A Pair of Palms -a plein air painting of the desert

oil 9x12 magnify/purchase I'm back from a few days camping at Anza Borrego State Park. The desert was blooming and the air clean and cool. Paradise! I painted this near the visitor's center the first day. It was about 2:00 pm when I started. The light got better and better, back lighting those palms. The sun dropped behind the mountain just after I finished. Then I packed up quick to ride my bike back to camp while I could still see where I was going. IN OTHER NEWS: Today is the fifth anniversary of my blog. Every minute I hold a paintbrush in my hand I feel so blessed and thankful to God to be doing what I love. I sincerely thank all of you who follow, comment and purchase my work. Without you, it would just be paintings piling up in a corner! And a very special thanks to Carol Marine, the Queen of Daily Painting, who really helped me get this daily painting/blogging thing going.

Cut Lemon & Grapes -a still life painting in oil -SOLD

oil 6x8 inches magnify/purchase Another painting on that brushed oil ground surface. I love the rich warm yellow color of these home grown lemons. They're not at all like what you find in grocery stores. I'll be out of town for a few days with no internet service, so I'll post again in about a week. Have a great week, everyone!

Leaning Lemon -a still life painting in oil

oil 6x8 inches magnify/purchase I painted this piece on a "reclaimed" canvas to which I had applied a clean coat of white oil ground. What a nice surface to paint on once in a while, and I really like the texture showing under the oil paint when you take a closer look.

Tubes & Brushes -a painting of paint stuff in watercolor

watercolor and gouache 9x12 inches magnify/purchase Okay, here's some watercolor stuff. My camera doesn't know what to do with white paper. It looks better in person. Have I said that before?

Oil Tubes & Brushes -an oil painting of art supplies -SOLD

oil 6x8 inches magnify/purchase Nothing beats a good old cruciform design. My favorite.

Little Corona Beach

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase Last Friday SOCALPAPA met at Little Corona Beach. (If you've been there, you know that leaning tree!) Painting with your feet in the sand and a cool breeze in your face...well, plein air doesn't get much better than that! How about a whale not too far off shore? I'm not kidding! We could see it clearly from the shore, and she hung around for a good long time. IN OTHER NEWS: I've added an EVENTS list to my blog. Check it out when you have time. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

P-38 Lightning -a plein air oil painting of aircraft SOLD

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase A Special Event at the air museum on Saturday brought "Louise" the P-38 out of the hangar. As soon as I set up a very kind docent who now knows what I'm up to informed me that she would be moved to fly in about two hours. I decided to stay put and paint fast. It worked out. Just as I finished, some clouds came in and they moved her out to take off. She flew right over our heads several times, fast and really pretty quiet considering her power. I can't tell you how exciting that was for me right after I had finished painting! The crowd was interested in what I was doing and so kind and encouraging. A boy about 12 came close and said, "Just to help you out, I think you should put a little more green right there by those guns." So cute!!! These people know their war history and their planes! I hope I did her justice. Here are some more pics just for fun.

Lockheed Lodestar -a plein air oil painting of aircraft

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase Up close and personal because the planes are parked so close together in the "boneyard" that it's hard to get back any distance. I got permission though, to plant myself inside the ropes next time, as long as I don't get paint on the planes! (Don't tell anybody.) I really like this view though, and the various colors I saw in the shiny underbelly. A bit more of the cockpit shows in the painting. My photo is a bit lopped off at the top.

Pear & Grapes -a still life painting in oil

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase What would happen if I painted the next painting using mostly the leftover colors mixed from the painting I just finished? Here it is, painted right after "The Entryway" without cleaning my palette. Kinda different. It's loose and it was a fun experiment. Have a great weekend, everybody!

"The Entryway"

Discharged -a plein air painting in oil

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase Saturday I met up with SOCALPAPA, (Southern California Plein Air Painters) at the Planes of Fame Air Museum. Amid all the aircraft, this truck caught my eye. I settled in and started painting. Soon I was informed that there would be some sandblasting going on not too far from me. The noise added to the feel of the place, but in a few minutes a cloud of dust and paint particles hit me. The painting was going well. I really didn't want to move, but I really couldn't breathe. Thankfully, a volunteer wearing a mask was able to get me one quickly. So I was able to continue and hardly noticed the mask.

Fountain Rest -a plein air oil painting of the Orange Circle

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase Our weather has been beautiful and I've gotten out to paint the last two days. Friday I painted this at the Orange Circle. It sprinkled a bit, but I just kept painting. My little dog Sandy went along and attracted lots of nice folks, especially children who wanted to pet her. I enjoyed painting and chatting with them as the cars swirled around the circle. They're swirling much faster than they did when I was a kid, and honking now too. We have become so impatient, especially in our cars. All those honkers need to sit by this fountain a while! I think this man discovered that I was painting him. He soon got up and left before I could get the dog in. I added the dog last by looking at my iphone shot.