In the Studio with Robert Canaga

Curve. All images © Robert Canaga

In the Studio with Robert Canaga
by Luke Fannin

I’m with artist Robert Canaga in his cluttered Eugene studio, and we’re watching paint dry. Actually, we’re watching it cure — it’s oil-based, so no evaporation takes place. That may seem like splitting hairs to you or me, but for Mr. Canaga, an accomplished printmaker and abstract painter, understanding how his materials work together is among the most important elements of any composition.

So, we’re watching paint cure. And I’m not even bored. Not yet, anyway — it’s titanium white, for which the curing process can take up to 300 years, so there’s still time. Mr. Canaga keeps it interesting by allowing me to observe as he works a bit on Curve, the oil and wax piece seen above, and the progression of which can be seen in the series of images below. He shows me the different effects of mixing colors with titanium white and zinc white — the former dramatically alters the value of a color, while the latter subtly changes its tint, in case you were wondering — demonstrates various methods of paint application with knife and brush, and walks me through a half-dozen different ways to alter the texture of paint. He explains the dangers of using turpentine to thin oil paints and clean brushes, why he prefers cold wax to encaustic, and the pitfalls of gesso.

This is all news to me, but then, I don’t paint. The surprising thing is just how many painters are in the dark with me. “People just don’t know this stuff anymore,” Mr. Canaga says. “Students don’t know it because they’re teachers don’t know it. At some point this knowledge just stopped being passed on.”

The problem may be evident; the reasons for it are less clear. Mr. Canaga points to modernism, and the way it challenged the established norms of painting. Any groundbreaking movement will inspire innovation and considerably broaden the horizons for all, but as Mr. Canaga puts it, “You can’t just throw stuff up and see what sticks.” Additionally, more and more people mistake marketing for expertise, assuming that expensive materials are both necessary and high quality. “There’s this whole industry built around getting you to buy stuff,” Mr. Canaga explains, resulting in artists spending a lot of money on inferior products or products they don’t need. It also leads to artists taking experimental (and cheap) shortcuts in order to avoid paying out the nose for the appropriate materials. “I’m all for experimentation,” says Mr. Canaga, “but that has to be done within the framework of what goes with what.” His advice: “Invest in the best materials and tools. Learn how to use them. After that, you only have to worry about yourself.”

Curve, in progress. All images © Robert Canaga

Robert Canaga is the curator of the Gallery at the Watershed, where you can also see his work. His “Painter’s Materials Workshop” (August 13, 2013) is presented by the Gallery at the Watershed, in association with Create! Eugene. For more information, visit tgatws.com or createeugene.com.

Luke Fannin received a Bachelor of Arts in Composition & Rhetoric from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2009, and a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction from the University of Oregon in 2012. He lives in Eugene with his wife, Amber, and their son, Ezra. He likes reading books and drinking the many fine craft beers brewed in and around Lane County. If you see him, feel free to buy him either.

How Many Breweries in YOUR County?

Lane County has an abundance of beer to go along with all the wine grown here.
Up in Oakridge is Brewers Union 180,  Oregon's only Ale House and Brewery, and the do have the best ale I have ever had in the states.
Next stop would be Plank Town Brewing Company located in up and coming Downtown Springfield.
Also in Springfield Is Hop Valley Brewery north side of town in Gateway but they are opening a new production facility in the Whiteaker area of Eugene near other breweries and I do not know yet if they will still be brewing at the Gateway location.
Heading north on I-5 to Coburg then to 31115 W Crossroads Ln, Eugene find us at Agrarian Ales Brewing Company, the only brewery in the state that grows hops for production.
Back toward town you may be fooled by BJ's Brewhouse. They do brew beers (and pretty good ones) at BJ's, just not this one) so on we go in to Eugene and over the Ferry Street Bridge and take a right just past the bridge to 3rd street, past The Gallery at the Watershed and left to 4th and right to Pearl Street and left to Steelhead Brewery,   one of the first the in town some 20 years ago. Great food and a welcoming feel. Original home of Glen Hay Falconer until his untimely passing. It is a bit confusing that McKenzie Brewing Company is the bottled beer from Steelhead.
Down 5th Street all the way to Blair and a right turn takes us to beerville! Ninkasi is the first stop, with an inviting outside seating area and a different food cart right at the door every day. Go inside and try to choose among the many outstanding brews.
Over to 1st Ave. and turn right and we see the new tasting room and facility of Hop Valley then on to Madison where a right turn takes us over to 3rd and to the Oakshire Public House where they serve he great beers they make at the Brewery.
Near by, at 254 Lincoln Street is a blast from past, VERY past. Blue Dog Mead makes one of the oldest drinks known to humans. They do not have a tasting room but click on the link to learn more about their product and where to find it. And it IS worth finding.
Downtown Eugene hosts Rogue Ales Public House on Olive street between 8th and Broadway in the building that housed the Eugene City Brewery, founded in 1866. Great food, always a smile and some really good beers made on the spot and more from he Parent Brewery in Newport.
Now we take a ride over to the east side of town and visit Falling Sky Brewery at 1334 Oak Alley. Small place, warm heart. Much loved by the locals and the food is amazing!
Over a few blocks is an old standard, High Street Brewery and Cafe. Try the Terminator. I used to hang out there during school as it was close to my apartment and affordable.  There are two other McMenamins in town, one at 19th and Agate and one on the River near the Ferry Street Bridge but the are only tap rooms with food.
Now we head to Claim 52 down on West 11th . I have not been there but have heard good things so it is worth a stop on the way to Florence and a taste of some Central coast beers at Wakonda Brewing Company at 1725 Kingwood St #4.They are making great beer from what I read in the reviews so stop over and give hem a shot.
That about does it unless someone knows of another one or two.

