The Artist's Mother

The Holy City

"The Holy City"
8"x16" oil on canvas mounted on panel
#080328
© Laura Marie Anderson

I went to Cody, WY today to drop off some photographs for a photography show. That done I drove out the the Cody Armory to see the other Bears for the Cody library fund raiser. I have been honored to paint/decorate one of those bears. See their progress as http://www.grizgathering.com/. The bears are coming along, and some of them are finished already. Mine is going to be a Circus bear and since the circus is coming to town this week, I'm waiting to see it before beginning the character paintings. Right now it is great big yellow bear. I will make a separate post for the bear.

After visiting with the other artists and stopping into the museum, I drove out towards Yellowstone to what I call the Red Rocks. The tourist sign calls then "The Holy City". On my way out there I saw and photographed two herds of Mountain Sheep, females and young males. The day was partly cloudy and the sun shone sporadically throughout the painting process. This was a beautiful spot. As soon as the sunset a chill filled the air that forced me to clean up quickly. Suddenly, the warmth and friendliness turned to chilling cold and memories of the town folks saying "be careful the grizzly are out already". Having my faithful dog, Sam with me there was little fear, until I noticed him tucked down in the snow napping. We got out of there quickly as he let out his tell tale growl looking just down the canyon. See a grizzly from the car with my camera in hand had been a thought earlier in the day, but seeing one with my equipment spread out on the snow was not my idea of a great moment. the drive back was a fun one, seeing many deer along the road (not hitting any and having the heater turned up full blast, to thaw out those parts of me that I didn't even notice where cold while I was possessed by the painting magic.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting please email me at ArtistLauraMarieAnderson@gmail.com

Bird's Eye Inlet

“Bird’s Eye Inlet”
8”x10” Unframed – Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © May 10, 2007

I crawled back up on the rocks yesterday and again today by the inlet. Both days I saw the scrawny moose with the hurt leg and a goat that had tucked himself up behind the rock and out of sight of the trail traffic. Today when I was finished painting I was walking down the trail feeling quite free as I could see from my perch that there were no wild animals around. About half way back down the trail I notice something dark off to my right. I looked up and less than ten feet from the trail and myself was the moose. This is two days is a row that this moose and I have surprised each other. Yesterday, she stood up when I was passing and scared the wits right out of me and I let out a scream. She freaked out Sam also, who came a running at me. Today, Sam wasn’t even bothered by her. He just kept walking. I on the other hand, I backed up decided to take some photos and then not wanting to take the long way around again, walked slowly past her, trying not to make eye contact. On the other side of her I stopped to take another photo. She was close enough you cab see her eyelashes in the photo.

Hell Roaring Falls #4

“Hell Roaring Falls #4”
22”x28” Unframed – Oil on Canvas

Laura Marie Anderson © May 6, 2007

I started this painting on April 14. I loved the icicles that hung from all the different places and decided to make this painting about the vast size of the canyon dwarfing the falls. Visually they are about 20’ tall, but in the canyon which is much taller they can seem dwarfed. I went back to this spot three different days and then the snow was melted. Today I went back there to lighten up the rocks. In comparison to the bright snow, the rocks seemed very dark but in the house they seemed too dark. I can back this morning and turned my easel so that it was out of the direct sunlight. This made a huge difference. This painting seems to have sort of a surreal quality about it, but I like it.

Upper East Rosebud Lake Falls

“Upper East Rosebud Lake Falls”
10”x8” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 29, 2007

Yesterday, after dinner most of the Morledge family hiked up to the head of the lake and saw one large black bear and a goat. The bear was across the inlet and large enough to look like a moose at first. I wanted to have a birds eye view of the lake so I headed up the rocks. On the second level Karl and Riley were scoping for goats. Sam and I continued up. Over the edge of the third ledge Sam stopped. Twenty feet ahead of us lay a goat. The wind was perfect and he had not clue we were there. I didn’t have my camera. Bringing Sam down a level I motioned to Riley to get Karl up there as he had brought his camera. The goat soon took off. Shocked that we had gotten so close he nearly tripped and fell. Anyway, so Karl, his parents and I, went back up again this morning looking for more goats. I brought along my pack so I could stay a the falls above the main falls and paint. It’s about 200 feet from the trail down to this little falls. As the day heated up the water increased and before I left was painting in a fine mist that kept me cool on this very warm day.

