Buttercup Field Study II, III, IV

5 1/4 x 15 1/2"

2007

Colored pencil, acrylic over monoprint

This scene is one which I have revisited over the years. The original paintings were first executed on-site around 1995. The Willamette Valley in Oregon has a very productive grass seed farming as conditions are favorable for at least 2-3 crop rotations a year. The fairly flat fields juxtaposed against the mountain backdrops make for an inspirational landscape.

This set of small images began as incomplete monotype printings that were finally finished in 2007. Using the "ghost" images left on the plate after printing makes for a nice template to create a series of studies using a common matrix. I work over the printed images until they reach a completed state.

"Buttercup" refers to the name of the hill or butte on the right side of the image. According to a local farmer, it is high enough to hang glide from!

Also see Gliding II.