Great Video

Just saw a wonderful video about wine making that had to share.
http://wineoh.tv/how-to-make-wine-with-julie-johnson-bloom-video

Even though it is a wine from a foreign state, it is still a good lesson in growing and caring for the vines.

Memorial Day Weekend and Wine

We seldom venture out on Memorial Day for tastings as it is too crowded and too many people forget to spit, or at least that was how it has been. But now there seems to have been a shift in culture. There seam to be a more studied and serious climate around our fine wineries. Are the wineries taking themselves a bit more serious? Are people becoming a bit more finely tuned to the tastes of wine?
There is a lot more well written, knowledgeable and valid writing appearing about farm to table, about wines and beers, and about how important Oregon is in the mix. A great example is Wednesday's Register Guard"Tastings" section. I usually glance through and glen what I can from a few so so articles they pull from the AP or other publications but this one impressed the hell out of me! The editor, Joel Gorthy, has nailed the local feel and covered wine, food, beer, mead, and everything related and he chose good writers to do it.
There are a range of articles, a crafted placement of related issues, and it feels like a big city publication. Read about Ray Walsh and his adventures in wine, Mouthfuls and Misconceptions by Paul Omundson made me laugh, and the piece on Truffles made me hungry.
Take a look and give them some positive feedback!

Paintings in National Magazine

The gallery I show at, The Gallery at the Watershed, is in the June issue of American Art Collector and they gave me a page with my paintings and a small interview.

"The strong have will, the weak have wishes" 48x60 oil/wax

Wine Label Art

Two years ago, when I was storing the wines I gathered for he Mozart Players auction at the Trappist Abbey near Lafayette, Rebbecca Pittock Shouldis , who is the winemaker for Ghost Hill Cellars and helped create Northwest Wines  To You ( and is an F-15 jet mechanic and mother to two teenagers) ask me to make a label for a wine she had made with help of her two children. Of course I agreed and we set about making a time to shoot photos for me to work with. We took a few shots of hands and settled on a picture of the Syrah pouring through the hands of her kids in to the barrel. The name of the wine is "a la main" or Made Buy Hand.
After it was done the Abbot saw it and ask her if she thought I could make one for them and what I would charge.
I had been storing 300+ bottles of wine there for 3 years at no cost so I said I would do the label for twice what they charged me for storage: $0
The wines just came out through Northwest Wines To You.
The Viognier is delicate and aromatic with melon and gooseberry hints with mango and is just perfect by itself or with spicy foods. The Syrah is a northern Rhone style made  from cool climate grapes grown by the Dukes Family Vineyard. Eric Asimov says , about Rhone Syrah: “Olive, thyme, violet and sizzling bacon-scented glory,’’ I wrote, with full awareness that the words I choose to describe the aromas and flavors I sense in the wine are not only a possibly misguided effort to break a complete unit down to myriad components, but perhaps very different from what you experience in the wine."
Pretty much nails it.
I am so proud to have my art on their label that I have become insufferable I am sure. But how many people get to look at their artwork on a bottle of great wine!

Drink a Little Wine and Watch This

My all time favorite!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIePsbJSS04

White wines: Ice cold, or flavorful?

How many of us have gone to modern, upscale restaurants and ordered a white win other than a Pinot Gris, Riesling, or Muscato (or variations) and had it served ice cold?
I have had it! The American public has been sold the idea the all wines white are served so cold that any taste that may escape is purely accidental. Now, when I go to a restaurant and order a white burgundy, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Sauterne, et al, I am DEMANDING it be served slightly below cellar temperature. I will not pay $$$ for something that tastes like water until it has been setting on the table for 45 minutes. I can understand small town diners, chain restaurant, or cheep dives not bothering to educate their clients, but the big boys need to step up and serve wine at a temperature that allows the hard work of the vintner, the love of the winemaker, and the essence of the grape to shine through!
Please ask you local upscale dining place to serve the wines at a proper temperature and lets start educating people about how wonderful white wines can be if you just stop killing them with coldness.
From Basic Wine Knowledge
White Wine Serving Temperature
For white wines, the opposite may be true. It’s better to serve a white wine too warm than too cold. White wines served too cold (under 45°F) lose many of their flavors and aromas.

