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Natural Stains
I’ve been experimenting with natural stains for wood. Many woodworking products are toxic. My first level has been with copper, pickled beets brine and coffee.
Beet, copper, coffee. 
First coat. This did give a good flat color, which allowed the varied wood to show through. However, nature is varied. Leaves have streaks and spots. So I’m trying a second richer level.
Powdered beet and turmeric. 
Parsley Martha Stewart published some articles on natural stains and ink. I took turmeric and beet powder which came from our food coop and added salt, vinegar and boiling water. The coop was out of spinach, so I am trying parsley, blended until fine with salt and vinegar.
My plan is to use a small chip brush to paint and flick these colors on as a second level of color.
After first coat -
Fall Leaves Progress
It’s two weeks to installation. I’m working on layout.
Linear 
Random And color. This is a sample from using locust bean pods, beets, copper and coffee. The copper extraction paints on clear then changes green. I’m setting the sample out in the sun to see what happens.
Next is assembly. Stay tuned.
Test of natural stains. -
Downtown Paint Around
I’m submitting these two views of the Cathedral to the Downtown Paint Around at River City Gallery.
“St. Joseph’s” 
“Oversight” Two views of one of La Crosse’s most prominent buildings.
Submissions will be at the Gallery through August.
“St. Joseph’s” is watercolor, “Oversight” is acrylic.
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Down Town La Crosse part 2
This is another view of the Cathedral. I like how it looks behind a theater and a food court.
5th and Jay This painting will be in acrylic. This is my first try at Plein Aire acrylic. It requires quick work, at least on this hot July day.
Hazy hot morning 
I added a bright undercoat. 
Progress Bugs, busses and a large pickup combined to end my sight line. I learned that acrylic dries FAST. The detail work is next. And I’m working on a title, “Fun, Faith, Food” is the working title.
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Down Town La Crosse, part 1
River City Gallery is sponsoring an event called “Downtown Paint Around”. All week artists are invited to paint in any medium within a mile of downtown.
I’m planning to do a watercolor and an acrylic painting centered on the Cathedral of St. Joseph of the Workingman. Well, isn’t that a great name to a church? St. Joseph is even holding a saw and a wood chisel.
Monday is a hazy morning, so no sky drama. I’m doing this as an ink and watercolor in a 6×8 format
Ink 
Wash While working two people stopped by to chat, one is a member who gave me some history of recent upgrades to the building. The rectory is original and the cathedral was built in the 1960s.
Mostly complete. -
Earth Connections progress
“Fall Leaves Fall” is the name of my installation at the Farley Center’s Earth Art event this year. I am working on oak leaves cut from wood sourced and milled on the site. The leaves shapes are actual leaves from my chosen location that were found while locating where the installation will be placed.
Leaf Templates I will either make a mobile or linked clusters of falling leaves. Mobiles are difficult in an outdoor setting. I hope to solve that by using wires formed into links, which should spin less than using string.
Here are the first leaves cut on a bandsaw.
Outline 
More outlines 
Leaves. -
The Rock
We attended an event about pollinators at Justin Trails Resort near Sparta. On the top of a ridge is “The Rock”.
The Rock The picture is in acrylic with trees made from cast off fabric from my wife’s quilt stash.
In progress Acrylic paints allow for endless layering. Here is the result.
The Rock -
Abstract Clematis #1
From our garden 
Clematis #1 Abstraction is not as easy as it appears. The first three tries ended up being representational.
This time I used the colors of the plant in rough proportion to the original image. Using pallet knives and a process of pressing painted plastic wrap into the image.
I’m staring at the result to see if it is done or not
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Working towards Abstraction
Bleeding Heart 
A neighbor 
First try, 
Second try 
Garden rock It helped to think of subtraction. Subtract detail, scale and color. Notice shapes. A pallet knife helped by forcing details out.
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Exploring Downtown La Crosse
We have gone a few walking tours of Downtown La Crosse, which are provided by the library. It will be interesting to explore what brought first the Ho Chunk to this area and then later Eurpoean settlers. The most obvious is the confuence of several waterways.
The downtown areas has some intersting late 19th century examples of Italianate and Chicago buisiness style. Later in the earth 20th century there were some Moderne and Art Deco buildings added to what was supposed to imitate New York’s Fifth Avenue – so much so that Fifth “street” is named an avenue.
Cass Street was were some of the weathy set up their homes. It reminded me of birds and their pumage, but perhaps not to attact a mate, but to enjoy and show off their success. There are examples of Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Prairie and Craftsman homes.
Queen Anne, Italianate and Prairie As you travel from the homes of the owners, you find the smaller homes of their management class, and them the next levels of houses as you get further away. Our house is not far from a castle scale mansion, but we are among the working class.
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Two Book Reflections 