Italy!

Riva Sole Reviso

8" x 9.75"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

In 2015 I will be going to Italy to teach a 14-day workshop at La Romita.  I first heard about this wonderful art workshop center from a local artist and friend. La Romita was established in 1548 as a monastery. Workshops are housed and catered on site, and logistics for painting forays are supported by the staff.

Here is a blurb from their website:

La Romita School of Art first opened in 1966, under the guidance of Enza Quargnali, as the summer art program of Rockford College in Illinois. For over 50 years people have stayed at La Romita, painting the landscape, people, and towns in the beautiful Umbrian hill country, whose radiant golden light has charmed artists since the days of Perugino and his famous pupil, Rafael.

La Romita.

I am gathering interest for October or July, 2015. Contact me.

Revisiting Italy One Picture At A Time

Riva Sole Reviso

8" x 9.75"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Glare

Net House Glare
11" x 13"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Out To The...

 Wood Shed

4" x 6"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Dilly-Daly, Daily-Daly

Upper Church

4" x 6"

Pastel & Conte Pencil

Casey Klahn

For the month of February, I will be posting daily artwork at Pastel Workshop and Daily Paintworks.

Eight Italian Buildings

Available

Villa Through the Trees

8.8" x 7.2," Pastel, Casey Klahn

$325/unframed

Garda Heights

5" x 7," Pastel, Casey Klahn

$175/unframed

Belvedere Yellow

4.5" x 6.5," Pastel, Casey Klahn

$125/unframed

Hotel Sol, Italy

7.5" x 6.5," Pastel, Casey Klahn

$250/unframed

 Little House in La Ca

5.6" x 6.2," Pastel, Casey Klahn

$250/framed

Looking South in Riva

10.25" x 7.25," Pastel, Casey Klahn

$400/unframed

Italian Building Sketch

4" x 4.5," Pastel, Casey Klahn

$50/unframed

 White Facade, Sketch

8" x 5," Pastel, Casey Klahn

$225/unframed 

<><><>

Eight Italian Buildings - Flat File Sale

With the only exception being Little House in La Ca, these are all unframed works. 

How to purchase.

La Ca, framed in maple.

Riva del Garda: Car, Street Sign, Sunshine and People

Looking South in Riva

10.25" x 7.25"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

White Facade

White Facade, Sketch

@ 8" x 5"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

An Italian Villa

Villa Through the Trees

8.8" x 7.2"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Italian Scene Unframed

Hotel Sol, Italy

7" x 6.5"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

This original pastel is also available, but I want you to note that it is a custom size.

Inquiries.

Bellevue Demo Image

Hotel Sol, Italy

@7" x
Pastel
Casey Klahn

This is the painting I did for the demo last week in Bellevue at Daniel Smith.


There will be two workshops next week in Bellevue, on Wednesday and Thursday, October 19th and 20th.

White Bunkhouse

White Bunkhouse
8.75" x 9.5"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Nikon D-80

I seem to be doing about one building a year, and here is this year's.  This out-building is part of a neighbor's farm, and used to be the bunkhouse, I think.  

The fuel  tank I used in another picture a couple of years ago, but this is the actual scene as it appears in life.

The Lighthouse Keeper

The Lighthouse Keeper
5" x 7"
Pastel
Casey Klahn
scanned image of artwork

This image of the lighthouse base at Yaquina Head, Oregon, is a studio finish of an on sight drawing. The real artwork is more subtle, but here is a scanned and somewhat adjusted version posted just for the sake of interest.

Now that I'm on day 3 of my daily painting outdoors project, a few things are becoming evident. My goal of creating finished works at the French easel is still the main thing, but so far I have two "thumbs" and one that's a keeper. Many will simply be studies for studio works.

I won't be posting all of them, or even daily, since that isn't the goal. But, kind reader, you will see many of them as I go on this exploration of daily outdoor painting. This is a good time for you to Follow Me, since my month long project is just beginning.

It helps to have a picturesque home and surroundings. Although our older farmhouse still needs a lot of TLC, the yard is coming along better this year. Also, my kids are just old enough to let me go outside for an hour or so without creating a massive disruption in the space-time continuum.

I'll post some more plein air links on Monday.

Riposte -Repost

I am making a fine recovery from my operation on Tuesday. It will be a while before I am 100%, as my medical professional wife and I agree, it would be hard to find a more painful operation to have done. Meanwhile, enjoy a re-posting of this Barn subject essay.

Anthology of American Literature, McMichael.

Elijah Shifrin at Art & Critique has written about my barn and rural building subjects in his article, "Casey Klahn: Barns And The Abstract Wizard Of Washington".

Elijah is thoughtfully focused on the abstract qualities of my building paintings. I have carefully tried to avoid being cast as "the barn guy". The reason is that sentiment is so easily attached to this great American symbol, and yet sentiment is bygone content in contemporary art. The challenge has been to de-construct this awe inspiring structure and make it relevant for today's art.