Elk Lake

“Elk Lake”
8”x10” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 27, 2007

Two days ago Karl, Sam and I made our way up to Elk Lake. We saw 9 goats and found the skull of one dead one. I was planning on going back up and continuing to Broadwater Pond the next day, so I stashed my painting pack we came back down. Yesterday the weather was rainy, so I took Sam to the vet to have his toenail fixed. He’s such a goat he must have slipped on a rock and hurt himself. Anyway, this morning Sam and I headed up to Broadwater Pond with the painting of the same name #2 that I finished on January 23. The rocks in the painting were bothering me and I wanted to see if anything could be done to satisfy myself. Sam ands I walked for about twenty minutes past Elk Lake when we ran into quite a bit of snow. I stashed my painting, which I was packing in a cardboard box, in a trash bag and then under a big rock. The forecast for the next two days was nearly 80, so I figured the snow would melt. I didn’t want to pack that 24”x30” box again, as it was I was feeling more like a pack horse than a painter. Freed up, we headed back to Elk Lake. I was happy to be carrying an extra panel, just incase. What a lovely sunny spot we found. Sam busied himself with a duck. The duck liked to be chased and kept coming back and teasing the dog. Just when Sammy would swim close enough to almost grab him the duck would fly off.

April Showers

“April Showers”
6”x12” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 24, 2007

Unable to stay inside anymore, I ventured outside to paint this afternoon. Before I was able to finish the rain started. I painted until my palette soaked in the rain, no to mention me.

Elk Lake

“Elk Lake”
8”x10” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 23, 2007

Looking forward to those sunny blue sky days I went to my computer for a slide show of pictures I have taken. Also, being in the mood to hike and unable to because of the snow, I picked this photo to paint from today.

Trio at Two Mile Bridge

Laura Marie Anderson © April 20, 2007

“Trio at Two Mile Bridge”
12”x16” Unframed - Oil on Canvas

A beautiful day the fog was hanging high in the mountain tops. This is actually a portrait of the middle sister in the mountains that are called The Three Sisters.

The Good Shepherd

“The Good Shepherd”
11”x14” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 18, 2007

My mom asked me to paint her one of these. Quite a compliment, as my mother used to be a painter, before she became ill and has never asked me for a painting. It was interesting, the painting sort of painted itself. I think I’ll paint more Jesus pictures.

Karl Reading Newspaper

“Karl Reading the Newspaper” 1 hour Sketch
20x16” Unframed - Oil on Canvas

Laura Marie Anderson © April 13, 2007

I wish I would do this more often. What fun. If I could get Karl to hold still it would have been a lot easier. Not available for sale.

Sunset over Shepherd

“Sunset over Shepherd Mountain”
6x12” Unframed - Oil on Canvas

SOLD

Laura Marie Anderson © April 13, 2007

Karl and I drove the snow mobile down to Helen’s and had this wonderful view on the way back.

Bird Island from Rodeo Cove

“Bird Island from Rodeo Cove”
8x19 3/4” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 12, 2007

I’m getting a little tired of the fog and cold. I decided to stay inside and paint from a photograph I took last year in Sausalito, CA, where it was pleasantly warm and sunny most of the time I was there.

Fogged-in Beaver Pond

“Fogged in Beaver Pond”
11x14” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 6, 2007

Another foggy day, no sense staying inside. I walked over to the beaver pond and found this lovely site.

Inlet - East Rosebud Lake

“Inlet East Rosebud Lake”
8”x10” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

SOLD

Laura Marie Anderson © April 6, 2007

The water was so shallow you can see the colors that are usually in the bottom of the inlet, that rusty color that makes the inlet so special when the green grass starts coming through.

Fog - Lodge Beach

“Fog Lodge Beach”
10x8” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 5, 2007

It was so fogged in today that at times I could only see a few feet in front of my face.

