Tractor Sun & Shadow

oil 8x8 inches For a closer look and purchase info click here. Painted from my photo reference taken at Amy's Farm. I really enjoy painting tractors, especially with patterns of light and shadow. To see other tractor paintings, go to "labels" below, and click on "tractors."

The Radiant Tree -a plein air painting from The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info Recently I applied and was accepted into the Huntington Library art guild. This gives me permission to paint on the grounds of the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino. They are very protective of their grounds and museums, and rightfully so. I promised to not block the walkways, not to paint over walkways, not pour my turp out in the bushes (who does that?!!), bring no food, and take my trash home. That's what I do wherever I paint, so I shouldn't be too much of a threat! Yesterday we had 75 degree weather. A perfect day to give it a first go. I headed to the Chinese Garden area and wandered a bit until this tree stopped me in my tracks. The reflections were especially fun. I hope you like it.

Aspens -a Colorado landscape in oil

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info Another piece using my photos from Colorado. The goal here was to convey the light on those glowing aspens. I lightened up and simplified those dark clouds a bit, but still they're pretty powerful in the painting.

Home On The Range -a Colorado landscape in oil -SOLD

oil 11x14 inches magnify/purchase info Finally, one fresh off the easel. I worked this up from my photo reference taken September 2014 in Southern Colorado. We were staying at a lodge on "the front range." Though it looked like a flat prairie, we were actually at 8,000 ft. elevation on the eastern slope of the Rockies. No wonder I was breathless just moving around! We had dramatic skies the whole time. First time I've used cobalt straight out of the tube for sky. It was that brilliant. Gotta love Colorado skies!

Bridge At Canyon Junction -a plein air painting from Zion National Park -SOLD

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info My second day in Zion I got out early. I hopped on the tram (or dragged myself and gear into the tram) by 8 am. Hey, that's early for me! At Canyon Junction a trail runs right along the river, giving easy river access for painting. I found the perfect spot, shown below. It was quite secluded except for the perfectly tanned "buff" guy. Is that still a word for muscular??? He hung around a bit, walking here and there nearby. A small backpack, no shoes, wearing nothing but a Speedo. Yep! Well that was a little weird. EXCITING DAYS AHEAD! Tomorrow I teach a small one day workshop in Anaheim Hills. Sunday I'll be at the BALBOA ART WALK with 100 fellow artists. If you're in SO CAL don't miss it! You can find me right along the sea wall on the island at Pearl Street. Park in the big parking lot on the Peninsula, and walk onto the ferry. Turn left off the ferry and I'm close by. It'll be a great day! Here's a pic of the guy in the Speedo.

(Just kidding!) But there really was a guy in a Speedo.

Formations -a plein air painting from Zion National Park

oil 10x8 inches magnify/purchase info I painted this the first afternoon directly from my campsite. Those rock formations are an art in themselves! The pattern of structures was a bit daunting, but I'm happy with the result. Like usual, the color is better in person. I've been doing some framing today in preparation for the Balboa Island Art Walk this coming Sunday. If you're in Southern California, I hope you'll come! One hundred artists along the sea wall. You can find me at Pearl, a left turn when stepping off the ferry onto the island.

Spring Farm Work -a plein air oil painting at Amy's Farm

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info I took advantage of a cloudy day and headed over to Amy's Farm. It was a nice cool day to paint. The volunteers working in the field kept moving of course, but I managed to paint them very quickly and then paint the scene around them after they moved on.

Hibiscus High

oil 8x16 inches magnify/purchase The landscaping in our neighborhood includes some big hibiscus bushes. A beautiful day, going for a walk, and BAM! Look at those flowers reaching up to that beautiful Southern California sky!!! I snapped a bunch of shots with my iphone, and here we have a painting. Hope you are having a wonderful summer. This might be for sale at a later date.

Watercolor after Deschampe

watercolor 9x12 inches magnify/purchase In June I had a serious case of the blahs while struggling with various physical ailments. I thought I should be painting, but pity-partied instead. I remember hearing the master watercolorist, Milford Zornes say once, "If you have a physical condition, don't let that stop you from painting." He was nearly blind at the time from macular degeneration, bent over his full sheet of watercolor paper and painting from memory. I have no excuse. This watercolor was done when I had little energy to be creative, but just wanted to get a brush in my hand and move some paint around. I found an old Walter Foster oil painting book in my studio and thought it would be interesting to turn an oil into a watercolor. The original oil painting is by Gabriel Deschampe.