My Barn
Photo: Lorie Klahn

Working against my efforts to keep the barn image down have been a number of forces. Sales, believe it or not, has been a force tugging at my shirt tail. The popularity of this theme and image, the American Gambrel barn, has been so high that sales of anything barn related are a fairly easy turn. The great thematic content that is associated with the barn is reflected by the book cover that has my Red Barn with Ramp image on it: An Anthology of American Literature, by McMichael. Another force is the fact that I live out here in the rural landscape where every farm has a big barn.

Barn Sketch
Pencil
Casey Klahn

Here in Davenport, WA, the barn isn't just American myth writ large, but an actual part of our lives. To be sure, the way of life is changing. The Heath family pioneered this farm at a spot about five minutes walk down canyon from my house. When the internal combustion engine started to replace livestock for locomotion, the farmers were able to build their houses and outbuildings uphill and farther from spring water sources. My family are the third owners of this farm, and the agricultural roots are gradually being eclipsed for a number of reasons. How wonderful for us to not see another house from ours!

Violet Oil Drum
7.5" x 10.5"
Soft Pastel
Casey Klahn

I'm heartened that Elijah has seen the abstract elements that are key to these building paintings. Shapes, colors and position are the content, more than the buildings themselves. Don't get me wrong. I'm as much a sucker for the deep meaning of the American barn as the next guy. My father built a barn once upon a time. And, the building in my iconic painting is my own barn.

Thumbnail of Barn
Pastel
Casey Klahn

The architect who designed the Gambrel barn was a flat out genius. The way the barn structure occupies the open land in rural America is stunning in scope and even vision. My barn, which is no longer used for any working good, occupies a side hill and commands a territorial view. I have some pride in owning it, but the Great Horned Owl that frequents it seems to have a bigger claim by virtue of time spent there.

Behind the Garage
Graphite on Sketch Paper
7" x 8.5"
Casey Klahn

Wolf Kahn uses the barn image a great deal in his work. He has taken it down to the pictorial elements with content that describes the position of the building on a slope or prominence, and elements like through-looking doors and windows, and severe value gradients.

The Heins' Farm
7.5" 15"
Casey Klahn
Private Collection

The story of my Red Barn with Ramp image I have told many times. I received a box of twelve "Wolf Kahn" Terrage pastels made by Diane Townsend, and in a first moment of inspiration I made a very small thumbnail sketch with the colors. It was the barn image just as it is seen on the book cover, except that sketch was about 1 inch square. I was in the moment, entranced by pure color and by the tactile qualities of the big, thick pastel sticks. Abstract shapes were the tools, and color was the content.

Elijah has written a good back story to the barn and building themes. The literary link to The Wizard of Oz is apt. The elemental truth of my surroundings is hard to contradict. Wind, sun, sky and agriculture. Can an artist overcome his environment long enough to forge content that aspires to higher art? I suggest not thinking too hard, but letting the hand and eye draw intuitively. Maybe that's the only way.

Review of Bellevue ArtsFair 2008

Lovely Wife Helping with Set Up

Where Did I put That Coffee Cup?

Lots of Art on the Walls

I'll rely on this pictorial review of the Bellevue fair, since time to write copy is so limited. I'll be at Family Camp Wednesday through Sunday. See you after the break!

Barn Free

Anthology of American Literature, McMichael.

Elijah Shifrin at Art & Critique has written about my barn and rural building subjects in his article, "Casey Klahn: Barns And The Abstract Wizard Of Washington".

Elijah is thoughtfully focused on the abstract qualities of my building paintings. I have carefully tried to avoid being cast as "the barn guy". The reason is that sentiment is so easily attached to this great American symbol, and yet sentiment is bygone content in contemporary art. The challenge has been to de-construct this awe inspiring structure and make it relevant for today's art.

My Barn
Photo: Lorie Klahn

Working against my efforts to keep the barn image down have been a number of forces. Sales, believe it or not, has been a force tugging at my shirt tail. The popularity of this theme and image, the American Gambrel barn, has been so high that sales of anything barn related are a fairly easy turn. The great thematic content that is associated with the barn is reflected by the book cover that has my Red Barn with Ramp image on it: An Anthology of American Literature, by McMichael. Another force is the fact that I live out here in the rural landscape where every farm has a big barn.

Barn Sketch
Pencil
Casey Klahn

Here in Davenport, WA, the barn isn't just American myth writ large, but an actual part of our lives. To be sure, the way of life is changing. The Heath family pioneered this farm at a spot about five minutes walk down canyon from my house. When the internal combustion engine started to replace livestock for locomotion, the farmers were able to build their houses and outbuildings uphill and farther from spring water sources. My family are the third owners of this farm, and the agricultural roots are gradually being eclipsed for a number of reasons. How wonderful for us to not see another house from ours!

Violet Oil Drum
7.5" x 10.5"
Soft Pastel
Casey Klahn

I'm heartened that Elijah has seen the abstract elements that are key to these building paintings. Shapes, colors and position are the content, more than the buildings themselves. Don't get me wrong. I'm as much a sucker for the deep meaning of the American barn as the next guy. My father built a barn once upon a time. And, the building in my iconic painting is my own barn.

