I finally pulled it off and the secret’s out! I’ve dreamed for years of painting from this spot, simply because it’s so wildly unique. As far as I know, no one has ever set up an easel here before. In fact, only a handful of people have even seen this view, let alone tried to capture it on canvas. It took years of training and preparation for this mid 70 year old to accomplish it, but I have finally achieved it!
Take a moment to watch the short video and follow the adventure. Be sure to turn the sound up and watch to the end!
Many of you know I recently traveled to Sapporo, Japan, for the very special occasion of my son’s wedding. I won’t turn this into a full travelogue, but of course, I couldn’t resist packing my acrylic paints. Between family gatherings, wedding festivities, and endless toasts, my paint kit stayed in the hotel until the final days of our visit when most everyone had left and I could finally sneak away to paint.
Our hotel, by design, was adjacent to Nakajima Park, which is one of my favorite spots in Sapporo. I’ve painted there a number of times over the years. Usually, we visit in the spring when cherry blossoms turn the park into a pink paradise. This time, though, it was early autumn. Only a few trees were beginning to show a slight color and most of the landscape still a sea of green. Paintings with mostly green are a challenge for artists, as it is difficult to bring out the variations of color to make a pleasing piece.
I set up in the Japanese Garden and started a piece, but after about half an hour, I was tempted to give up. The composition felt flat and dull. Still, I decided to push through. After over an hour or so, the painting started to come together—still unfinished, but promising. I reluctantly packed up and headed back for more family activities. Here are a few photos from that day.
The next day was rainy and blustery, so couldn’t go out to paint, but the day after that was nicer. After another hour plus session, I finally think I got a keeper. Below are some photos.
Here is a quick snapshot of the painting.
BTW, in my recent studies on how AI can improve your paintings, I asked ChatGPT for several examples on how it would paint the scene. I think I like mine better!
This incredible space in Pacific Grove, CA, is currently hosting one of the most unique art contests I’ve seen. The challenge? Each participating artist gets randomly assigned a 16×16-inch square on a massive board, is provided with acrylic paints, and has 30 days to complete their masterpiece. Once all squares are painted, a panel of judges will select the top three winners. Currently, only artists showing in the gallery are eligible to enter. Here’s the real kicker—first place takes home $6,000 with $10,000 in total prizes! That definitely caught my attention, so I jumped in.
I was assigned a square in the lower right corner of one of the two giant panels. The painting surface? Rough chipboard covered in white gesso—not exactly a smooth canvas! Maneuvering into my little section was a tight squeeze, but luckily, no other artists were working nearby while I was painting. After a number of visits, I completed my piece—a vibrant depiction of a Boracay sunset, inspired by my recent trip to the Philippines.
Here are some photos of the panels.
Here is the final painting. If you look closely, you can see the texture of the particle board.
Boracay Sunset, 16×16, acrylic on board
Right now, less than half the squares are finished, and the variety is amazing—everything from bold abstracts to intricate animal portraits and still life. It will be interesting to watch the artwork evolve, and see the final result. I suspect this contest is also a clever way for the gallery to bring in new artists—fitting, given the sheer size of the space!
If you are in the area of Pacific Grove, be sure to stop in and see what develops, view, and purchase some great artwork!!
It had been quite some time since I last picked up my oil paints—early August, to be exact. We just returned from a trip to Europe, where I managed to just do one acrylic painting of the shores near Lerwick, Shetland Islands, from our cruise ship balcony. That painting wasn’t my best work, but it holds a special place as a personal souvenir from the trip.
The MBPAPA demo on Saturday went well. Although it was a somewhat gloomy day, with lots of grey, I painted for about two hours and I hope attendees got some value out of it! Below are some photos of the event. (Note: all these photos were taken by MBPAPA members and Airdropped to me, so I can’t remember who gave me what, so please speak up so I can give photo credit!)
Several members also took a video of much of the demo, which I combined and sped up 20 times. (Again, I can’t remember who gave me which videos.)
The painting is only about half to 2/3 complete, so will finish it in the studio in the next few weeks. I’ll post the result when time comes.
KNIGHTS OF THE VINE
On Sunday, I was invited to the Knights of the Vine annual BBQ. For the past 30+ years they have had a party on the Sheltered Cove pier by the Beach & Tennis Club in Pebble Beach, CA. As is tradition, I painted live during the event, and the finished piece was auctioned off for charity. This was my third time being invited, and the experience never disappoints. It’s always a delightful day of painting, good food, and even better wine. You can see blogs from my last visits here and here.
The day started out a bit gloomy, but the sun made occasional appearances. I spent a little over two hours capturing Stillwater Cove and the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Course, using a touch of artistic license to bring more vibrancy to the light and colors. By the end, the painting found its way to the auction block and was sold during the event.
Here are a few photos to share from the day.
