Chino Valley #3

Today I finished Chino Valley #3. I'm pleased with how I resolved the open areas that were too dark and abstract yesterday.

Continuing Chino Valley Series

Here is the completed Chino Valley #2 that I began yesterday. It is a 14" X 11' canvas.


Below is today's start of Chino Valley #3 that is a 20" x 16" canvas. I have to think about this one overnight and paint more tomorrow.

Chino Valley Paintings

These two paintings were inspired from my road trip from Las Vegas to Prescott. Chino Valley, Arizona was a beautiful sight as the sun sank into the horizon.


The painting above has one area I need to re-work on and re-photograph. I was finishing up just as it was twilight and the color isn't as good as it could be.

What is Art?

I think this is!

BTW: never eat sushi at a buffet in Las Vegas. I learned the hard way.

Birds after Storm

Our palm tree in front of the house has been the home for nesting Barn Owls. Apparently there is a youngster who is unable or refusing to leave the nest. Every night for weeks there has been a terrible screeching all night long as this bird begs for food. 2 birds were visible this morning after the storm of yesterday that removed more dead palm fronds.

My Coffeeberry shrub is fruiting in my mostly native front yard, and the berries just became ripe. Today the shrub was hopping. Robins and this Black-headed Grosbeak gorged on berries until the neighbor outdoor "bad cat" bird hunter showed up. I also glimpsed a bird that appeared to be an Eastern Warbling Vireo with the usual Pygmy Nuthatches and Chickadees. There was also a tremendous outbreak of termites that were thickly covering the pickets on the fence. Yikes!

Stormy Days . . .

Today our huge storm has hit so I am unable to photograph yesterday's work in natural light. For now, I will put these temporary photos in before a probable power outage!

This newest piece (above) is called "Joli's Apples". It is an 8" x 8" piece in progress. Below is the completed "From Mori to Marin". This canvas measures 14" x 11".

Completing Mori Point Paintings

Above: Sunday, October 12th I finished this panoramic painting of Mori Point looking south.
On Saturday I continued working on the above painting. I finished this smaller piece below, as well as working on another in my Mori Point Series.

Meanwhile, I am beading up a storm in the evenings. I am now working on my 5th tubular peyote stitch snake necklace but this one is in "my colors" rather than snake colors.

More Mori

The above painting is called Mori Point Tsunami completed yesterday. I worked on the painting below at the same time. It is called Mori Point Breaking and was conpleted today. These are both 10" x 8" oil on canvasboard and will be shown to sell at the Open Walls/ Small Works exhibit in December.

Everybody Loves Mori Point – New Work in Progress

I've been wanting to paint Mori Point for a long time but couldn't quite manage to haul my supplies there to do plein air work. I have taken lots of wonderful photos at Mori Point, and decided to reference those. Here is a 20" x 10" painting on canvasboard in progress.

These two oil paintings are details of Mori Point with surf. I've just started these and I plan to do them fast, keeping them fairly loose and a bit abstract. I'm working on these simultaneously. They are 10" x 8" on canvasboard.

Just to do something different, I've begun a portrait. I call this "The Wrong Dress". I was charmed by this rather serious little girl with porcelain skin who explained to me that her mom didn't want her to wear this dress to my niece's birthday party, but she has another one and she wanted to wear this. It's the first portrait I've done in oils in recent years. This has aspects that are wrong here, and I may just restart this one or move on! I find fast drying acrylic paint, that I used exclusively up until a couple years ago, much easier to handle for this type of work. I painted with oils at the SF Art Institute in the 70's when I worked much more slowly and was not as prolific.

California Oak Woodlands

Here are two more studies of oak trees in the golden California grass. Both paintings are 8" x 8" oil on canvasboard.

Snakes!

In addition to painting, I have been "beading" snakes. Shown above "in the wild" and shown below "close-up". They are stunning to wear and really make an impression. They make nature-oriented people look and wonder, "Red on Black . . . Red on Yellow?"

California Gold

I have been wanting to do some California Oaks with golden grasses. This was inspired from s trip to Yosemite over the weekend. This is an 8" x 8" painting on canvasboard.
I decided to do a whimsical interpretation of a sunflower in my garden. This is a 10" x 8" oil on canvasboard painting.

FInishing Studio Work

I finished this studio piece that is 16" x 18" on canvas. I began this last week.

September Trek

Today I finished the 18" x 24" version of Along Roberts Road that I am calling September Trek.

Finishing Work

Today I finished this painting that I will enter in the 2009 Bay Area Annual. I have to decide on its name. Tomorrow I plan to finish the other painting I have in progress - the large version of Along Roberts Road.

Studio Work In Progress

I am currently working on these two studio pieces and love working larger on this 18 x 24 size. Working large presents different challenges in mixing large quantities of paint and taking more care in planning the dark and light areas of the composition to keep my colors clean while working over a longer time period with wet on wet paint. I see I need to get better lighting so I have a full spectrum of color that does not alter true color perception. This light is very yellow, and does not show the art properly.

Along Robert's Road

This painting is a 8" x 10" oil on canvasboard piece inspired by the amazingly hot weather and fabulous clouds we are having. Who would believe Pacifica could reach 90 something?

Colors for Judy

This painting is 8' x 10", oil on canvasboard. It is inspired by life on the coast and my dear friend, Judy.

after completing this painting, After completing this painting, I went out for a photo session inspired by an incredible sky we are enjoying today.

Studio Work

I just completed this painting. It is called North of Half Moon Bay and is in oil on canvasboard. It measures 10" x 20".


Prior to this I have been experimenting with small 8" x 10" paintings based on a peculiar and interesting relic – a bunker along Devil's Slide on Hwy. 1. I am seeing where these painted sketches lead me....

Here is a photo and my first version.














I turned the uninhabitable bunker into a glowing refuge,


then deconstructed a version (unfinished image) at the right.

More to come... Keep posted!

Surf Jumpers

Mixed Media on canvas - studio piece 28" x 28"

Calera Creek Valley Series

This is another nice afternoon at the Calera Creek Quarry Valley.

Calera Creek Valley

I returned to paint the colorful flowers and hillside on this beautiful day.  As it got late, the fog blew in to engulf the coastline.  I went home chilled to the bone.

Back at it!

SOLD: Spring Flowers in the Quarry Valley at Calera Creek painted on Sunday May 17th. Although this land is for sale, I'm hoping in continues to be a pristine open space for the enjoyment of wild things. I look forward to painting here often, as it is one of my favorite sites.

In my absence from painting, I have been busy with photography.

Another diversion from painting has been making jewelry, and teaching beading techniques.

studio work in progress

Calera Creek Trail

Today I reworked my last plein air piece and created this painting on my deck outside my studio. I decided to take advantage of the weather before the next rain arrives.

Studio Work

During the rainy weather, I've been working in the studio.  Meanwhile, I've decided to show "Leaves" at the Sanchez Art Center Buddy Show, partnered with Alan Hopkins showing a large photograph not to be missed. "Leaves", subtitled "The Last Straw", an 18 X 24" Acrylic painting done in 2007, was the springboard for my leap to plein air oil painting.