Waterways Project: Dramatic Weather

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas

The light over Lake Michigan can be quite dramatic as the storms roll over the land and out over the water. I love being out during all sorts of weather and recently found a pair of waterproof pants to ware this spring.

I'm always torn at this time of year. The academic year is winding up and I'm wanting to paint more and more. Soon, soon. And I have lots of painting plans set up for the summer. I'll be working in oil oil and on location. soon!

I just found this wonderful article about mixing paints here. I'd add a few more colors but essentially, this should be a nice starter pallet for plien air painting when I'm ready to go out. Being such a color glutton, though, I'd have to add at least a few more blues.

Des Plaines River Canoe Marathon

Sunday May 17Th
52Nd annual Canoe Marathon

Our friend Cliff, designed yet another wonderful brochure and tee shirt for this years race.

For information, grab your paddle and visit the official web site. And don't forget about the best dressed canoe award. Last year, we had a wedding canoe complete with bride and groom.

Happy Watery Earthday from the Waterways Project Home

Over at Watermarks, we are celebrating our watery loves to mark Earth day. Come have a look at what other members are posting.

PBS Frontline: Poisoned Waters

Airing Tuesday April 21st on PBS in the US:

Launch Day for Leaky Caludron

At last, we had a narrow window of warm weather in which to launch the '09 canoe season. You can see Old Leaky and her pal Mighty all loaded up and ready to move out. Mighty is our friends very elegant and yar Lady Canoe. Unfortunately, Mighty gets a bit battered in the rough and tumble world of the Muddy Des Plains.

Weather forecast is for snow tomorrow so I'm glad we seized the moment. I certainly hope that at least ice season is over!

Waterways Project: Clear Michigan Light

Oil on Canvas
4" x 12"
Lake Michigan, April 09

Last weekend, we visited family in Michigan and Craig and I had a chance to walk the beach in the clear clean light of Spring. The air was very cool, but the lake was flat and calm that morning.

I've been inspired by other Watermark members Jeanette and Sarah and Vivien all of whom have some really wonderful oil painting work lately and interesting posts to offer you. I'm so lucky to be in this group. Every member has such a rich and unique vision.

I'm reading up on my brush work, trying to refine my rather crude application of paint. I use my (gloved!) fingers to apply and mush paint. Can't seem to get away from the tactile, drawing experience of art.



oil on canvas
4" x 12"
Lake Michigan April 09 #2

Time management

Thatcher Pond, March Ice Melt 09
Mixed media
10" x 10"

I've been thinking about work plans and getting ready for my up upcoming show
Toni has also been grappling with the issue of time management. So do most of us! Last January I created a visual journal to document my days in the studio. I copied my friend Sallie Wolf's practice when I visited her studio. Her book had several year's worth of entries. Mine has 3 months.

Seeing how many days I'm working does reinforce the habit for me. Now, I have to turn OFF the computer while I'm working! How do you stay inspired to work in the studio when distractions come calling?

Waterways Project: April Sketchbook

For 2 glorious days last weekend, the sun shined in a completely clear sky. The light was amazingly clear and the air crisp and cool. We visited in Michigan for the holiday and I only had time for the briefest of sketching trips to Pine Creek. The spring peepers were out as well as many competitive song birds.


Now, its back to dreary, 40 degree Chicago....

Des Plains River April 2009

Here's what I'm seeing as I walk the trails these days. The river is still pretty high but not at flood stage. Craig and I are all signed up for the nineteen mile Des Plaines River Marathon that is about a month away. We have not had the canoe out yet. Himself says the water temperature is still at hypothermia levels so we are waiting for our seasonal launch of "Old Leaky Cauldron." ( For new readers, that's the name of our battered old canoe.)

The poor raccoon was dieing right there on the trail. It was gone today.

I'm making plein air plans so stay tuned.

Announcing Lindsay Olson's New Web Page and Blog: Tools of The Trade

If you've been wondering why my blog has been a bit thin lately, it's because I've been working on a professional make over: new stationary, business cards and both a new web page and blog.I'm pleased to invite you all to visit my latest creative babies.


Tools of The Trade, my newest blog, documents my learning curve as the Artist In Residence at the Oak Park Police Department. Follow along as I work to visually express concepts and tools of law enforcement, experiment with new media and try new ways of thinking about my art making. You will also learn information related to law enforcement culture. I actually did try very hard to find a way to bridge this work with waterways under one web site but Katherine convinced me that separating the two seemed most sensible. So, like conjoined twins, I separated the two projects so they have room to grow on their own.


The Web site is devoted to my Waterways Project. As I move into my fourth year of diligent and committed work on this project, it is very satisfying to see the work in one space. I'll be updating and polishing this site regularly. The site is a labor of love and I found this page on Katherine's characteristically through site detailing how to write an artist statement,bio and generally present yourself professionally. Two book I found most useful were I'd Rather Be In The Studio and
How To Survive and Prosper As An Artist
I'm very excited about both the project and the blog and would appreciate comments and ways to improve it.


Many thanks to my friends, Katherine and Vivien for their wise advice and support. Try out and Sitekreator's. free services and see if a web site is right for you. Sitekreator has a very supportive IT department to help you along.

Here you can check out what Vivien and Katherine have done to their rich sites:

Katherine's Web Site
Vivien's Web Site

Waterways Project: Thatcher Pond in Early Spring

Waterways Project: Thatcher Woods, Morning Mist on the Pond March 2009
12" x 12"
Mixed Media on Paper

I've been walking the trails in Thatcher this week and the woods are filled with the frantic songs of birds. The wood ducks, cardinals, redwing blackbirds, wood peckers, brown creepers are returning. The brass section is trumpeting too: the Canadian Geese always raise such a noisy ruckus every spring. Small green things are beginning to tentatively poke out of the ground. Snow is forecast tonight. (Our usual see saw Spring weather here!

Here are a few of my experiments and trials.


Waterways Project: Thatcher Woods, First Hint of Spring March 08
12" x 12"
mixed media on paper

Packer Shopf Gallery Show: Brian Dettmer

Last night,at the urging of friends,Craig and I attended a show at the Packer Schoph Gallery of Brian Dettmer's amazing work: Adaptations. He is a Columbia College Chicago alumni who works with books an a sculptural way. Using encyclopedias, medical texts, books of maps and many other types of visual books, he carefully picks and chooses what images he wants to preserve,and what images he wants to discard. Tucked away in the basement of the gallery is a time lapse video of stop motion camera work on three pieces Dettmer works on simultaneously. Watching this video, it seemed to me he was excavating layers of meaning with these dense works. All of them require man hours of work and one wonders just how many slices he might have removed from his fingers accidentally, so precise are his cuts.

You can see his work here.

Waterways Project: Thatcher Woods, Des Plaines River Trail

colored pencils in large moleskine.


With snow arriving tonight, I'm glad to have this sketch to remind me of Wedsday afternoon. Working outside again felt restorative! I've set up my Cigar Box for the next nice day.