"House on the Hill" plein air landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"House on the Hill" 12x9 oil on linen   Sold

So I organized a workshop and went back out to the property to paint. This time I moved to the other side of the house and down the hill a bit to give a high horizon, which I like and use a lot.

Me with Susan Ogilvie and her  painting

About a week later I hosted the workshop with two eager students, Nicole Galinas and Susan Ogilvie, who made my job easy with their great attitudes and smiling faces even though it rained off and on all day! 


See Susan's artist page on Facebook Here

Nicole at work

See Nicoles website Here

Susan and Nicole

Susan and Nicole went to school together at The Northwest College of Art. Susan is a children's book illustrator. Nicole is a graphic designer and she made a little video of me demonstrating my technique for plein air painting. You can see it on Vimeo Here

"Abandoned House" plein air, oil landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Abandoned House" 12x8 oil on panel  Sold

I found a great old abandoned house on a perfect piece of property for giving workshops or general painting! Cool old house, old shed, lilac bushes and lots of fields and fruit trees...There was a realtor sign on it with a phone number so I called just to see.....and I got hold of the owner! and he said; "Just email me a release of liability for injury and you can paint all you want" ....... Score!!

I did this painting on the spot and started thinking about getting the word out to do a workshop....which I did....which I will post soon....with video!...=]

"Cloud Study" plein air landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Cloud Study" 8x8 oil on panel     sold

Alison Barry emailed me and wanted a lesson on painting clouds so we went up to the open fields by the Walmart on the hill. This place is great! When the money meltdown happened all the proposed big box stores pulled out and left some great open fields with views of distant bays and even Mt Rainier!


Alison is getting to be a very good painter! Pretty soon I will be asking her for pointers! You can see her beautiful paintings HERE

The clouds were perfect that day for painting and I think we both got some good practice in.  The day was so nice we walked over to the Frog Pond to do another painting. I'll post that one soon...Alison said "Are there frogs in there?"  "You bet!"  "I'll have to bring my boys here!"  And that brought a smile to my face as I remembered all of my frog hunting days when I was a kid.......

"Spring Apple" plein air landscape painting by Robin Weiss"

"Spring Apple"  6x6 oil on panel      Sold

Studio clouds out my window

I have been working at the Knowles Studio for almost five years now. Sometimes I take the place for granted....other times I take a deep breath , look around and thank God for the amazingly beautiful place I get to work and the sweet friends I have made there...who are really like family now. Pretty cool!  That said, this little painting is yet another view out my studio window....It's spring and the apple trees are in bloom...Well, they're about over now...(I'm always running about three weeks late on this blog...if you want up-to-date stuff (real time) friend me on facebook!..=)

"Horse Thief Lake" plein air landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Horse Thief Lake" 6x10 oil on panel  Sold

This is the last painting I did on the Columbia River trip. I'm already looking forward to the next paint-out!

If you get the chance to explore the Columbia River gorge, don't miss it! The river goes through something like seven climate zones from desert to rain forest and has some of the most stunning views in the state of Washington.

"Columbia River Bluffs" Plein air , oil landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Columbia River Bluffs"  8x12 oil on panel         Sold

I found a spot down on the river to do this study. The day was hot but I was able to keep cool by soaking my bandana in the river and tying in on under my hat.

Paula Ensign's painting of me painting

Paula Ensign did a good job in her beautiful painting of capturing me working on mine!

view from my picnic table

Next day the plan was to meet up river at Columbia Hills State Park .  The rest stop where I parked my van for the night ended being such a good location, with such stunning views of the river that I spent the early morning painting there.

"Rest Stop Wild Flowers" 8x10 oil on panel  $330

This is the painting I did at the rest stop. I couldn't resist trying to capture the field of lupine that were
in full color with the cliffs and mountains behind.

