Cornfoot St is a long, quiet road that runs along a thin finger of the slough between NE 47th and 60th.  I reached it by bike by going north on 42nd, over Portland Blvd on a narrow and bike unfriendly bridge and crossing Columbia Blvd. When I got to Cornfoot I turned right. I could see evidence of the slough on my right: tall humps of blackberries and trees. This area is also the home of various airport related industries, including the Air National Guard. Behind the high fences I could see stretches of grass, with odd shaped buildings. No people. The only access to the slough were the few bridges that crossed the water.

Columbia Slough looking east from Cornfoot and Alderwood.

My first stop was where Cornfoot dead ends into a golf course. From the bridge my view of the slough included a pedestrian bridge, probably for the golfers. I didn’t bring my stool, but it wouldn’t have worked since the bridge railing was so high. So I stood holding my pad of paper. My favorite part was the undulating shape of the water and where it lapped up against the bank. I also liked the reflection of the sky and trees in the water. I was not interested in all the greenery, of which there was an awful lot.

Watercolor of scene above.

My second stop was on the way back, on a bridge across the street from the ANG. This view was simpler and the shape of the water was more prominent. I liked the dark shape at the far end of the view and the humping blackberries.

Columbia Slough looking west at Cornfoot, July 2, 2011

Watercolor of scene above.

Here are my questions for the day. How can I explore the shapes I like in an abstract way yet indicate their place in a scene?  How can I show the odd juxtaposition of this body of water and industrial Portland. Maybe that is the way of cities.

On that sunny day April 29th, I grabbed my watercolor pad and paints and drove to the canoe trail head at the end of Elron St. in NE Portland. I climbed up to the top of the dike overlooking the drainage pond and unfolded my stool. Dikes make me think of Holland even though I have never been there and don’t know if our dikes resemble Dutch ones at all. But I like painting them. I like the long shapes they make and today I liked the bright green grass that covered them. From my perch on the dike I could see the west hills and tops of industrial buildings.

Late August, still very warm. I decided to take the day off work to see if I could paint out at Whitaker Pond. I set up my easel on the floating dock on the pond. I had already decided that I wanted to paint the duckweed floating on the surface of the pond. It made beautiful patterns broken up by lines of dark water. My challenge would be to show distance while also playing with the abstract shapes that so attracted me. It was all about green.

Duckweed at Whitaker Pond