Shemanski Fountain  Wednesday Market, June 22, 2016. Thank you Joseph Shemanski for this fountain you gave to the people of Portland in 1926. Lots of people traffic today and no one would stand still and pose for my painting.  This plein air painting is by Brooks Hickerson. Kara Wilde and John Lehman were also painting the fountain today Kara Wilde with her painting of Shemanski Fountain. John Lehman and his watercolor. Kara in action. John in action Kara's painting in progress.

History of  the Dorothy Perkins Rose from Wikipedia:" In 1882, Charles (Perkins) became fascinated with  rose   propagation . In 1884, he hired Alvin Miller as foreman of his newly evolving rose business. Miller, a hybridizer, was directed to develop a special rose new to the rose market. His first success, introduced in 1901, was the 'Dorothy Perkins' rose, named for Charles Perkins' granddaughter (later: Dorothy Estabrook). In 1908, this rose won top honors at the  Royal National Rose Society . It also started a long tradition of naming roses for people. This rose has been mentioned by several authors in their works including F.S. Fitzgerald. Jackson & Perkins stopped marketing the original Dorothy Perkins rose because the plant was prone to mildew and disease. It is still available from specialty nurseries. To this day the Dorothy Perkins climbing rose adorns the walls of Windsor Castle." Here is a video of my painting the Dorothy Perkins climbing rose.

Plein air painting the orange sculpture titled "Contact II" in Jamison Square Park.June 16th it was cloudy with bouts of sun and sprinkles. You can see what the changing light does to my painting. This is a do-over. The Portland Art Museum becomes "Contact II". John Bauguess joined me.  Brooks' Painting of "Contact II" John Bauguess painting in Jamison Square Park. Brooks' painting and the sculpture "Contact II" Portland Art Museum underpainting for "Contact II"

Painting the Flower Vendors at Wednesday Market in Shemanski Square Portland Oregon. Lots of traffic at this entrance to the market. Beautiful flowers. Here is a video of my painting today.  Flower Vendors at Shemanski Square. Kara Wilde with flowers she is going to paint. John Bauguess and his watercolors. Linda and her watercolors. Brooks' "Flower Vendors" painting Flower vendors one more time. Vegetable display worthy of painting. 

Plein air painting today with Kara Wilde and John Lehman at the International Rose Test Garden in Portland Oregon. Thunderstorms ran us off about noon. If you paint outside in Oregon you will get wet. John Lehman painting roses. Kara Wilde with roses. Kara's painting. Brooks' Pallet  Brooks' Yellow Roses.

This is the view from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, OMSI. You can see the dragon boats and the starter boat in the background. This is a do-over acrylic painting. A park scene in Eugene becomes a Dragon Boat Race with downtown Portland in the background. Brooks' painting of the dragon boat races - 2016. Dragon boats and starting boat "Knot Logical". View under the Marquam Bridge from the OMSI.

Painting in the rain in Portland Oregon, June 10, 2016. Standing in back of Starbucks at Pioneer Square. Flowers are compliments of the Rose Festival, and sailors are compliments of the US Navy in town for Fleet Week. This is gouache painting on hot-pressed watercolor paper. Pioneer Square decorated for Rose Festival. Brooks' painting of Sailors in Pioneer Square

USCGC Fir and USCGC Bluebell visited Portland Oregon for Fleet Week this year. These hard working vessels maintain the navigation buoys along the Columbia/Snake river and the Oregon and Washington coast. This is a gouache painting on hot-pressed paper. The rain held off until I could complete this painting. Kara Wilde was also painting these ships today. Video of my plein air painting. USCGC Fir (the larger ship) and USCGC Bluebell (in front). Kara Wild painting ships. Kara with her painting. Portland Waterfront, Tom McCall Park. Brooks' painting of the two ships.

Plein air painting with Kara Wilde at the Portland Art Museum Rose Garden. The yellow rose is "Julia Child". I am using gouache on hot-pressed paper and Kara is using oil on panel.  Video of Brooks painting the roses yellow in this case. Kara eating tamale from Wednesday Market. Kara's painting of Julia Child roses. PAM Rose Garden.  more of PAM Rose Garden

Wild Blue Yonder is the mauve rose in the foreground. Julia Child is the yellow rose on the left. These two colors are stunning together in the Gold Metal Garden at the Rose Test Garden in Portland Oregon. This plein air painting is painted with gouache on hot-press paper. You can see how the pesky sun interferes with the painting process.   Gold Metal Garden in Rose Test Garden. Chris Helton painting the roses red. Julia Child and Wild Blue Yonder by Brooks

Plein ait painting with Maura Jess and Kara Wilde today in Fields Park, Portland Oregon. We were painting Centennial Mills, or what's left of it. The city is deconstructing Centennial Mills. There is much debate about how much to leave and what to put in it's place. Here is a video of my painting with gouache on hot-press watercolor paper. Maura Jess drawing Centennial Mills. Kara Wilde painting Centennial Mills. Kara's oil painting from the rose garden painted June 1.  Brooks' painting of Centennial Mills. Kara's oil painting in progress. The real deal. Centennial Mills June 3, 2016.