Thumbnail of Barn
Pastel
Casey Klahn

The architect who designed the Gambrel barn was a flat out genius. The way the barn structure occupies the open land in rural America is stunning in scope and even vision. My barn, which is no longer used for any working good, occupies a side hill and commands a territorial view. I have some pride in owning it, but the Great Horned Owl that frequents it seems to have a bigger claim by virtue of time spent there.

Behind the Garage
Graphite on Sketch Paper
7" x 8.5"
Casey Klahn

Wolf Kahn uses the barn image a great deal in his work. He has taken it down to the pictorial elements with content that describes the position of the building on a slope or prominence, and elements like through-looking doors and windows, and severe value gradients.

The Heins' Farm
7.5" 15"
Casey Klahn
Private Collection

The story of my Red Barn with Ramp image I have told many times. I received a box of twelve "Wolf Kahn" Terrage pastels made by Diane Townsend, and in a first moment of inspiration I made a very small thumbnail sketch with the colors. It was the barn image just as it is seen on the book cover, except that sketch was about 1 inch square. I was in the moment, entranced by pure color and by the tactile qualities of the big, thick pastel sticks. Abstract shapes were the tools, and color was the content.

Elijah has written a good back story to the barn and building themes. The literary link to The Wizard of Oz is apt. The elemental truth of my surroundings is hard to contradict. Wind, sun, sky and agriculture. Can an artist overcome his environment long enough to forge content that aspires to higher art? I suggest not thinking too hard, but letting the hand and eye draw intuitively. Maybe that's the only way.

Jaunty Lake Garda

Lake Garda Alley
@4" x 3.75"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

This sketch was done from a photo I took at Lake Garda, Italy about two years ago. Sort of a jaunty mood, and my wife favors it a lot. So, I gave it to her.

Now that I'm into plein-air work, I'd like to go back.

Transmorgification of an Image

Hut on the Heath
Feb. 2008
6" x 8"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

The word "transmorgify" is one of those wonderful new words that is becoming popular, and yet has no meaning. I use it to describe the transition that takes place when I take a scene drawn on-site, and then change it in the studio to be almost a completely different image.

Such is the case with this image, as it started out as this image. I added a building that is taken partly from some studio references and partly from imagination. The horizon is obliterated mostly because I dislike the horizon in landscapes.

Maybe spring has been transmorgified back into winter, too. Both Saturday and Sunday it snowed and we received a foot or more of new snow each day. I went skiing. So much for my plein air program. It will be continued when spring returns!

Art Bump

Thanks to colored pencil rock star Nicole Caulfield for the widget idea that is playing on the right hand column. If you want the full-on Pollock DIY website, go here.

Here comes an old favorite post of mine:

Process Sketch - Italy

Bell Tower Process Sketch

Casey Klahn

Since I missed the Wolf Kahn pastel workshop in Manhattan, I decided to "channel" him through this sketch. He makes these squiggly lines with unpredictable colors, you see. The end result, though, is a rather built up set of layers, and an expressionist landscape that pleases the eye.

In fact, I have never done one like this, and when I finished it, I said: "How did I do that? It looks like a Wolf Kahn!" I guess it goes to the "seeing" operation. If you look hard enough, and long enough at art that you like, it will find its way down your arm and out your hand, eventually.

I couldn't be happier.

Another factor is the sketch paper. I'm used to working on (expensive) Wallis Museum stock, or Sennelier La Carte, both of which are sanded heavy stock. The regular laid paper allows the sketchy look.

The big difference between a WK and my own pastels (besides about $2,000) is that he is a little more interested in the scene, or nature, than I. He uses pastels as a drawing tool, and I make a finished painting. Indeed, I visualize WK's Oil Paintings when I make my Colorist American Landscapes.

I wrote somewhere in a comment (probably Tracy Helgeson's blog) that I made the effort to go see Kahn's art at the Ameringer-Yohe in New York, while I was in transit to Italy last summer.

I was rewarded with a ring bound catalog of their last Wolf Kahn pastel show. And, I had to suffer through the assistant (not the main staff person, who was top notch) describing the artist's layer build-up as probably done in oil pastel. (steam coming from my ears, here)

Back to my drawing. I also played a lot with the colors, by building up as many layers as the cheap paper would take. I was thinking of van Gogh's Auvers church, and looking for a complex of colors for the main building and tower. I was thinking of his letter where he describes the pink road in his painting.

Postscript: Thanks Robyn Sinclair for the photo reference for the Italy sketch.

Spring Drawings

Behind the Garage
Graphite on Sketch Paper
7" x 8.5"
Casey Klahn

The Greenhouse in Snow
Graphite on Sketch Paper
5" x 7.25'
Casey Klahn

New Drawings. I'll have some paintings photographed to post for the near term soon.