May 27 - Red Apple

"Conservatism" Where do titles come from? I was looking at the position of this subject after I painted it, and the title just came out. Perhaps it is because the apple leans to the right and is on the right side. However, when I positioned it, I wanted to include the shadow shape. These Gala apples are so scrumptious, before and AFTER being painted! I hope everyone has a safe and quiet weekend. The party animals are out in force, with no mind for the reason for the holiday--to remember those who have died for freedom. May yours be peaceful. Original oil, 5 x 7 inches. $100

May 26 - Harness Tracks of America Auction Piece #3

"Foggy Workout" The third in the series for the Harness Tracks of America auction (due date mid June for image submission).  This is a 9 x 12 exercise in depicting a foggy and mist-shrouded day.  Now, getting the values believable is the biggest challenge in painting overcast days, so that when you look at it, you say, "Yes, it must be overcast."  One has to deal with a narrower middle range of values (light to dark) to get it right.  And all colors are muted as well.  The source-horse for this one was brightly lit in sunshine, so in addition to getting the atmospheric feeling in the background, I had to make sure the horse wasn't screaming "SUNLIGHT".  Fun to do, of course.  A puzzle to solve!

May 25 - Commission Piece with Eight People

I thought you'd like to see the painting from the plein air hike today. I met up with several local painters, and headed out to paint the commission for the two docents at the Santa Rosa Plateau. This is a commission that was raffled off last September to raise funds for the transportation of the third graders who visit the Plateau and learn about California's habitats and animals. This program changes children's lives. Thousands of kids hike the plateau on guided tours and receive lessons at the Visitor's Center. The bus transportation is provided with help from the Foundation, as districts are strapped for money, and there are always more third graders.
The hike in and out was four miles, and I pulled my golf cart easel over rocks and along narrow trails to get to this viewpoint. Well worth it, because I know you'll be able to get the "feel" for what this place means to me, and to the docents in looking at this vista. Now, the lower right section isn't finished yet, as they have asked me to add eight people (six grand children and themselves) in the lower right, and I am awaiting more information. And when I photographed this bigger piece on the easel, the left upper corner is deep in shadow (which isn't there). But this 15 x 30 canvas was a pure pleasure to paint in the afternoon light!

May 23 - Terry on Location

Ha!  What fun... to take a digital image that you didn't even take, and make a decent painting from it.  Actually what happened today was that my artist-students came to the studio after a long hiatus, and we were working on solving some issues.  Joan had an on-location piece of her friend and fellow painter Terry on the easel.   Struggling with abstract structure, she knew I wanted to help.  Rather than paint on her work (not good, as her painting is going on display for the Plein Air Artists of Riverside (PAAR) show, I decided to teach by doing.  So, using her digital source material, I painted the artist painting on location.  This painting is the result, a 12 x 9 oil, quickly laid in to show strong abstract structure and making changes to the composition to make a better design.  Took about 40 minutes, maybe.  Still learning to leave out the junque and get only the essentials.  Available for $275.

May 22 - California Coast #2

"California Coast #2" Tiny little painting again, another 4 x 6 canvas. These are such fun! Little blobs of color become mountains, water and shadows. I'm resurrecting some older material from my files and revisiting similar subjects (without prior refreshing) to see where my artistic muse takes me. I like these little ones! Reminds me also, to get busy and list some of these on ebay. I've just been a bit too busy. Available for $100

May 21 - California Coast

"California Coast" Tiny little painting, with tons of paint! It's just 6 x 4 inches, and a careful study of the soft coloration of our state's edge, so powerfullly' affected by the moisture in the air. I did a trip up the coast a few years back, and took many 35 mm color prints of the coastal area. But photographs just cannot capture the color and light, not from ordinary cameras. So paint does a good job. $100