"Beacon Rock" State Parks , plein air , oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Beacon Rock" 8x8 oil on panel     Sold

 After my featured artist show closed at The Harbor Steps Gallery in Seattle, I headed out for the scheduled PAWA paint-out in the Columbia River Gorge. Since it was already about 9:00 pm the plan was to get as far as I could and then crash in the van. I made it as far as Battlground by about midnight and pulled into a rest stop for the night. Next morning , a very pleasent and beautiful drive got me to Beacon Rock State park an hour before anyone else arrived!  Of course I set up to do a painting , amazed at the morning light streaming across the river through the trees.

"Morning on the Columbia" 8x12 oil on panel  $375

At Bacon Rock the river sort of splits off the main current and makes a bend around the "Rock" and then re-enters the main river. Beacon Rock is the old core of an ancient volcano. The river has washed away all but the upthrusting lava core. Facing away from the Rock affords this view of the peaceful river winding back into the Gorge bluffs.

Beacon Rock reflection

Susan painting the "Rock"

in progress

 Not to long after I set up folks started arriving and amazed by the beautiful scenery, quickly got started painting!

Paulette's stunning pastel of Beacon rock

Jane Wallis happily painting

Paula Ensigns painting of Beacon Rock

There was plenty of room to set up under the shade of trees to paint when it started getting warmer....and it was warm! We had sunny skies the whole three days.

At the end of the day I was able to take a shower at the state park facility. Refreshed and satisfied with the days work I headed off in search of a place to park the van for the night.  The rest of the party headed for their digs at the White Salmon Inn.

"Crossing Yesler" Seattle city oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Crossing Yesler" 18x24 oil on panel          Sold

"Crossing Yesler is another painting that is available now at The Harbor Steps Gallery in Seattle. If you are interested in this work,  give Summer a call at 206-681-9321 during business hours and she can give you purchasing information.

I used a number of photos taken on location to design this composition. Again, more than paint some "thing" I wanted to paint the "feeling" of the city.
Looking up the history of the locations I paint is fun for me....so I'll share it with you too!

Henry Yesler arrived in Seattle in 1852 and built a steam-powered sawmill, which provided numerous jobs for those early settlers and Duwamish tribe members. The mill was located right on the Elliott Bay waterfront, at the foot of what is now known as Yesler Way and was then known as Mill Road or the "Skid Road," for the way the logs "skidded" down the steep grade from the ever-receding timber line to the mill. In addition to running the mill, Yesler built the city's first water system, in 1854. The system was made up of a series of open-air, V-shaped flumes perched on stilts that started atop First Hill and ran down past Yesler's home and to the mill. Later on, after complaints of dirty water, Yesler developed a system made up of log pipes buried beneath the ground.

Yesler also built the Pioneer Building on the site of his first home, which burned in The Great Seattle Fire of 1889. You can see my painting of the Pioneer Building here, now the center of Seattles Pioneer Square.

"Big City" Seattle City oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Big City" 50x38   Sold

This is the large studio version of a smaller study I did awhile back. It is available through the Harbor Steps gallery , downtown Seattle..... In fact, if you walk into this painting , past the girl and through the portal....you will be on the harbor Steps.....Have a fun night in the city!

"The Early Bird" Seattle city oil painting by Robin Weiss

"The Early Bird" 8x6 oil on panel     Sold

Just another late night glimpse of city life. I'll let you, the viewer, compose your own story.

This painting sold at Alki Arts The Harbor Steps , a fairly recently opened gallery downtown Seattle, at the corner of University and Western Ave. If you cross the street from the Seattle Art Museum and walk down to the bottom of the Harbor Steps you will find it on the southwest corner.
  I just recently had a featured artist show there. Among my city scenes were also quite a few recent plein air paintings from around our amazingly beautiful state! If you get the chance, stop in and check it out. This is probably my biggest exhibition of paintings to date.

