Bears and More at Yellowstone National Park

Picture taken through scope

I wanted to see a bear when I visited Yellowstone. My workshop started on Friday. The class is with Hannah Hinchman a wonderful nature journalist.

The Illuminated Journal was action packed and filled with adventure. It was Sunday morning when I saw a Grizzly bear feeding on a baby calf bison.

On Saturday we learned that a calf bison had been hit by a car and had to be put down by the ranger. The rangers wanted to move the carcass farther back from the road but the bison gathered around and wouldn’t allow it. The next day the grizzly moved in but for awhile was in a stand-off with Mama Bison. Many Bison gathered around the dead calf in what the Wildlife expert called a Bison Funeral. After standing for awhile all the Bison left to another valley spot. The grizzly moved in to feast. The wildlife expert said the grizzly was young and too thin to survive the winter without this food.

I was staying in a cabin at The Lamar Buffalo Ranch and in the perfect spot to view the grizzly through scopes and with my eye. The cars keep coming by to watch the grizzly.

Meanwhile The Illuminated Journal class was in full swing. We stayed at the ranch with our buffalo friends and investigated Rose Creek and the area where the Buffalo roam.

Cabin 12 and Buffalo passing by

We journaled at Soda Butte. As we were leaving a huge Buffalo suddenly appeared across the river. They are so huge but move stealthy and can be fast. Don’t mess with a Buffalo.Friday a.m. on my way to breakfast at Lamar Buffalo Ranch someone called to me and asked if I’d like to see the wolves through the scope that was set up? Yes, yes and yes!

Looking through the scope I see 3 black wolf cubs laying in the grass by the tree line. A grey wolf sits to the right. My friend calls me to another scope and I see a black wolf moving along with ssomething big hanging from his mouth. I’m not sure what it is but it’s a big meal! I tear myself away to get ready to go to Lost Lake.

Lost Lake Event Map

On the last day of the Illuminated Journal Class we go to Trout Lake. The Reflections there are awesome

Trout Lake event map\

The class ended on Monday night. I headed to the Grand Tetons and found a camp spot at ColterBay.

The next day I started off with my bear spray down the trail to swan lake. A young man was also on the trail, he walked ahead of me. Soon I saw him raise his hands in the air and start walking backwards. I looked and saw a black bear on the hill side coming our way.We both walked backwards quickly and had our bear spray out and ready. My heart was beating fast. The bear kept coming toward us but at a leisurely pace.

We finally turned the corner and walked away. The young man worked at the Tetons.

Was I ever glad to happen upon him taking a hike. Hi

My next stop is West Yellowstone to visit my friend at her new condo. We are on our way to Cody, Wyoming and then back to Yellowstone National Park.

The Grand Canyon South Rim

I arrived at the South Entrance and headed to the campground. My class Nature Journal and sketching starts tomorrow.

The class was great. The teacher, a botanical artist had a bag of art supplies for us and a bag of tricks to go. I loved the blue pencil she had us sketching with.

We used colored pencils and did warm up exercises.

Here is the sketchbook.

We had homework on Saturday night sketching our dinner. I had a Naan bread pizza with peppers and zucchini.

The ravens keep watch over the campground and check everything out. As I approached the woman’s restroom an elk was standing right by the door. We stood staring at each other.

I have more sketches in the van in parking lot BUT I have 10 more minutes until my WiFi expires so I’ll go with what I have! More sketches later! I’m heading for the desert view campground tomorrow.

Lake Pleasant, Arizona

Pleasant is the story here. Nice warm weather. A beautiful lake to gaze at and swim in. A very nice campsite with free showers. It’s also quiet here. What a pleasant place to relax. That’s what I did for the day.I was really excited about the night sky. It was warm with a slight breeze and a full moon. Oh! Pleasant Lake, I wonder who named it?

The saguaros all have these tuffs on their tops. I couldn’t figure it out until I saw a few of the white and yellow blooms. The saguaro Cactus is plentiful around here and so fun to paint.I went swimming in the lake. So nice. I sat on the shore reading and painting, watching the kayaks go by.

