Painting "En Plein Air"

William Bukowski

oil on linen      40" X 30"

Minneopa I

This is the evidence of one afternoon of painting at Minneopa State Park.  The waterfall is really exciting to paint.  The noise is soothing and I am totally in the shade while painting.  The light changes but I take a lot of mental notes and will adjust the light as I get further along.  The time in the painting will probably be 3:30 pm.  Rocks and water......ahhh

Finally........ summer painting!

Summer finally arrived for me.  I started painting from life a day ago.  This summer I have decided to split time with Minneopa State Park right outside of Mankato and the gardens of Sibley Park right in Mankato.  Minneopa has two falls and some very cool rock formations.  Here is a shot of my set up.  There are 2 days of paintings represented on canvas in this photo. 

 There was a slight breeze so there were almost no bugs.  The paint is going on very easily.  I think there are some great possibilities here.

Christy's Cafe Wine Tasting and VINE Benefit Show

There is a reception this Friday, from 6 -9 pm,  June 12 at Christy's Cafe in North Mankato.  For me it is only the second show in a restaurant and still an unorthodox location for an art exhibition.  I think there have been many shows in cafes in Paris and the capitals of Europe, why not North Mankato? 

Like my recent shows, the focus is the garden at Sibley Park in Mankato.  Morgan Creek Vineyards of New Ulm will be doing some wine tasting and hopefully people will be enjoying the views of summer.

Inspiration II New Wave and NeoRealism

Another source of inspiration for painters is films.  The inspiration is less direct but just as thorough.  For the past several years now that so many great films are available for the first time on DVD,  I have been watching the films of Fellini, Antonioni and Godard.  Each film maker came into his own in the 1950s and each thought of film as an art form rather than meerly entertainment.  When you see one of their masterpieces, you can't help but reflect on the visual strength of their work.  How they play with the language of films and how each is extremely interested in the purely visual.  In the book, I, Fellini, Federico talks about his films as paintings.  The complexity of each man's work can only inspire how one looks at films but also all visual experiences.
I think another benefit of looking outside of your art form for inspiration is that it causes you to reflect more objectively on the visual experience you are creating.

Looking for Inspiration

I have been wandering around looking for new subjects and took a group of drawing students to the local state park.  The waterfall looks a little weak, but I am very interested in coming to this park to see what I can see. 

 I like the idea of water and rock as very basic elements of life and earth and I think I can produce some interesting images.   Minneopa State Park near Mankato, Minnesota, could be a pilgrimage site for me, like Sibley Park in Mankato.

The water could become a very Turner-like image for me.  We'll see.....

The Path in Two Parts

William Bukowski

The Path in Two Parts

(in progress)

oil on linen

I originally posted this painting on January 3rd, when it was in a much earlier state.  I think it is coming together and soon will be finished.  There are two canvases placed together to make a larger view.  The summer isn't far off and I am anxious to see what I have in store now that the actual path is being re-created in bricks.   By  June 6th, the entire path will be made up of vintage paving bricks, it should add some perspective problems, but I am looking forward to the challenge.

Panoramic detail

William Bukowski

Panoramic Garden (detail)

2009    oil on linen

The surface is getting closer to what I am striving for.....the brushstrokes are becoming more independent of what it describes.  I am still looking for the rhythm of growth and the light.  It allows me to work the paint surface more than usual.  It adds a new level of appreciation and pulls you into the painting in a new way.