Granite River

Climber's River, 2014

9" x 12"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

This is the formal pic of this original pastel.

Rocks and Rivers

Climber's River, 2014

9" x 12"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

It's fun to render rocks. This boulders and river scene is reminiscent of my rock climbing days and visits to Icicle Creek, in Washington. Maybe I'll get there this summer and do some more scenes.

Down By The River

The Rapids

@5" x 9"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Mad River

Madison River Bend

@9" x 20"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Available

Madison River Turnout

@9" x 20"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Private Collection

The Blues and The River

Click on the image to see it in full.

The River Blue

11" x 15"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Golden Sky Triple Play

Pink Haze River
9.25" x 13.5"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Some of the newer readers haven't seen this one, and with apologies to my long time readers, I post this river image just because it has the yellow sky theme.   

Here is some Studio News.  Pour a cup of hot whatever and put up your feet.

This is day 9 of my "month of daily posting."  Will I make it all the way to thirty days without posting the Ultimate Dog Tease viral video?  I'm feeling strong enough to make it, but I may resort to a re-post or two along the way.

The studio is so clean, I hope to actually get Lorie out there to take photos of the 69-70 new works that are sitting in flat files.  We'll get the pics, but then later on this man, who looks a lot like Jack Nicholson, will visit the studio.  He'll carry an ax, and he will cut out maybe half of the works that I, at first, deemed good enough.  It won't be pretty.

This framing will happen soon, since the first art fair is June 3-5th., in Spokane.  It is great to have a close show to work out the bugs on my set-up.  If I forget anything, I will be home that night to be able to retrieve it.  I haven't done the Spokane ArtFest in 3 years, I think, so that will be interesting to see if anyone remembers me.

Loriann recently mentioned re-using frames, and that gave me the push to try to find some first quality black frames to reuse.  The way I am making it work is to tape a note on the frame, make the artwork, then also name the work, and tape the name to the target frame.  Studio organization is the key.

Clear River

Clear River
7.5" x 9"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

The River Series is an award winning exhibit of landscapes that fixes your eye on the picture plane, and has you wondering what's around that next bend.

You are invited to view River Passages at Northwest University, my alma mater, in Kirkland, Washington, from November 6th., 2009, through January 4th., 2010. Meet me there, Friday, November 6th., between 12 and 2 PM, for the opening.

River Passages, Currents in Landscape Art.

River Blues

Blue & Gray River
10" x 14.5"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Imagine the river when the water element overwhelms the vegetation and the air. Foggy, wet, and dense. This is the Northwest's river.

Doc Watson.

James Taylor.

River songs.

River Honesty

River in Browns
7.5" x 16"
Pastel and Charcoal
Casey Klahn

In the service of honesty, let's admit that the river isn't always cheery and sun-kissed. Rain happens.

The ferry is boarding. Rockferry, that is. Here's Welsh singer Duffy, with guitarist Bernard Butler, giving us an intimate, "hold the sauce," session of her melancholy tune.







The singer Duffy is from North Wales. Rugged land, geographic isolation and a don't-mess-with-me attitude are things shared by my home town of Hoquiam and the NorthWelsh. I have only ever met one person from North Wales, but that still shows you it's a small world, huh?

Fauve Tree

Bright Red Tree
8" x 5"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Back to the upright format for a while. This one is the spin off of some trompe l'oeil work I did in the studio. Apples, wouldn't you know? Trompe l'oeil means deceiving the eye.

Marlena Shaw's vocals. Eleanor Powell dances. Wade in the Water.

Ol' Man River

On an administrative note, I have killed the profile widget in the margin. It was so "blogger." See the biography of me under the business card instead. Takin' my profile back from the man, that's what I call it...

Pink Haze River - Stay Away From My Door

Pink Haze River
9.25" x 13.5"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

River, stay away from my door. Fiona Apple sings in an acoustic session of this timeless song.

Rennaisance River

Renaissance River

7" x 17"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Let's stay with the River, since it flows long and cool. I moved the cedar shed image over to Pastel to keep themes separate.

If you haven't figured it out yet, dear reader, my videos accompanying these river works have all been "rough-out" and atmospheric cuts of music with the river theme. Narrative, American, unfinished: words that describe my series. Skip the videos if you must, but the whole experience weaves a story of lazy, summer times by the river; sometimes jazz, sometimes country, rock, spiritual and sometimes silly. Enjoy.

Peter Gabriel, River.

Scattered Sky

Sky Scattered River
6.5" x 9"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Love to kick my feet way down the shallow water.
Shoo fly, dragonfly, get back t'your mother.
Pick up a flat rock, skip it across Green River.

Whaaaaeelll... John Fogerty, Green River.

Follows: Gee Gee Kettel, One Man Band. Link.

The Lazy River

Lazy River
19" x 25"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Here is the big one from my River Series. Enjoy this with some Satchmo, please.

Return to the River

Waning Light
@ 9" x 12"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Remember the River Series? I return to it here, and will post the rest in the next few days.

Yellow River Rose

Yellow River Rose
Small
Pastel
Casey Klahn

"(Woody Guthrie's) influence on me was never in inflection or in voice. What drew me to was that hearing his voice, I could tell he was very lonesome, very alone and very lost in his time. That`s why I dug him." Bob Dylan

Red Tree

Red Tree on Point
@ 4.25" x 6"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

"If I could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint," Edward Hopper.

Just turned around and noticed that I have @ ten more River Series' for Lorie to photograph. I haven't even gotten every one of the first set posted, yet! My cup runneth over, but in more than just finished artworks. I am learning more in this session than I have in perhaps the past couple of years.

Actually, it looks like twelve new works. A thing I do is, after completing a run of artworks, I will spot a couple of dogs in the lot, and axe those. Then, I will look at the remainder, and axe the two or three weakest paintings, as well. I am a brutal boss to work for...

If I am smart about this series, I will quit on the medium sized works and just focus on large, small and bigger medium works now.

Reflections in the River

Light River Reflections
7.25" x 13.25"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

This image more directly reflects the Hoquiam River Series that began all of this river work. For one thing, it is a composition from life, and the color and mood are a match to the Hoquiam series. The only thing lacking is the formal match - it isn't really the Little Hoquiam River. I'll have to make another trip to the coast soon to refresh my Hoquiam images. For now, my imagination will suffice for the extended river series.

Buck River

Buck River
@ 3" x 7"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

A simplification of the River Series.

I am in a daily posting mode for a month. This would be a good time to subscribe or to follow The Colorist.