Light & Shadow, Oak Glen

oil 8x10 inches magnify/purchase On a fall visit to Snowline Orchards in Oak Glen, I set up to paint these lovely shadows. I should have brought a jacket, I thought while I set up. The light lasted about 5 minutes, then dark clouds came in and made everything go flat. I wimped out and went home. I took my good pictures home with me, along with a little bag of hot mini apple donuts. UPCOMING EVENTS: Tomorrow I'll be at the Chino Arts Festival, 10-4:00. BALBOA ART WALK, SUNDAY, MAY 18, 9-5:00. Over 100 Artist Booths and 4 musical groups. On the island promenade, along the seawall. To find me, walk left off the ferry and along the seawall to Pearl Street. Same location as last year! I hope you'll come by and say hi.

Up Moro Canyon

oil 8x10 inches magnify Second day at Moro Campground I painted this right within the campground. It was early morning and the clouds were clearing from rain the night before. Atmosphere is what I was after here. Not for sale at this time, but you can click on "magnify" to see brushwork.

Desert Scene -sold

oil 6x12 inches magnify/purchase This was my first time painting on location in the desert. After so many months of drought, there were few spring flowers, but still plenty of color if you have the eye for it. Spindly twiggy bushes are a challenge I decided. At the start I looked carefully for correct values in the distance, because I wanted to convey the vast desert space. I'm especially happy with that aspect of this painting.

Windows, Idaho City -sold

watercolor & gouache approx 11x8 inches magnify/purchase Reading about John Singer Sargent this weekend got me in the mood for some watercolor. Not surprisingly, he produced about 900 oils. But did you know he did about 2000 watercolors? And he had no problem using some opaque paint here and there. I had fun with this, then even more fun playing with some gouache on top.

Mission Sunrise

oil 9x12 inches click for purchase information and zoom Last spring while visiting the Mission San Antonio de Padua I stood in this damp field early one morning and painted. I also took some great shots of the light just beginning to strike the buildings. I used one of those shots as my photo reference for this painting. I loved the light and shadow of course, but also how the dew on the grasses turned them a dusty blue green. In my photo of the painting the greens are soft like I painted them, but when I post it to Blogger they look yellow and garish. As usual, better in person.

Haystack Rock View -sold

oil 8x16 inches This is a commissioned painting for a client who contacted me by email. Her husband took a great photo of Haystack Rock while they were on vacation, and the painting is a surprise birthday gift for him. I really enjoyed working on this one, partly because I've visited haystack myself, but mostly because of the client's excitement about the commission. It was such fun to take part in a special birthday surprise!

Storm Passing- San Francisco

oil 8x10 inches Click to Purchase This is the last of the recent San Francisco paintings. Even painting from photographs I get the feeling I'm right back there in that beautiful city. We stopped very near the Golden Gate Bridge and looked back toward Fisherman's Wharf. What a sight! Though this might be better as a larger painting, I'm very happy with the expanse conveyed by the sky.

Liftoff

oil 9x12 inches Click to PurchaseAnother view from biking near the Golden Gate Bridge. There are just six days left of the Fair. Dawn, who oversees the demonstrators and Gallery Store started bringing me pomegranates from her yard and I have done a series of paintings with them. They might be my favorites. Will post them soon.

North On Haven

oil 8x8 inches Click to Purchase While driving up Haven Ave. last week at dusk, the light was so beautiful. I saw everything in yellows and violets. At a red light I snapped a photo. My red traffic light arched way into the center of that beautiful sky, so I left it out. I toned my canvas with Indian yellow and while I left some showing in the sky, it is a lot more subtle than this image shows. LA County Fair News: Looks like I'll be in the Millard Sheets Gallery Thursdays through Sundays. If I get more specific demonstrating hours, I will let you know.

Road Trip -sold

oil 8x8 inches click here to bid In Montana somebody was taking pictures while they were driving. This is very dangerous, and I don't recommend it.

Rusty Roof

oil 10x8 inches
click here to bid

Yesterday I ventured out to Yorba/Slaughter Adobe, one of the oldest standing adobe residences in San Bernardino County. Built in 1852, it was even a stage stop for Overland Mail from 1858 until the Civil War. I like rusty roofs against a blue sky. I think this is the barn. Nobody was out there but me and the bugs, of which there were plenty and very friendly at that. I emptied the last of my bug spray onto myself hoping they weren't ticks, cause they were biting. Got a good bit done, went home for a shower and finished it up today.