Tulip Bulb Farm ~ Woodland, Washington

The Woodland Tulip Festival at Holland American Bulb Farm is a beautiful springtime sight.

Marie and I did plein air paintings this morning. It was a bright morning. The colors are amazing, but my watercolors don't do them justice!

Woodland, Washington April 26,2008

Flowers Still Life

Three Sunflowers ~ by Allan Wise

Three Sunflowers, 30"x40". This is the largest painting I have done. It is acrylic on canvas.

The light seems to radiate from the tallest sunflower. Marie planted sunflowers last year and I've been wanting to paint some since autumn. We kept three spent sunflowers over the winter, and these are the inspiration for this work. I really liked the faded colors on the dead flowers, but I livened them up a lot in this work. Marie and I both enjoy Van Gogh's works with sunflowers. I'm sure we'll do more sunflowers.

The ground is mostly big brush strokes, the leaves/stalks mostly medium strokes, the sunflowers are mostly palette knife, and the blues and white skies are blended.

Kalama Burger Bar ~ by Allan Wise

Kalama Burger Bar was a gem out of the 1950's. This was a nice stop on US 99 in Kalama, Washington before Interstate 5 was created. The Burger Bar sign has been moved, and the Burger joint has moved and is now an inside eatery also.

This is my first try in painting with a knife. It was fun!

TULIPS ~ & COLD APRIL

Kalama, Washington "High School Hill" Elm Street

Kalama, Washington is a small town of about 2000 inhabitants. This painting looks east and focuses on Elm Street which is the town's major east/west road. Kalama High School sits at the top of the hill. Behind it and to the right is the football stadium. To the left of the school is the Catholic Church. In the left foreground there is the Methodist Church, and behind it the Kalama Community Building. Rivertown Antiques is in the foreground right. All of these places have sunset views of the Columbia River. This is the old part of Kalama that was originally settled in the 1870's. It has a charming small town feel and is a nice place to live.

St.Joseph's Catholic Church in Kalama, Washington

St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a picturesque spot in our community of Kalama, Washington. I like the rock formation on the lower right as it adds a permanence to the scene.

Watercolor 12" x 16" April 16, 2008 by Allan Wise



My three month old grandson Silas is being fed by Grandpa Nick Biederman from Chicago. He and I shared baby duties as Silas' Mom and Dad had other business. It's hard to train old grandpas, but Silas gives it a good try!

Horsethief Butte ~ Columbia River Gorge 4/13/2008

Marie and I did plein air paintings at Horsethief Butte in the Columbia River Gorge today. Spring is here today, but supposedly will be gone tomorrow. It was a nice day to paint, and Horsethief Butte provides many great vistas.








Marie and I sat in folding chairs while we did our paintings. Mine was watercolor and hers was guoache. Here is her work ,
and her blog!

It's April ~ Play Ball

Reece's First Game




Interested Party

Little Silas Will Have His Turn To Play Ball Too

Three Monkeys ~ Grandchildren

CharLee

Reece




Remington

Lake Sacajawea Fountain ~ April 2,2008

A beautiful spring day at Lake Sacajawea in Longview, Washington

St. Joseph's Catholic Church ~ Kalama, Washigton

This is a watercolor painting of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Kalama, Washington. It sits at the top of a hill next to Kalama High School in our town of 2000 inhabitants.

Interstate Bridge @ Vancouver/Portland

My Grandson, Reece Schutt (age 8), and I spent the afternoon together. I painted the Interstate Bridge between Portland and Vancouver. He painted the Columbia River and sand.

Wind Turbine ~ Oregon High Prarie and Mt. Hood

Oregon High Prarie

To see Marie's Wind Paintings please go here!

New Kalama Neighbor

Lake Sacajawea ~ Longview Washington

Pool reflection in the Japanese Garden at Lake Sacajawea in Longview, Washington.

Lake Sacajawea Bridge to Japanese Garden

This walking bridge at Lake Sacajawea in Longview, Washington goes to the Japanese Garden.

Kalama Washington Snow ~ Yes, it is March 29th!

It's hard to believe, but it snowed last night. March is definitely out like a lion!

Blue Sunshine

Columbia Theater ~ Longview, Washington

This is a painting of Longview's Columbia Theater.

Throw in an abstract work!