Harbor Steps opening show 2013

A few paintings have already sold so the sooner you go the better chance to see the most work..=]

"The Last Act" Seattle city, oil painting by Robin Weiss

"The Last Act" 9x12 oil on panel    Sold

Painted from a photo taken late evening as I was walking through Pike Place Market on my way to see Maury...That was a third Tuesday night....the night I play guitar at Bread of Life Mission. People who carry guitars around always get a nod from other musicians or guitar carriers.....sort of like bikers..anyhow, this glimpse of play on the stage of life resonated with me.

Getting behind again and lots going on so I'll try and get posting!.....=]  you're so patient...

"Tecumseh Road" landscape oil painting by Robin Weiss

"Tecumseh Road" 18x18 oil on canvas  Sold

I went to visit my friends at Sacred Road Ministries back in March. They are working on refurbishing a large house into a new church on the Yakima Indian Reservation.There is a lot of work to get the site up to code for a commercial building. I stayed for three days and helped out my friend Roger and a team from Covenant College. We were able to accomplish quite a bit. In this painting you can just see the church building way at the end of the road. It's a mile off the paved road and pretty muddy after a hard rain!
  Using a limited palette I painted this from a photo taken while driving to the work site.

If you would like to learn more about Sacred Road Ministries visit their website HERE

If you would like to view the 17 minute video of the Covenant College team week, click HERE

"Market Lights" Seattle Cityscape by Robin Weiss

"Market Lights"  50x60 oil on canvas   SOLD

This has been happening to me a lot lately. When A painting sells I will go to the blog and the daily gallery sites and mark it sold so folks will be updated as to the status of the work.  Then when I go to the blog I find the painting was never posted!  So here is another one from awhile back that was never posted.

This painting evolved over time. I originally painted a scene viewed driving down Admiralty Way towards Alki Beach at sunset...I liked the painting and it got good response from viewers...It even almost sold once...the work was costly and large, almost too large, unable to fit in most homes comfortably so it needed that extra spark that would convince a collector to pull the lever.......which it didn't....so what to do? To big to store.....didn't fit in my own house.. I finally decided to re-prepare the canvas and paint another scene over it....which did the trick! Bits of the old painting show through in spots and add to the character of the piece.
 When painting over another painting you should carefully sand the canvas, one site recommends using a "cuttle-stone" and carefully roughing the paint in a circular motion. Here's Mark Dalessio's one minute video on how to do it..(.I just used sandpaper....very carefully).

Oh, and most buyers are mostly considering size, cost and color when purchasing artwork......=]

"Leadbetter Wildlife Refuge" Cape Disapointment, landscape painting by Robin Weiss

Leadbetter Wildlife Refuge 12x16 oil on linen  SOLD

Going back to our Cape Disappointment trip, I noticed this painting was never posted. Located on the Southwest Washington coast, . Leadbetter Point State Park sits on some of the wildest, underdeveloped coastal lands outside of the Olympic National Park. For birders and wildlife enthusiasts, this park is a must-see in the winter — the area is the winter home for dozens of migratory birds.
 

Diane Venti at Harbor Steps

This painting was done from photos taken on location and was exhibited in my featured artist show at Alki Arts in March where it sold. 

Speaking of exhibitions I have another coming up at the Harbor Steps Gallery in Seattle, May 2nd. It opens on the First Thursday in May coinciding with Seattle's first Thursday Art Walk. Come down around 6:00pm and stop in the gallery to enjoy a glass of wine , music and some great art! Then go on up to the SAM to catch the Early Masters Show before it is over. 

Hope to see you at The Harbor Steps, located at the bottom of the Harbor Steps and Western Ave in Seattle , a short walk from the ferry landing!

"Snoqualmie Ski Run" Snoqualmie Pass, plein air painting by Robin Weiss

"Snoqualmie Ski Run" 8x8 oil on panel sold

What you don't see is the painting I did before this one. I was looking in the other direction and trying to get too much information into my composition. I was very frustrated and almost gave up for the day in a hissey fit....but, refusing to give in to the temptation, I cut my loss and clipped in one more panel and just turned around and painted what was in front of me....fast!...  Later, after Jim looked over my paintings, he said this was my strongest piece! I really didn't agree because I thought my work done earlier in the day was better. After I got the paintings home and posted them on Facebook this painting got twice the likes as any of the others at 172!  I'm happy with the days painting but a bit concerned that I don't even know what my best work is!.....Guess I'll just trust my instincts and ....NEVER GIVE UP!   You do the same!

