east side of Sonoma Mountain above “Fern Lake”.

Redwoods are amazing trees. Look how gravity is expressed vertically in a slow twist of bark.

 

 

 

 

The Sonoma Developmental Center is full of history, vintage buildings with surprising details, and rugged land.

Sometimes the land offers perfect metaphors. Which way would you go?

I love the long-view, looking at things from above, maps. With that in mind, I have some more artwork to share soon.

Looking at the very large orchard in its final stage is quite fascinating. This 10-15 acres I understand was planted in the 20s or 30s. A farmer would say the “crop is finishing”. So often humans hurry-up the process, clearing the debris and turn the soil. It’s nice to see what nature does without such help.

Surrounding the orchard the redwoods close in. I remember walking among redwoods on my great-grandparents’ property when I was young. The sound of the wind is particular and haunting.

The Grandmother Tree is difficult to photograph.

If you have a chance to see it, I recommend the journey.

I was home in 2 and a-half-hours and saw only 2 people the whole way. Beautiful day and I will certainly need a bath to soak in tonight.

Tomatoes and Peas

The tomatoes are in the small house. It’s so steamy in there, my camera fogs up in 10 seconds so I grab a shot and leave. It feels wonderful inside, so soft and alive. It smells of sweet soil.

The pea shoots are covered outside. They are covered with “greenhouse cloth” because birds love them. Even inside, they are a target for the birds, so protection is necessary. They are outside now, because there is no room inside.

I’m so happy with this squash. It makes me wonder about why some of them come so much easier than others. Am I just getting it? The struggle is helpful, right?

Now I am out of square panels, so I have to take a break from these for a while. But I have so many other ideas!

Finally a Dry Forecast

Next rain is predicted for 5 days from now. The lettuces in the greenhouse need to get out. Today the walking tiller was finally used in the “bedded up” fields, anticipating a lettuce, mache planting later in the week. The tiller is the “pre-treatment” for the field. In a few days, just before planting, they’ll run through with the tractor to create beds. The pre-treatment serves to uproot weeds (about 2″ deep) and help more quickly dry the soil.

And the farmer continues his tool maintenance. Oil and filters and fluids, tweaking a tool bar for better efficiency, creating a new riding cultivator with spare parts. Time in the shop getting greasy before the year begins to spin fast. It’s work that is satisfying to the creative side. It’s work that makes a difference to the bottom line at the end of the year.