Robert Knudson

close encounters of the animal kind - part 2

7/20/2016

More plein air adventures...

It was a beautiful day on a painting trip in the Teton mountains area of Wyoming. I had driven a road in a wilderness location which ended up in a small parking area. I parked the van with the back end toward some underbrush. Behind that growth was a swamp. My wife was with me, and she put a folding chair next to the front door of the van while I went looking around.

Suddenly I hear her anxiously calling me and she was pointing behind the van. There was the sound of something crashing through the underbrush. As I hurried back to her, I thought it might be a moose (a number of them had been spotted throughout the area). But as I got close to the van, there was a mama black bear, with two young cubs—total danger!

She had sent the cubs high up a pine tree about twenty feet behind the van and had climbed the tree to one of the lower branches from where she was making threatening growling sounds in her throat.

We exited quickly to more peaceful places!

4 Comments

Close encounters of the animal kind - part 1

7/6/2016

0 Comments

You never know what’s going to happen on a plein air outing…

Seated sketching one morning at the edge of a desert dry wash, all was silent until I suddenly heard the soft call of a quail. Then, about fifteen feet in front of me, unexpectedly, a mama quail walked across the wash, followed by a whole line of her little babies. I sat very quietly while they went, marveling at the little parade.

Beautiful!

On another day (very warm summer day in the desert), I was seated on a folding camp stool, sketching. I was at the site of an old mine, sitting in an open flat area and absorbed in my work.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving on the ground—toward me. It was a snake, headed to the only shade around—under my camp stool! Yes, I quickly decided to change my location and not accommodate Mr. Diamondback or any of his cousins!

Then there was an early morning that I was enjoying in our home town’s nature park. I was near a small stream that runs through this park, just looking at some painting possibilities, when out walked a bobcat from the underbrush about fifty or sixty feet in front of me.

It paid no attention to me, walked across an open area, crossed the stream, and disappeared into the brush on the opposite side. Yes, I stood very quietly until it was gone.

Some joys of the landscape painter!

0 Comments

Thanks, Keith!

6/24/2016

3 Comments

So grateful for the kind comments from Keith at the Art Store in the June edition of Art Insider. Check out the link (scroll down a bit):

prescottartstore.com/art-insider-june-edition/

Also, check back soon for the upcoming date of my next workshop!

3 Comments

NECESSITY...THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

8/21/2015

1 Comment

Thinking back over the years of my landscape painting life, one of the things I was recently reminded of was this story---and I’m wondering if something like this has ever happened to you.

I drove many miles to a spot on Christopher Creek in the high country of Northern Arizona to do some plein air oil painting.
A wonderful and varied area to paint in. At the time I painted both in oils and, at times, in watercolor.

I found a likely place that looked really great to me, and got out all my painting gear. I set up my French easel, excited to get started---only to discover that I had forgotten the absolutely essential tube of white oil paint at home.

Feeling both stupid and frustrated I wondered, “So what do I do now?”

Then I remembered that I still had with me in my supplies a 9x12 block of Arches watercolor paper.

So, winging it, I decided to use the oils (minus the white!), treat them like watercolors, thin them with paint thinner, and paint on the watercolor paper. So, voila!, “oil watercolors.” The picture above is the result.

Another day in the life of an artist!

1 Comment

New workshop - "Achievable Ways to Successful Painting"

7/2/2015

2 Comments

I'd like to invite you to join me for a 2-day oil landscape painting workshop on Wednesday and Thursday, July 29th and 30th, 2015, to be held at The Art Store in Prescott, Arizona.

Let's take some of the mystery out of how to achieve better and more satisfying paintings. These two days will be a dynamic and interactive time together, where you will learn ways to move past some of the “blocks and kinks” that hold up your progress. It's easier than you may think!

I will be demonstrating oil landscape painting each day, and we will discuss how to think more clearly about your painting. I will do my best to help you move up to a new level in what you do.

Come on along and let's enjoy this wonderful experience together. The size of the class is limited, so I’d suggest you register as soon as possible. All levels of experience are welcome.

For full information about the workshop, and to register, click here.

2 Comments

Upcoming painting demonstration

6/16/2015

5 Comments

Friday evening, June 26th, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., I will be doing a demonstration of my landscape painting in oils. Would love to have you come by if you get a chance!

229 W. Gurley St.
Prescott, AZ 86301
928-445-5073
www.frameandi.com

The Frame & I’s Gallery manager invites you to a free demo in our Prescott downtown gallery.

This is a live painting with Mr. Knudson. He has attained much painting knowledge in the 50+ years of painting our beautiful southwest region.

This free painting demo in June does not need any pre-registration but you are encouraged to get a seat early.

Mr. Knudson will be instructing a workshop at The Art Store in July, so this is a great opportunity to preview what you could learn from such a talented elder of the art world.

There will be light refreshments served and questions will be encouraged about Mr. Knudson’s knowledge, style and his future workshop in July.