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I have gone back to this image many times. It is an abandoned building in the "town" of Diamond, Oregon. The town consists of a wonderful small hotel and this abandoned building. The valley is one of the most beautiful in all of remote Oregon. This scene is so evocative...what memories this building must have....

Over the years, I have painted this scene in watercolor and in oils. And looking at past works I have seen how my style has evolved and I hope grown. This painting is one when I have gone back to basics...the primary triad, Alizarine Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, and Cad Yellow Medium (plus white). Using a limited palette is a good idea for any artist...it forces you to really mix your colors thoughtfully and also ensures better color harmony.

Over this coming year, I intend to explore various triads...to communicate mood and to work on color harmony. I am also experimenting with various ways to tone my canvas...the toning allows for some peek through color...here I mixed a black with the triad applied a thin layer and let it dry before starting my painting.

I am embarking on a new series of paintings. These works are all from photos from one day...an amazing day of dramatic weather changes in the high desert in Surprise Valley, California, up through Lake View, Oregon. I had been in Cedarville, plein air painting the day before. Then on the ride home I got to experience the west at its paintable best.

For this particular view I have chosen to use the traditional limited palette: Alizarine Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Cad Yellow light & white. This palette encourages color harmonies and relies on being to get multiple hues and tones from just three primary colors.