No School Today!

 

No School Today!  oil 10x10 inches  

Purchase info here.

I still remember the freedom of having a no school day and taking off into the neighborhood on my bicycle.   These Balboa Island kids have a pretty cool neighborhood!  Mom, young friends and even baby in the baby seat were headed out for a little adventure.  This photo is a bit blurry.  On the contrary, the painting is full of crisp brushwork and happy color.  

Capistrano Cottage -SOLD

 

Capistrano Cottage   oil  10x10 inches

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I used my photo reference from the historic Los Rios District of San Juan Capistrano to paint this one.    It's all about the shadow patterns.

Alley Ride -SOLD

 

Alley Ride 14x11x1 1/2   oil   

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And now for a change of pace!  Summertime on Balboa Island.  The alleys are one of my favorite spots to paint.  Biking through the alleys is the best way to navigate this often crowded little island.  For a painter, you can't beat the shadows and tunnel view that leads the eye right down the alley.  I painted this from my photo reference on a gallery wrapped canvas.  Ready to hang with just a hanging wire, or frame as you like.  

For another change of pace, here is a portrait of our granddaugher and her cat, a Christmas gift to our daughter.  It's not a great photo, but I've been working on a bit of portraiture lately, and I think this one shows progress.  

Hello, Pear

 

Hello, Pear  oil 8x8 inches

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Pears will really challenge a painter with their subtle color shifts and delicate shape.  When I first started painting these small oil paintings over 10 years ago, I struggled to get the pear shape right, often ended up overworking the color shifts and wiped off many a pear.  I painted this as a demo for a friend who had never worked in oils and wanted to see my process.  It's demo priced, so click through the purchase link if you've wanted one of my paintings but are looking for a deal.  

The One Green Shoe

 

The One Green Shoe    oil, 10x10 inches

Purchase info here.

Have you heard of the phenomena of "the one shoe?"  You're driving around town, or even on a road trip, and you see one shoe by the side of the road.  What happened to the other one?  This has always amused me, and my painting brings it to mind. 

 I had a lot of fun painting this.  If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen the time lapse video.  In the video it's a bit hard to see, but at the end I showed the three tubes of paint I used to paint this: cad red light, cad yellow light and ultramarine blue (plus white of course).  No lime green or violet tubes of paint.  You can mix just about anything with the three primaries.