Shelter Cove, 9×12, oil on panel, plein air
So, I am back in the saddle again. Stay tuned for more adventures!
It had been five long years since we last visited our son in Sapporo, Japan. Not by choice, but because the pandemic threw a wrench in our plans. Japan, being one of the last countries to reopen after COVID, kept us apart. Thankfully, our son visited us during that time. But finally, we made it back to Sapporo.
I won’t turn this into a full travelogue, but I did bring my acrylic kit and managed to squeeze in a few paintings between our touring excursions and rain squalls around Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.
We made our base at the Sapporo Park Hotel, nestled next to Nakajima Park—my favorite spot in the city and conveniently close to our son’s apartment. I had painted in this park on our last trip to Sapporo. This time, we also ventured into other parts of Hokkaido. Here’s a few photos around Sapporo.
Our first excursion was to Furano, where my son’s girlfriend hails from. Furano, in the heart of Hokkaido, is famous for its breathtaking natural landscapes, especially the vibrant lavender fields that bloom in mid-summer, which unfortunately weren’t in bloom during our visit. When people asked what it reminded me of back in the States, it eventually clicked—Montana! Known as Big Sky Country, Montana has wide valleys framed by mountain ranges, similar to central Hokkaido, though some in Japan are volcanic. Here are a few photos from the trip, including the famous Blue Pond.
I managed to do one painting in Furano, capturing a view from one of the hilltop parks.
After returning to Sapporo, I did another painting in Maruyama Park, where a few cherry blossoms still clung to the trees,
Next, we headed to Hakodate via train. This historic port city in southern Hokkaido is rich in cultural heritage. Hakodate was Japan’s first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854, and used to be the most important port in northern Japan. Hakodate blends modern attractions with historical sites, like the star-shaped Goryokaku Fort, now a public park and observation tower with panoramic views. The bustling wharf area brought to mind Cannery Row in Monterey and Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. I didn’t get a chance to paint in Hakodate, as we were too busy soaking in the sights.
Back in Sapporo, finding time for one more painting in Nakajima Park, I sat on the same bench to paint as I did five years prior.
Too soon we headed back to our home in Marina, CA. It was time to get ready for the Carmel Art Festival. Stay tuned!
Picture this: an old acrylic canvas, holding within it the essence of a majestic landscape. For over twenty years it sat dormant in my studio, a relic of earlier artistic endeavors. Not quite sure when I started it, but probably the early 2000’s when I was still doing mostly acrylic paintings. Although it was an awesome scene, I was never quite satisfied with the painting, and never quite finished it. As it sat in my studio, my style and technique changed over the years, especially when I switched from painting mainly acrylic pieces to oil painting in the early 2000’s. I embarked to reimagine the piece in oils, and paint right over the old acrylic.
Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden gem nestled in the heart of Utah, a tapestry of colors woven over millions of years. My memories of this enchanting place date back to the early ‘80s on a six month RV trip all over the Southwest. One of the lesser visited and known national parks in the US, it’s a geological wonderland boasting mesmerizing landscapes sculpted over millions of years. Spanning a 100 miles of colorful canyons, towering cliffs, and intricate rock formations, the park offers a captivating journey through time. Its signature feature, the Waterpocket Fold, stretches like a wrinkle in the Earth’s crust, revealing layers of ancient history. Visitors can explore remnants of ancient civilizations, from petroglyphs etched into sandstone walls to pioneer homesteads preserved in time.
Here is the old acrylic painting that sat in my studio all these years–
This is the photo study I used in producing the painting. It is taken somewhere along the Fremont Vista Trail I hiked from the Fruita Campground in the park late in the day. Fruita campground is one of the prettiest in the Southwest, situated in a green valley, surrounded by red cliffs and mountains. You will also find many orchards in the valley, where you can pick fruit for free.
Here’s a photo of my 20′ Dolphin RV in Capital Reef. I traveled in this little RV for six months in the winter of 81, and spring of 82 all over the Southwestern US. At the time, I also visited art galleries, and by the time I returned home to San Jose, CA, my paintings were sprinkled in a half dozen or so art galleries all over the Southwest US.
To paint over the old acrylic, first some preparations were in order. I sanded down the acrylic layer to get rid of any gloss and put a little more tooth in the surface. I then put a thin coat of Liquin over the entire surface of the canvas. Liquin is a quick-drying medium for oil and alkyd paint. Used as an additive in many forms of artwork, it can also be used to bring out the luster in darker parts of the painting. I occasionally use it as a separation layer between coats of oil painting.
I then blocked in the scene again with a layer of oil paints mixed with Liquin. As I progressed through the layers of oil paint, I used less and less Liquin. Here are a few photos of the progression as I worked through the painting.
I left the lower right area undone as I was uncertain if it needed a closeup foreground there. I finally decided to put in some foreground so-as to push the rest of the scene back. During the process, I first painted a bigger foreground, but then cut it back as it overpowered the vista.
