Grapes of Wrath weather

"Grapes of Wrath weather," 5 x 7 watercolor

 
August bears down on Oklahoma tomorrow like the glaring sun and 100 degree heat do have done for several days, with more to come.

Water and air conditioning consumption soars with the heat, and yet, we're soft and comfortable compared to...

Weather like this reminds me of the classic opening chapter of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. I used that to teach descriptive writing a few years ago, because it is not fiction, but specific, sensuous fact, garnered from detailed observation.

You're supposed to paint what you feel, your reaction to what you experience, not what you see, and today, the heat, the sun all made me think of those lines in Steinbeck's novel.

So here is the last watercolor of the month, my feelings, inspired by the heat and those lines.

Birthday wishes

"Rainbow trout," 5 x 7 watercolor card

"Lady Roadrunner," 5 x 7 watercolor card

Birthdays get lots of attention these days with social media, and that's great.

For me, for a few people, especially children, a small watercolor card of special interest has become a tradition. From these, I've discovered I can probably paint anything, if I can draw it.

Here are two of three of them this month.

Drought dreams

"Drought Dreams," 11 x 14 watercolor, 140 lb. d'Arches cold press paper

The clouds are building here again, in the humidity and heat. We've been getting more rain than usual this year, but August is near and our greens may turn brown if the heat settles in.

For the folks in the Pacific Northwest, and in much of the West, the country is literally burning up, from extensive drought and high temperatures and wildfires leading to deaths and economic collapse.

Given what's happening around the world, in flooding Europe and other weather disasters, happening all at once, earth may have already passed the tipping point toward irreversible warming. Anyone who doubts the climate is changing is ignoring the evidence and science.

What spurred this watercolor was not those negative thoughts, though they followed as I dreamed of towering clouds. My recent trip to New Mexico confirmed the extra high temperatures and burnt dry landscape for me. The eastern Texas panhandle was green, but then past Amarillo, the land turned brown--everywhere.

Having lived out there, and in rural Oklahoma, where  weather determines livelihood, I know how welcome thunderheads are.

So this watercolor, the first in a long while, was inspired by the building clouds that always catch my attention. See, rain brings more than green, it waters ideas and creativity too.

The play of light

"The Play of Light," 9 x 6 watercolor, 140 lb. d'Arches cold press paper

Today's little watercolor is an experiment, playing with color and light, the idea from one of my do it yourself art school projects.

It's an idea from on of watercolor artist Don Andrews' zoom workshops today. So I was really playing around, seeing what would happen. This will happen again in more experiments.

But you know the canyon country, the geology of the Southwest had to grab my attention. That is long overdue this month, where my creativity has been dryer than the country depicted here. 

Turquoise Power

"Turquoise Hope," 12 x 12 acrylic on canvas

It's no secret that I love New Mexico, including the infinity of shades of color you see in the Southwest, especially the multi-hued adobes and turquoise.

In a summer when my creative will seems to have evaporated in doldrums, I've struggled to paint, and whatever I tried I considered failures, though they're really lessons.

Again asked to participate in the OVAC 12 x 12 fundraiser this fall, I struggled both from those moods, and having to switch to acrylics, in which I have little practice and knowledge. In fact, as I started two paintings, I quickly got discouraged with my results, and quit.

That's when I tried again, breathing in the spirit of New Mexico, thinking of earthen adobe and the power of turquoise. That stone of the Southwest has traditional powers of healing and balance. In addition I read that it promotes  hope, self-realization and assists creative problem solving.

Finally today, after at least two weeks of planning, experimenting, learning and correcting, I've finished this 12 x 12 acrylic on canvas, to donate to OVAC. I think this is the first significant thing I've painted in at least a month or so.

Three dimensional result

Surely some of that is because I know the subjects, but turquoise must have helped me overcome acrylics and inspire me. I'm also indebted to my friend Zina Hogan, for the painting pays homage to on of her unique watercolor paintings featured on her business card.

While I'm ready to go back to watercolor, you can see some of the inspiration that came, as along the way the painting took on a three-dimensional work, thanks to the structure of the canvas.

You can see this and many more in person at the OVAC fundraiser Sept. 24. Here's the link: OVAC 12 x 12 Fundraiser.