"Gold Creek Snowfields" Snoqualmie Pass, plein air landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Gold Creek Snowfields" 8x12 oil on panel           SOLD

Before the snow began to melt, I walked down to the riverbank through the snow and did a quick study of the snowbanks reflecting in the water. My feet sunk down on the way back as the snow softened under the warm sunshine.

"Snoqualmie Winter" Snoqualmie Summit, plein air , landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Gold Creek in Snow" 8x8 oil on panel             SOLD

Funny, earlier this year I was whining and complaining because I didn't get to paint in the snow! Then the snow hit the fan, so to speak...a freak blizzard on Whidbey Island and then my friend Jim Lamb invited me up to Gold Creek to do some plein air painting. What an awesome day it was!
 Snoqualmie Pass got dumped on the week before so there was still a lot of snow on the bright sunny day we picked to go up.



We both set up on the bridge that spans Gold Creek just off the Hyak exit at the summit.







Again, I worked mine over a bit when I got back to the studio using photos I took on location. Jim gave me some advice too...

"Two House Farm" Whidby Island, plein air landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Two House Farm" 8x10 oil on panel  $330

I passed this farm on my way back from a trip to Oak Harbor on Friday. The sun was at about 6:00pm and lighting up the scene. When I left Ebeys Landing on Saturday afternoon about 5:00pm I decided for one last painting in this spot. After that I headed for the ferry and home.

I was not very happy with this one when I was done with it on Saturday. It was pretty awful, but I kept it knowing that I can often salvage a PA painting in the studio when I get back after studying  the photos. Now I think it may be one of my stronger pieces from the trip .....so, never give up!!

"White clouds over Ebeys Landing" Whidby Island, plein air , landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"White Clouds over Ebeys Landing" 8x8 oil on panel $330

Walked up to the top of the bluff for this one. The sun was directly behind me and the view across the fields was irresistible. I learned the trick that it is better to paint a back lit scene at high noon from my friend Jim Lamb. That's usually your best bet but I got side tracked by the spectacular marching rows of clouds over the fields.

Whidby Island Paint Out 2013

Here's the view looking the opposite direction. Pretty spectacular as well!! Hard to believe there was snow six inches deep the day before!


There was a continual trickle of hikers climbing up the bluff and hiking along the ridge to descend back to the beach and then along the beach back to the parking lot. A hike I will go back with Ann later in the summer to enjoy!

"Parked at Ebeys Landing" Whidby Island, plein air, landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Parked at Ebeys Landing 8x12 oil on panel  Sold

Saturday, after a cold but cozy night in the van we met at Ebeys landing. The day began cold and windy but turned to bright , warm sun by 11:00 am . Most of the group scattered out along the road to paint the bluff and hillside and I joined them. More and more painters and hikers started showing up and parking their cars in front of me so I finally gave up and painted the cars into the scene!

 History of Ebeys Landing is very interesting. Here is a portion of the story from the State Park Guide;

 Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey was among the first of the permanent settlers to the island. Upon the advice of his friend Samuel Crockett, Ebey came west from his home in Missouri in search of land. Both men had filed donation claims on Central Whidbey by the spring of 1851. Ebey wrote home, enthusiastically urging his family to join him.

"My dear brother— I scarcely know how I shall write or what I shall write . . . the great desire of heart is to get my own and father's family to this country. I think it would be a great move. I have always thought so . . . To the north down along Admiralty Inlet . . . the cultivating land is generally found confined to the valleys of streams with the exception of Whidbey's Island . . . which is almost a paradise of nature. Good land for cultivation is abundant on this island. I have taken a claim on it and am now living on the same in order to avail myself of the provisions of the Donation Law. If Rebecca, the children, and you all were here, I think I could live and die here content."