The air is so dry here I’m drinking water like crazy. I forgot to bring my towel to the shower and only realized it as I was finishing. No problem, I was practically dry by the time I got back to my campsite

I’m on my way today to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s nice to be on the road again!

After the Garden Tour

I’ve been busy working on Artists in the Garden for the Sherman Library and gardens private gardens tour. It seems like it was a big project that kept me from writing a blog. The artists were wonderful. All went amazingly well.

So I’m BACK! The poster for Artist Reception with “Roses and Hummingbird” by me and sold at Garden Tour.

My 2 friends at Garden Tour Artist Reception. Another friend made these Fabulous Cookies. I think they are a work of art!This is a small painting “Roses in Pot”. Happily sold .Another painting l did of “Succulent in a Pot” .

This is “Cactus I”. A monotype print inspired by the cactus and succulent garden at Sherman Library and Gardens. ‘Cactus View” below was finished the day of the Garden Tour.

The Cactus Garden.

My girlfriend Sheryl’s beautiful painting “Chocolate Soldier” sold.

Two more of Sheryl’s paintings.

John at Sherman Gardens. All enjoyed watching the artist’s paint.

Yuma with his painting at the vineyard house. Hal at the garden. Everyone loves watchi Hal paint.

Flossie painting pen and ink with watercolor at garden.

Flossie’s pen and ink.Pauline painting at garden on s the peninsula.Jai painting on the private garden tour.

I can now move on to my next projects. A monotype workshop with Sheryl. A mural painting of a lemon tree and a watercolor workshop painting roses. Then I will be headed to the Grand Canyon in my camper Vanna. I can’t wait.

Sweet Home Alabama

 

Driving from Mississippi we reach Alabama. 

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I sit on the porch trying not to disturb the Alligators.  We did see some on the way in a pond.
Miss Carol sitting on the porch.

We found our vacation rental VRBO on Dauphin Island.  What a fun Artists cottage we enjoyed.   Quirky art work everywhere!  Just my kind of place.

We visited The  Audubon Bird Sanctuary.  As we studied the map of trails I recognized an artist from New York, I had taken a class with at the Grand Canyon.  Small World it’s true.  We loved this island of beautiful sunsets, beaches, birds and delicious shrimp.  We both wanted to return.

 

 

We walk on the beach and watch many birds.  I get to sketch!

The next day we visit Bellingrath Gardens.

We enjoyed our day at Bellingraph Gardens.  Bellingraph made his money in Coke Cola.  We toured the house and the lovely gardens.

 

The Azaleas were gorgeous.

 

 

Leaving Dauphin Island we stop for one last coffee latte and pastry at the Lighthouse Cafe and head to Louisiana.

Sand Hill Cranes reside in Mississippi.  We find them on our way to New Orleans.

 

 

I really enjoyed Alabama and the Gulf Coast.  I am late in writing this post but really wanted to finish it.  On to New Orleans next!

Enjoying Biloxi, Mississippi

My friend an I arrived in Biloxi last night. We landed at the airport in New Orleans and drove to Biloxi to our VRBO.

We checked in and headed to The Reef for dinner. Our waitress asked where we were from, when I answered Southern California, she replied,”I could never live there The food is way too healthy.” We laughed as I ate my fried oysters and French fries. I did have coleslaw for a vegetable. I was in no danger of eating too healthy.

The next morning I awoke to rain and thunder. I grabbed my umbrella and we headed to the Waffle House. My friend had a pecan waffle while I ordered my favorite biscuits and gravy with a side of scrambled eggs. No danger of being too healthy here. The biscuits and gravy were awesome. The next stop was the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.

The buildings were designed by Frank Gehry.

The potter George Ohr was rather zany. The museum was built after he died to exhibit his pottery. He was known as the mad potter of Biloxi. He asked his children to wait 50 years after he died to get rid of his pottery.

