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Artists Along the Trail
Coming soon -
River City Gallery
River City Gallery is a cooperative site where local artists sell. The have various events, including First Fridays, Downtown Art Around, Sidewalk Saturdays in the summer.
I’ve joined. Come and see my display sometime.
My wall I’ll be adding a table space for smaller items, including bird carvings.
The plan is to switch things around every other month.
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Trempeleau Plein Air
It is summer-like, because we have had our week of Spring. So off to the Trempeleau Reserve.
Glittering water I set up on the Red Pine Dike, with a view of an eagle’s or osprey’s tilted perch
On site Tori joined the fun
Bluffs! 
Here it is done. Maybe.
Finished? This is Tori’s finished
Love the grass!
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Experiencing Faith
I’m leading the last of four classes that have church members express their responses to word and worship visually. We have had a pitter, card maker and painted stones.
I’ll be suggesting listening for an idea, phrase or image that strikes the participant and then expressing that on a small canvas in acrylic paint.
Here is a model from last Sunday. The passage was about the apostles who spoke the light into darkness.
Sample I always take notes. In the blue collar town of my youth I learned note taking at church, not school. Art classes have added making thumbnail sketches to explore an idea. This abstract expresses speaking into the darkness.
With the bulletin, worshippers will get a half sheet with space to write their ideas or image, and spaces for thumbnail sketches.
I’ve prepared a few comments on color and composition.
Lecture notes I’ll post results later.
If you are free May 4 come visit First Presbyterian in La Crosse, WI.
As it happened 
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Moon on 16th Street
Walking home on a March evening, the moon was full.
Moon over our house The bright moon, casting blue gray light over a bare tree resonated with me.
I’m using Daniel Smith’s moonglow, paines’ gray, and quinacridone gold.
After several washes I’ve put in the tree. More steps ahead.
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Life in the window box
Mourning Doves nested and raised two babies in full view of our kitchen window. We have window boxes with lights and greens from Advent that made a good nesting area
Mom and chicks Yesterday the young ones left the nest for good. It looks like Mom is scouting for a second nest.
By the way Mom and Dad did a nice job of trading places watching the kids.
No picture of this, but two fledglings with their beaks down the parents open beak is quite a sight.
Nesting, sitting, feeding, flying are all inborn. At least we saw no books or lectures. I think there is some learning by observation.
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Darkness
So, it is hard to get a really dark value in watercolor. I’ve decided to stop here before I break it with fiddling around.
Done? Testing with colored paper, I think a white mat and black frame is best to highlight lights in darkness.
Thanks to Bob Witte for the drawing technique, it was for portraits, but it is helpful for architectural perspective.
Next up -
Lights
On a First Friday event in January, I left the River City Gallery and saw this view on 3rd Street.
3rd Street I was struck by the colors of the historic buildings, but more by the moon and star rising over it all.
I’m working on a watercolor, using Daniel Smith moonglow for the sky. It’s taking multiple washes to get darkness. I’ve masked here and there, so I hope the moon and streetlight pop after I remove that.
Working on it Stay tuned.
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Cross Road
I’m working on photo references from January at the Trempeleau National Wildlife Reserve. This is from an observation loop. With a bit of photo magic (scissors) I relocated the deer from a more long distance shot.
The colors are blues for sky, trees in the distance and snow shadows, along with golden yellows for the grasses.
This is nearly done.
Cross Road I hope to put this in my exhibit at Elmaro Vineyard in June.
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Makeshift Studio
It helps to paint or draw daily, and so I set up my box easel in the dining room by a west facing window.
Ready I will be working on some pieces from Trempeleau Reserve for the At ists along the Trail show at Elmaro Vineyard.
I’m coordinating the artists this year. We have 21 participating on June 7 and 13 exhibiting at Elmaro in June. There will be artists painting on the Sundays at Elmaro as well.
I’m working on some winter scenes.
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Two Book Reflections 