Troll

“Troll”
8”x6” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

SOLD

Laura Marie Anderson © March 30, 2007

My sister and I used to play with these little gems for hours. This one is a boy. We used to be able to tell because girl trolls have longer hair. If the troll is a girl you could pull it’s hair up between it’s legs and if it would reach it’s nose it was a girl, if not it was a boy.

Vanilla Bottle

“Vanilla Bottle”
8”x6”
Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

SOLD

Laura Marie Anderson © March 27, 2007

So many memories and scents are brought back by this one bottle.

Daisy Serving Tray

Daisy Serving Tray
10 1/4" x 13 3/4"
Oil on Wood Serving Tray
Laura M. Anderson © January 29, 2007

I am back from my trip to Miles City. I haven't posted to this blog for sometime as I have just been posting to my website. I have been tired, so no day better than today to start posting here again. I will be back another day to update this blog on those that I have missed.

This is for the Carbon County Arts Guild Fund raiser and will be auctioned during February in Red Lodge. This is down the valley looking out over a hay field. I painted it from a photograph and was trying for an impressionistic feel. I have decided to put my Cactus flower painting from November 20, 2006 in their February Flower Show. Follow this link to see the cactus flowers http://www.lauramarieanderson.com/CactusFlowers.jpg

Broadwater Pond #2 - Oil - Day 1

“Broadwater Pond #2” Day 1 - Oil
22”x28”
Unframed - Oil on Canvas
Laura Marie Anderson © January 5, 2007

Today I got started on Broadwater Pond #2. This one will concentrate on that lovely turquoise water. Note the fisherman – Karl and the dog – Sam near the center of the painting. Usually, I take all signs of human existence out of my paintings, but am touched by our ability to share these times hiking while stopping to fish and paint as we do.


Yesterday Karl, Sam and I hiked up to Snow Creek Bridge. Sam led the way marking the trail and Karl followed behind breaking the trail. I brought up the rear fighting with my snow pants trying to get them to stay down over my favorite hiking boots that are not high-top enough. Up past the falls the snow started to get deeper and deeper. We went from 8-10” to about 15-30”. Since fishing in steams is illegal in the winter, it was a short hike. We sat down and shared some peanut butter and honey sandwiches that Sam was kind enough to carry in his pack. He loves peanut butter. And a Frappicino that I slipped into my pocket on the way out the door. A great slushy it made as Karl put some of that fresh snow in the bottle. Karl is always surprised by what I might pack with me on a hike. One overnight hike to Sylvan, a fairly easy break in hike, (about 10 miles round trip and 5000 feet up) I brought along the hardcover book “Rembrandt’s Eyes”, 751 delicious pages, because I was in the middle of reading it. A wonderful book to have to read at Sylvan Lake.


We brought back with us memories and a few photographs in my camera. The photographs wash out so, it is amazing just to make a few color notes, like the green that graced the side of one of the Pinnacles, and then to get home and be able to see none of that green. A wonderful example of why I prefer Plein Air painting.


Since starting this painting with these undercolors, I have decided that perhaps I do paint like a watercolorist and have decided to squash the fear and take out my watercolors and paint two almost identical paintings of Broadwater Pond. One in oil and on in watercolor. A grand experiment with nothing to lose except my fear. I have painted about 4 watercolors in my adult life. I would like to be able to be able to do them well enough to take them to Arch and Froze to Death and… all the really high hikes where carrying an extra ten pounds for oil paint seems ridicules. Normally I carry about 15, unless I carry the French easel for a larger painting, like Hell Roaring Falls #2 and then I carry about 33 pounds. I think with watercolor I could slim the weight down to 2-3 pounds.


Technical notes for the day: Medium for this painting Stand Oil and Gamsol, each day increasing the Stand Oil. Colors, Phthalo Turquoise Blue (B15:4 & G7) Ultramarine Blue, Transparent Red Iron Oxide, Quinacridone Violet, Anthraquinone Red (R177). All transparent colors. Ground two thin coats of Gamblin Traditional Ground rolled on with a foam roller and sanded.