The "ART KITTY" March 2008

When my wife, Marie, brought this bedraggled creature home many years ago, I let out a big sigh. She found it on a dark and stormy winter day at the local port. Marie is not nurturing by nature, but she is a champion of the underdog. The little girl inside her wanted to save this wild eyed, calico-like scaredy cat. She spent months under our bed. At least she was quiet. Marie’s daughter, Mary, gave her the unofficial name of Abby. This name didn’t stick.

Physically she seemed challenged. She was skinny and round faced. She had a poor excuse for a tail. It wasn’t formed right, and it had a crook. Her thin coat was uneven. Her name was often Funny Face or Hey You, Kitty. Funny face was at the bottom of a feline pecking order that started with Misty and went through Snow Kitty and Oreo.

When she finally ventured out to our world of teenage boys and her nemesis, Misty, she kept her eyes darting for danger. Soon it was just Hey You and Misty. You’d never find them in the same room. After eight months she finally made her way outside. Any commotion would find her under the deck. Marie gave me the job of flashlight duty to find her in the dark recesses. She was pathetic.

Our boys, Rigel and Sam, flew the coop to college. Hey You finally relaxed enough to find the living room. Mary, Marie and I were not that threatening to her. Mary’s job was to feed the cats and take care of their litter box. Misty was Mary’s favorite, but she came to like “Youey” too. Misty loved to scrap with the three young grandchildren that came to visit, but Hey You ducked for cover.

Hey You became an affectionate kitty after Mary went away to college. We moved into a rental house while our home was being built. Funny Face was now at the top of the pecking order at home as Marie would get annoyed at Misty’s bossiness. Funny spent a good deal of time gallivanting around the neighborhood in fields of tall green grass. She thrived on her encounters with other cats.

Marie reeled her in by making her the “Art Kitty”. It became her duty to sit with Marie while she painted her oil paintings. They became very close during Marie’s sacred creative time.

When we moved into our new home, “Youey” became the upstairs kitty. Misty was relegated to the basement. Marie’s new Art Studio had a permanent fixture, the “Art Kitty”. She enjoyed her time as the designated “Art Kitty” by night, and my companion by day after I retired. She loved her world as deck lounger as she accompanied me doing crosswords and reading, and coffee.

Marie loved her “Baby”. Art Kitty was treated royally as she helped Marie with her masterpieces. Last autumn, Misty and the “Art Kitty” started a downward spiral. They seemed to be in a race toward death. Misty was getting dementia and Baby was getting weaker. Baby’s kidneys were failing and the vet told us she wouldn’t be with us much longer. Misty was plain crazy. In November, Baby finally gave her last breath. Marie is still sad for her.

Miraculously, 16 year old Misty is now the “Art Kitty”. Marie had a change of heart, and Misty is now the top and only dog, upstairs and downstairs. We miss our little Funny Face a lot, crooked tail and all.

Figure Studies

watercolor study

Marie and I go to Portland for drawing studio

March 27,2008

Bud vase
Analagous painting
A good place to put junk

Two Ceramic Pots

Two thrown pots.

Columbia River Tugboat at Kalama ~ 3/24/2008

I painted this from a bench in Marine Park at the Port of Kalama. This tugboat headed upriver hauling a barge. A few sprinkles fell on me. The hills in Oregon are interesting and the cottonwood trees across the river are showing a first color.

Red peppers ~ Allan Wise March 23,2008

I like red peppers!

Lake Sacajawea ~ Longview, Washington March 22

Lake Sacajawea Longview, Washington

Marie and I painted these pictures today. My watercolor is of a structure in the Japanese Garden on an island in the lake.


Marie's oil painting is painted from the structure I painted. To find out more about her work visit her website.

Happy Good Friday.....Is It Spring yet?

My daffodils are in bloom, but it seems so cold to be Spring yet!
Marie and I enjoy the blue glass in our windows. It's like having a blue sunshine.

Longview ~ Kalama ~ Watercolors

Ayle Point on the Columbia River is a peaceful place near Kalama, Washington. The Longview Theater was constructed in an Art Deco style over 80 years ago. The Longview Public Library's Cupola is interesting architechture.

A Squinting by Allan Wise

Eyelashes prismed against the sun
Filtering light through a squint
Casting my eyes like the crack of a gun
Without the weaselest hint

To six gulls painting black on sky's blue
And silver stroking cloud white
Climbing the heavens threads of a screw
The course of a stringless kite

Allan Wise ~ Three Watercolors 03/15/2008