Colonel Isaac Ebey
letter to his brother, W.S. Ebey
Olympia, Oregon
April 25, 1851

Ebey's family soon emigrated to the island. The simple home of Isaac's father Jacob, and a blockhouse he erected to defend his claim against Indians, still stand today overlooking the prairie that bears the family name. As for Isaac, he became a leading figure in public affairs, but his life was cut short in 1857, when he was slain by northern coastal Indians seeking revenge for the killing of one of their own chieftains.

Apparently,  The Haida Indians were raiding the Suquamish in Port Gamble and a US Navy ship intervened, killing a chief .  In retribution they killed Ebey.
 Read more of the story  HERE

"Footprints in the Snow" Whidby Island,landscape, plein air painting by Robin Weiss

"Footprints in the Snow" 6x10 oil on panel  $275

This is the fourth study I did on Friday. That's not a bad day of painting!  Loved the color of the grass bursting through the bright snow...

Admiralty Head Lighthouse, Fort Casey, Whidby Island , plein air painting by Robin Weiss

"Admiralty Head Lighthouse" 8x12 oil on panel   Sold

I have painted this view of the lighthouse before in watercolor back in 05 I think...But never had the chance with snow on the ground! By the end of the day my face was sunburned from the intense sun reflecting off the snow.

Sometimes it is a challenge to paint complicated architecture on location. For this painting I used a plexiglass sheet to draw the outline of the structure in a grid to give me an idea how the shape would fit within the format of an 8x 12 panel. I didn't trace the outline but just used it like a preliminary drawing. This helps to speed up the layout in fast changing light situations.

It also helps to have friends along to paint with!! Sylvia Carlton set up next to me and it was like having a stand up comedy act right next to you while your working!...=] ..It was also pretty cool to see how our different styles of painting progressed.

Friendly deer kept walking by too....adding to the fun!

Lots of folks turned out for Friday afternoon at the lighthouse. Susan  McManamen found a good side view.

She also graciously allowed me to camp out in the driveway of her familys cabin near Coopville for the night, so I would be able to start early at Ebeys Landing in the morning! And this is a cool little cabin! only 300 sq. feet, nestled in a wooded landscape reminiscent of something out of The Hobbit...All in all a very interesting weekend and this is only Friday!

"Keystone State Park " Whidby Island, plein air painting by Robin Weiss

"Keystone State Park" 6x8 oil on panel       Sold

After I finished the Snowfield painting, It was still cold but the sky was beginning to clear. I found this spot looking towards Fort Casey across the little inlet where the Keystone Ferry comes in. I believe that is plumes of smoke coming from the paper mill in Port Townsend across the bay. After I was done with this painting it had warmed up enough for me to get the van unstuck and we all headed for the Lighthouse at Fort Casey.

Here is the same view on a clear sunny day. I took this photo from a parks website..You can clearly see the lighthouse but I never saw it on Friday!

"Whidby Island Snowfield" plein air landscape painting by Robin Weiss

"Whidby Island Snowfield" 8x12 oil on panel       Sold

After getting my van stuck in the snow upon departing the Keystone ferry on Whidby Island there was not much else to do but paint! A freak snow storm that drew a pencil line around the island and parts of Everett dropped about six inches of snow.

Jane Wallis and Sylvia Carlton painting in the snow

Fortunately there were some other hardy painters who showed up for the first outdoor paint out organized by the Plein Air Washington Painters.


Jane Wallis and Sylvia Carlton decided to use the car as a wind break and happily painted away.

Add caption

I wasn't so smart....But loved the view and managed to push the stiff paint into an acceptable painting.

Sure was nice to hit the Keystone Cafe' for a hot cup of coffee!

By the time we finished our paintings the sun came out and melted the snow enough for me to get the van out of the parking lot and head up to the Light House....which had been closed due to the weather!