An Art Collector discovered his pottery and the museum was built.

On our way to the gift shop a museum person asked if we would like to see a new exhibit they were now putting up and meet the artist. What a treat to meet Wayne Ferguson and see his quirky pottery. He was from Louisville, Kentucky.the top piece is “Native American Arc with Ocarinas” and the next piece is “No Happy Trees”. This is Bob Ross of TV fame and painter of Happy Trees.

Our next stop was Jefferson Davis House and library named Beauvoir meaning beautiful view.

We had a tour of the Jefferson Davis House. All this touring makes one thirsty and hungry.

Next stop was Shaggys for a margarita and lunch. No danger of eating healthy. The red shrimp, potato and sausage are delicious. It’s called Royal Red Shrimp.This is a southern salad! Does it look healthy? My friend is doing research on the best Key Lime Pie. This one is now at the top of the list. I am helping!

All this fried food is making me young!

We walked around downtown Biloxi at the end of the day. It was a great day in Mississippi! I like the friendliness

Of all the people we meet and the laid back pace.

To Alabama tomorrow!

The Broad and Jasper Johns

I’ve been waiting to go to the new Los Angles Museum, The Broad and at last I go.

The Jasper Johns exhibit was really, really good.  I ‘d like to share a few of the paintings I liked.  There were many more but I picked a few.

The “White Flag, 1960, oil and newspaper collage over lithograph.  I like the way the paint is applied. The flag is one of the themes that Johns keeps returning too. The exhibit was arranged by themes of Jasper John’s work.

Flag, 1955, graphite pencil and graphite was on prepared paper. I like the drawing quality of this piece.

Maps,another theme of Johns,I am crazy about maps and like these paintings.

The piece is called “Map”, 1961-62, oil on paper on fiberboard. I think OKLA. is in the middle of USA.

“Numbers”, 1960-71, ten lithographs reworked with acrylic and oil paint, felt pen, fabric and paper collage.  He uses mixed media and also reworks pieces. I chose one of the ten lithographs number 3. I love the purple.  I could have picked all 10.  I saw his reworked prints a few years ago and was thrilled with his idea of reworking pieces.

Another beautiful painting of “Target”, 1992, encaustic and collage on canvas.

“Disappearance II”, 1962, ink on paper. The swirling black and white is captivating.

“Between the Clock and the Bed”, 1981, oil on canvas with 2 panels.

I always liked the paintings “Summer”, 1985, “Fall”, 1986, “Winter”, 1986 and “Spring”, 1986. Encaustic on canvas.  I saw them in a book and at the exhibit I see them all side by side.  

Here is an intaglio print on paper “The Season”, 1990.

The whole exhibit was wonderful to see and it gave a real feeling of the process of thought and work of Jasper Johns. I’m so glad I got to see the exhibit and the new museum.

I am painting tulips at home  getting ready to teach a class at the gardens and enjoyed seeing Jeff Koon’s “Tulips” in the gallery upstairs.

David Hockney Exhibit

I loved this exhibit and want to make a post about it even though I saw it on NOV. 29. I FIND INSPIRATION FROM David Hockney. I’ll be talking about the Hockney exhibit and the prints I am working on in this post.

I love this 9 panel painting of the Grand Canyon by David Hockney.

He did many landscape paintings and especially The Grand Canyon. I am always returning to the Grand Canyon in my paintings, drawings and prints also Camping in Vanna, my VWEuro van. This is another painting of the Grand Canyon by Hockney below. I like the way Hockney simplified the shapes of the cliffs and plants. These paintings capture some of the Grand Canyon feeling for me. It’s hot, vast, deep and mysterious.I learned from the exhibit that Hockney was a frequent visitor to The Grand Canyon. It also mentioned that he was inspired

by Thomas Moran. I am very fond of Thomas Moran who painted and sketched at The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone in 1871. I always visit Moran Point named after the artist Thomas Moran, when I travel to the Grand Canyon.