However, you still want to serve your white wines colder than your red wines. Serving white wines at a lower temperature brings out their natural fruity, fresh, and sweet characteristics. You will want to serve your white wines at 45-55°F, depending upon the wine and your personal preference. A Riesling will be better a bit colder than a Pinot Gris or a Chardonnay.
Since most home refrigerators are kept at between 35-40°F, it’s best not to serve your white wines right out of the refrigerator.
Removing your white wine from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before serving should bring them to about the right temperature. And, you can always warm the wine up by cupping your hands around the glass as you swirl.
If your white wine has been kept at room temperature, place it in the refrigerator or ice bucket for 30-60 minutes before serving.

Do NOT stay silent! If you are served a white wine that it not a Riesling or champagne ice cold, speak up! Why should you be paying a premium price for something that tastes like flavored water when you can actually have a wonderful wine experience?
Please send me you comments or experiences and I will post them.

Finding Olive Oil

Had a nice surprise today! We were low on our much loved Lemon Olive Oil (We have two kinds, one from Red Ridge Olive Farm, and one from Olive Grand) so I drove down to where Olive Grand had been, dreading all the while finding a spot to park, and when none were available, I headed home, thinking I would stop by Red Ridge when I was up north Thursday. To mt delight I saw that Olive Grand had in fact moved to 8th Street in the 100 East block, where Imagine Gallery was! Parking right in front! I bought the lemon olive oil, and as an extra treat, the Chilli Olive Oil. They do such a great job! Due to the lack of parking before, I bought most of their product at The Adventure Center at Gateway, which might as well be called "Made in Lane County" for all the local wines, beers, food, and other products they carry, so now I have two places to buy:)

Real Adventure, Real Clones

 Today I had an adventure at one of the newer wineries in Lane County. Abbelone Vineyard is very close to Eugene out Fox Hollow past the Raptor Center and the trail head parking lot. A beautiful setting and a perfect slope for 5000 plants. Kris Ferry says they grow Pommard (Pinot Noir Pommard : More vigor variation from year to year, smaller clusters, ripens earlier), 114 (Pinot Noir Dijon Clone 114: Lower yielding, vigor and vegetative growth can vary greatly from year to year, early ripening.  Floral notes and berry, cherry, and dark plum, fruit-driven spicy pinot.) , and 777 (Pinot Noir Dijon Clone 777: Most site dependent.  The vegetative growth, yields, cluster size are deeply influenced by the location, early ripening.  Noted for fleshy, black-fruited wines with tropical notes). The 777, along with the rich soil, is evident in the wines.

Angela and the new plants

Right now they are working on completing their tasting room and setting up the wine making facilities. Chris is making the wine at Eugene Wine Cellars until he has everything in place.He showed me some of the things he would be adding, like a 200 year old terracotta and porcelain sink he is building a sand for out of soapstone and a welded base for the lab area. His skill as a welder and his creative side show up all over the house.
We tasted the 2009 from the bottle and barrel tasted the '11. The '09 was released last year and is the first one on the market for them. It has a nose of roasted game, black berry, and must in the first smell, then opens to cola and spice, with all sorts of black fruit and hints of jam. There was a bit of earth and leather peeking around the edges and some plum and strawberry on the finish.

We then barrel tasted the '11 and though Chris thinks it is slowly coming up but has great promise, and what I tasted has legs and by the back of the mouth richness and long finish I detect a 4-5 year surprise. It is still in barrels and will be for a while but it is showing a great  evolution. It is lighter but has a beautiful clarity and the 777 reads well. The structure is there and the rich nose, the complexity, and the finish says good things for the future. The '11 harvest, state wide, was hard, late, cool year, low brix, long hang time, and generally difficult, but I think that due to the long hang time and the concentrated flavors, we will see a fine wine in a few years. Of course I said the same thing about the '07s so what do I know...Oh wait! I was right!
Out in the vineyard with Angela, after Kris went back to clearing his property, I met the dogs, Zoe and Romi. They are Huskies and live in comfort in the vineyard where the deer do not bother to roam, nor would the antelope, if we had any. Great idea, and they are so friendly and sweet, though I would not like to be a four legged beast around them. The other dog, a little white ball of Bijon Frise fur named George, who I wanted to take home, stays at the house and rolls in the dirt outside the door so Angela has something to clean up;)
She sent me home with  some '08, '09, and '10 so for dinner, starting with seaweed and cucumber salad, then roasted corn, grilled chard, grill marked asparagus, a mushroom for Linda and a nice salmon for me, followed by fennel, onion, and cabbage shredded salad. he finish was fresh strawberries. At each course I tasted both the '08 and the'10. The '08 held up and complemented everything, even the strawberry while the '10 worked with the chard and asparagus best.
 Now, two hours later: The nose on the '10 is a bit hot, perhaps 14.5 alcohol and it has a characteristic hint of roasted game, very slight, and high notes of persimmon and current. In the mouth I get soft front and a bit of a rough finish, lots of developing flavors of current, blueberry, and a hint of cola. It needs more time in the bottle and I will try it again in a year.
All in all the wines I tasted from them have a real promise of great things to come. The '09 was a hit and is sold out and the coming '12 will amaze!
I took a photo of their house and plan on doing one of my etchings for them as a thank you for their hospitality.
A great day for an adventure close to home for a change!