Rose Hip

Here is a shot of my drawing table. I am doing a watercolor study of a rose hip. I am using a helping hand holder for soldering to hold the rose hip. I have the helping hand because I actually do solder things from time to time but I think I will use it more for drawing small things. It even has a magnifying lens so I can draw super tiny things.

Nice Stem

I just made this painting available as a reproduction. It is called Nice Stem, and it is from 2005. I like to grow a vegetable garden every year and that always includes some interesting heirloom tomato varieties. It can be very frustrating to grow tomatoes in the Pacific NW but maybe someday I will figure it out.

Drawing Class Wrap Up

I finished up the class I was teaching at Oasis, Fun with Pencil and Watercolor. It was a good group. Here is an picture I did as a demonstration in class of a Goldfinch. I first drew it with a graphite pencil then started with watercolor. I was having so much fun working on it I worked on it a little longer back in the studio. I thought I would dig out some colored pencils that my wife used in college. I haven't ever got into colored pencil but I might now. It works very well on top of watercolor.

Here is a demo from the previous week showing some invented head studies. I used sepia and brown watercolor pencils and a waterbrush. First I drew with the sepia pencil. then developed some tone using plain water and the waterbrush. Later when it dried, I added a few details with the brown. A little regular graphite pencil too. I also added some blue to describe the negative space around a couple heads.

I will be doing another session of this class in the winter starting February 7.

Fun with Pencil and Watercolor

I am teaching an art class at the Oasis Center in Eugene. It just started Monday. It is called Fun with Pencil and Watercolor. We focus on drawing techniques and use watercolor as an extension of the drawing process. In my classes I like to do lots of demonstrations. Here is a quick demo of a piece of hard candy.

I always liked it when teachers used to do demonstrations. When I was in art school it was somewhat rare to see the teacher actually painting or drawing. I can understand the philosophy that it is important to let a creative person develop without mental restraints on how it should be done.

One of my favorite teachers at Maryland Institute was Paul Moscatt. He often did demonstrations in class. But Paul didn't do demonstrations on technique exactly and his student's paintings don't look like his own. He demonstrated how to get to work as an artist. He puzzled through problems in front of the class. That is a great lesson to learn. Painting is puzzling through the problems with brush in hand. In the end the piece is scrutinized as a product. To the artist the final piece is an artifact of a kind of performance of thought and action.

paintings at Confluence Clinic

I am showing my paintings at Confluence Clinic in Portland. There will be a reception open to the public.

Thursday, June 3, 5:00PM

Confluence Clinic
506 SW 6th, Suite 801
Portland, OR 97204
503-241-6505

Snacks and drinks, starts at 5pm for a couple hours.

Holding A Raven in Zyzzyva

My three color lino-cut "Holding a Raven" is in the latest issue of Zyzzyva. There are still a few left from the edition at Mina Dresden Gallery.

My painting is on Amy Hungerford's new book

My painting Outer Sanctuary has been used as the cover art for Amy Hungerford's new book, Postmodern Belief: American Literature and Religion since 1960.

Sunny Patch Landscape painting

Here is a painting I made in the studio from my plein air session at Dorris Ranch. I prefer to make my finished paintings in the studio. I love going out to paint but I think of the work I do outside as a way of taking time to look at what I see. When I start the painting in the studio I try to work from memory using my studies as reference. I don't feel bound to record what I see but treat it more as an emotional expression. In this painting, although I was sitting next to a river I was drawn to the way the butte looked with a patch of light on the top in a treeless area and the way the mist and clouds hugged around it. It is a lonely quite feeling that is beautiful to me. If you like it you can buy it from my studio shop.

Last Week of my show at David Joyce

This is the last week to check out my show at the David Joyce Gallery on the LCC campus. I would love to hear what you think. You can post a comment on my blog.

David Joyce Gallery
LCC Main Campus
Building 19, 2 nd Floor
The Center for Meeting & Learning

Here is a link where you can find directions and maps.

I revised my web page

I actually made it a lot simpler. I have always tried to keep the design pretty minimalistic but I stripped it down even more. Let me know if you find a problem.

webpage revision

I am in the process of revising my webpage.

Plein Air

I got outside to do some painting today. I crossed a fallen log over a stream to a little island at Dorris Ranch. Nice spot next to the Willamette River with Red Breasted Sapsuckers working and Ospreys fishing. It really felt like spring.

'Fresh' fruit, ripe for the painting

Here is the link to the article in the Torch by David Branham.

In the Torch

Thanks to David Branham at Land Community College's newspaper The Torch for the article on my exhibit at the David Joyce Gallery. I will post a link to the article when they post it on their web page. I have to mention a typo on the URL for my web page; it should be http://www.johnholdway.com . The show will run through April 12, 2010. I would love to hear from you if you make it over to see it. You can post a comment on my blog.

David Joyce Gallery
LCC Main Campus
Building 19
2nd Floor
The Center for Meeting & Learning
map

Fresh Installation

Here is a photo right after the installation of my show at David Joyce Gallery. Right to left Julie Fether (Special Projects Coordinator), John Holdway (me), Susan DeTroy (Exhibit Designer).

Here is a link to the Facebook event listing for the show.

Fresh: new still life paintings

I am having a new show at David Joyce Gallery at Lane Community College (map). It opens Wednesday February 12 and runs through April 12, 2010.

opening reception:
Wednesday, February 10th - 5-7:00 PM
David Joyce Gallery
LCC Main Campus, Building 19, 2 nd Floor, The Center for Meeting & Learning

Complimentary hors d'oeuvres & cash bar provided. Call (541) 463-3518 for more information.

Fresh preview

Here is a video preview from my studio.