Hockey’s first work in The Grand Canyon series was, the panoramic sixty-canvas “A Bigger Grand Canyon”. The exhibit explained it was too large for this exhibit (really, The Met?). But I had first seen this 60 canvas painting on exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts years ago. It is still with me in memory.

The Grand Canyon is one of Hockney’s favorite American Landscapes. So many paintings in the exhibit I liked but I picked just a few to post in my blog. I liked was “Nichols Canyon” done by Hockney in Los Angeles. Wow! I love the colors he uses.I liked this painting “The Road Across the Wolds”.

“Medical Building” a wonderful painting. The painting below is “A Lawn Being Sprinkled”. The both offer a new twist on a familiar boring. I can’t leave the exhibit with out mentioning Hockney’s iPad drawings.

I first started on iPad drawings after hearing about Hockney’s and then seeing many at The Los Angles Museum of Art. In this exhibit at the Met they had three screens that continually showed Hockney’s iPad drawings. The screens also started with the blank iPad and showed the drawings developing. What fun to see.

Lunch at the Met dining room was a delicious way to end viewing the exhibit. My sister enjoyed the exhibit and lunch as much as I did.Sauces that came with my fish.

I’m back at home revisiting my Grand Canyon Monotype Prints. They needed a few tweaks to finish and I was inspired!

The print of the Grand Canyon is a monotype collage. On paper.

I had to darken a few area on this watercolor Monotype. I almost threw it out as I am trying to declutter and now I’m happy with it.

Another watercolor Monotype I looked at again. I decided I liked it. I like the foreground bushes and plants. These Monotype prints on printing paper and run through the printing press.paper.

Thanks for reading my blog. Carol

Visiting Chagall Exhibit at LACMA

A New Year, a new iPad Pro and an exciting exhibit at the Los Angles Museum of Art. 2018 is off to a great start.. I visited this exhibit on a bus trip. I was on the wait list and so glad I got the call to go to LACMA.

This is the stage set for The Magic Flute!

Watercolors were also on display of Chagall’s designs for costumes and sets. I loved it! Music was playing as I walked around the wonderful fanciful sets.

“Variation on the Theme of the Magic Flute, “1965. Tempera, gouache, graphite, colored ink, fabric, painted fabric and gold paper collage on paper. A fanciful painting filled with imagination. I loved it.

The Ballet The Firebird.

I am crazy about the image of The Firebird on the set. The firebird is part woman and part bird- against a sapphire blue sky. The painting below is for the stage set.

Marc Chagall (1887-1985). One painting I loved is this bright yellow “The Dance”. I felt inspired, excited and joyous upon seeing the exhibit. What more could you ask?I’m happy that I’m able to blog again with my new IPad. It’s been so frustrating having ideas and pictures but always issues with the computer, phone and camera. I would like to mention the other exhibit I saw that inspired me. I think that will be my next blog. David Hockney at the Met, The missing pieces of November and December.

Painting with Grandkids and more painting!!

The boys loved doing small paintings.  They looked good and didn’t take as long to paint. The shark and sunflower painting are 5″x5″on canvas.  The  winter and night scene are 3″x3″ paimtimgs. They all fit on small wooden easels.   The 2nd grader, 4th and 5th grader were all pleased with there paintings and so was I.

 

 

I arrived in New York with lots of art supplies in my suitcase.  Between activities, homework, school, scoccer and karate we started a painting marathon.

 

My grand daughter loves painting as much as I do. We painted pumpkins and flowers before school and after school. I had given a watercolor workshop at Sherman Gardens on painting pumpkins and sunflowers. Big round oval pumpkin shapes and small circles and rounded petal shapes for flowers.My painting for watercolor class.

My 4 year old granddaughter did many wonderful paintings!

The fourth grader did this painting of a soccer field!  It’s 3″x3″ . A wonderful painting somewhat abstract.

 

My minature winter paintings are 3″x3″.  I really enjoy painting and being able to share painting ideas and skills is fantastic!