Here is the final piece. As usual, I’ll let it sit for a while, but might touch it up later.
Capitol Reef, 12 x 36, oil on canvas
Here is a slider view where you can move the slider arrows back and forth between the old acrylic painting and the now just painted over oil version.
Hopefully this new painting won’t sit in my studio unfinished for another 20+ years! I have more old acrylic pieces of wonderful scenes, so who knows, I might work on them!
We recently did a cruise in the North Sea on the NCL Prima, visiting Iceland, Norway, England, and several other countries. As usual, I took a small acrylic paint kit with me in case there was a break in our busy itinerary and I had time to paint. The opportunity only presented itself a few times.
I won’t go into a travelog of the trip, but you can see a preview/trailer of a video I produced here—
I did produce a full movie over an hour long, but is held private. If interested in seeing it, please email me (donald@donaldneff.com), or private message me and I will send you the URL.
Due to a last minute change in the cruise port schedule we stayed in Akureyri, Iceland for two days, and it gave me the opportunity to do a couple paintings from our cruise ship cabin balcony. The first was the hillside opposite our ship in port. The layers of various colors and rock strata were intriguing.
The second was from the same location, but looking up the Eyjafjörður fjord.
I also started one painting from our balcony while docked in Geiranger, Norway, which was the most spectacular scene, but didn’t have a lot of time, so left it unfinished.
Since we returned, I have been doing a number of small works from the trip for my annual Holiday Sale, which will be in my next weblog!
Colorado thunderstorms are a magnificent display of nature’s power and beauty. The state experiences an impressive array of thunderstorms throughout the year. These storms are characterized by dark, billowing clouds that roll across the sky, often accompanied by intense lightning strikes and deep rumbling thunder. These wonders of nature rarely occur in coastal California, where I live.
I was recently visiting family and friends in Colorado, and during a morning walk witnessed a squall coming in directly over Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak, dominating the skyline around Colorado Springs, and one of the most famous peaks in the Rocky Mountains, stands tall at an elevation of 14,115 feet (4,302 meters). It was a scene begging to be painted, so I did a piece back in the home studio.
Squall Over Pikes Peak, 24×18, oil on canvas
I have done a number of cloud paintings over the years, and never quite satisfied with them. This one, I think, is a step in the right direction, but as usual might touch it up in the future.
Hohenschwangau Castle, nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes of Bavaria, Germany, stands as a captivating testament to history and architectural brilliance. This majestic castle, with its fairy-tale-like towers and elegant facade, exudes an enchanting aura that transports visitors back in time. Built in the 19th century, Hohenschwangau Castle boasts a rich heritage, having served as the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Impeccably restored and adorned with ornate interiors, the castle offers a captivating glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of royalty. Perched on a hill overlooking the serene Alpsee Lake, Hohenschwangau Castle seamlessly blends natural beauty with architectural grandeur, leaving visitors spellbound by its timeless allure.
September 2022 we visited the castles Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein in Bavaria Germany. I have been wanting to do a painting of the area ever since. The setting of both castles perched above magnificent Lake Alpsee nestled beneath the soaring Bavarian Alps is a sight to see. I chose to paint Hohenschwangau Castle from a viewpoint from Neuschwanstein. In other words, Neuschwanstein is right behind the viewer of the scene. Neuschwanstein is probably a prettier and well known castle as it is the one which inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle, however, I wanted to include the entire setting, be true to originality, and Hohenschwangau was the castle in view.
For this work, I did a video time-lapse of the entire painting process. I have done a number of time-lapse videos of my plein air painting, but not a larger studio work. You can see some of the videos here on my website. Although most the time-lapse videos of plein air pieces are short, as they are painted usually in a few hours, this video runs about 19 minutes. Each minute equals about an hour of painting time, and I explain a little about the painting process as it goes along.
As mentioned in the video, I kept adjusting the distant mountains, maybe 4-5 times, never quite satisfied. I usually don’t repaint a section this much, and I am still not sure I am satisfied with it. However, will let it sit for awhile, and determine that later, so as usual, I might tinker with the painting a little more.
In the meantime, enjoy this time-lapse video of the entire painting process…so far…
If a 19 minute video is too long to watch, stay tuned for the ultra, ultra fast version!
We recently did a tour through southern Germany, with a bit of France and Austria, the prime objective to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. It’s the first major trip we have taken since the pandemic. The tour was non-stop with LOTS of walking, so much so, I was taking pain killers and putting relief patches on my aching back the last week of the trip just to make it through.
I always bring a paint kit on my trips, but we had no spare time to do anything but tour, eat, and sleep! Perhaps I will do a few studio paintings of some of the locations we visited.
Enjoy this trailer/preview of the video I will be working on the next couple months. (Be sure to turn the volume up!)
