Monday, October 18, 2010

Autumn Light Cool Fall

The best day painting is better then than the worst day painting, which is better than the best day staying home.  I can say that because for the past 2 weeks I have been domestically dutybound...

This morning was  blissfully calm, quiet and cool down in Coyote Valley, just north of Morgan Hill. The smells from some wild weed were delightfully aromatic, and the Canadian geese were apparently happy as clams honking loudly while flying overhead and  presumably heading south.



The Feed Shed
Oil on Board
8 x 10
SOLD





Coyote Valley Oak
Oil on Board
9 x 12
SOLD

Monday, October 11, 2010

Art at Axis

Several of my paintings are currently on display at Axis - the upscale new luxury high-rise community located in downtown San Jose. My large urban landscapes paintings look great in the welcoming lobby, and more paintings are hung in 'The Gallery in the Sky' on the penthouse floor.  The views from up-top are amazing!
You can view the lobby work during regular business hours and early evening. Ask the receptionist for a tour of the penthouse to see more.
Axis - 38 N. Almaden Blvd., San Jose, CA 95110 • 408.297.9888


















 



  





Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Fresh Paint : Artist Reception and Show


My work is included in this show. Opening reception September 16, 2010, 6 - 8 pm. Come see the beautiful paintings and hear poets recite their inspirations from our work!

The Town of Los Gatos Arts and Culture Commission
Presents:
Fresh Paint
By the Los Gatos Plein Air Painters
Founded by Nick White eight years ago, the
Los Gatos Plein Air group now boasts award-winning
artists painting in a notoriously challenging mode. This
exhibition features recent, never previously-exhibited art
work, entirely executed in the open air and on location by
12 artists, especially for this venue.
Curated by Jade Bradbury
September 9 – Nov. 4, 2010
Town of Los Gatos Council Chambers
110 East Main Street, Los Gatos

Reception: Sept 16, 2010

6 – 8 pm in Council chambers
Poetry reading & Refreshments
Monday – Friday, 9am – 5 pm

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

New Paintings

'Christmas in August'
Oil on Board
16 x 12


'Old Tractor in the Woods'
Oil on Board
16 x 12

'Red Tug at Aldo's'
Oil on Board
16 x 12

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout

What an event! Alameda has much subject matter for the out-of-doors plein air artist. I painted the ships, a turn of the century Victorian home, an old IH pickup truck, palms at the yacht harbor, an old warehouse, portraits of fellow plein air artists, and more.  Debra Owen, director of the Frank Bette Center, along with her many volunteers, provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere that included an artist welcome dinner, BBQ, and plenty of food and drink. The weather was good, a little wind, some coastal morning fog, and lots of afternoon sunshine, what more you could you possibly want!

Paintings are on display through the month of August at the Frank Bette Center for the Arts. 
Reception August 6, 2010, 7 - 9 p.m. at the Frank Bette center.


'Three Amigo's' finds new home with Alameda artist patron.













My paintings on display at Town Center, Alameda.

'Three Amigo's'
12 x 16
Oil on Board

SOLD
'1000 Grand Street'
8 x 10
Oil on Board

'Summer Palms'
9 x 12
Oil on Board

SOLD

'Portrait of an Artist'
(Alfredo Tofanelli)
12 x 9
Oil on Board






















Painting a portrait of artist Ulrich Gleiter

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Frank Bette Plein Air PaintOut

Tomorrow marks Day 1 of the Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout. I'll be painting Monday thru Friday in Alameda, CA. as one of fourty artists selected to paricipate in this annual event.

Come to the Plein Air Art Exhibit & Sale on Saturday, July 31, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. at the Alameda Towne Center (Park Street at Otis Drive) Alameda.

This is sure to be a fun, challenging, and notable experience!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Heritage Orchard, Saratoga CA.

'The Old Apricot Tree'
14 x 11
Oil on Board
SOLD





'Heritage Orchard'
11 x 14
Oil on Board

I have never been drawn to paint orchards, so was a little reluctant to try my hand at it. I was out of my professional plein air boards so brought some inexpensive canvas panels I've had lying around my studio. Not feeling any pressure from my 'inferior' panel, I blithely jumped into painting an old gnarled tree with a moody sky. Before I knew it, I was lost in my painting and having a great time painting an orchard.

When I finished the first, I decided to take on a broader orchard view, and hence came painting number 2, 'Heritage Orchard'.  One of the things I love about plein air painting, is how connected I become to a subject once I've painted it. I suppose it can be likened to sharing a wonderful picnic with someone in a beautiful spot, making that spot forever special.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

VENITE AD ME



















'VENITE AD ME'
Oil on Board
16 x 12

Venite ad me, come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Yesterday I had the fortunate opportunity to paint on the campus of Santa Clara University. Immediately I spotted this statue of Jesus and went to work. Just as I put the finishing touches on this painting, it started to rain. The experience was all rather sublime.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Painting the Davenport Bluffs

'Looking South'
Oil on Board
16 x 12



'Looking North'
Oil on Board
9 x 12

Painting the ocean's cliffs is a thrilling experience, there is something so ravaging wild about standing at cliffs edge whilst attacking your canvas with daubs of lucious oil paint!

Davenport is a great little town situated on the Pacific Coast about 10 miles north of Santa Cruz. Dividing the ocean from town, is Highway 1 which winds up and down California's stunningly beautiful coastline and rugged vista views. Davenport's single coffee shop and bakery is loaded with delicious pastries, and a full on coffee bar, just the right ingredients to fuel and charge ones batteries for a day of painting en plein air!



My easel awaits ~


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Duck Weed Pond

'Duck Weed Pond'
Oil on Board
16 x 12
With a storm threatening the skies above, and a brisk breeze whipping round my legs, it made for a chilly and exhilarating day of painting en plein air at the Presentation Center in the Santa Cruz mountains.

 


Saturday, March 27, 2010

Award Winner at Statewide Open Juried Show























'Diversity'
Oil on Canvas
40 x 30
My painting 'Diversity' took 3rd place in the Landscape category at the Los Gatos Art Association Open Juried Show 2010!
Reception and awards to be held March 28th, 2010, from 1 - 4 pm at the Art Museum of Los Gatos: 4 Tait Avenue, Los Gatos, CA.
Regular museum hours are Wed - Sun, noon to 4 pm.
Come to the show and enjoy all the many great pieces of artwork!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Save the Granada - Plein Air Ptg on Display

Plein air painters are often supporting great causes and this is one in which I participated. Several painters and I set up camp and painted our own unique perspectives of the historic Granada theatre in Morgan Hill, Ca. These paintings are now available for sale and on display at Rosy's at the Beach. A big dinner and show celebration is this coming Monday - come on down!!
'La Granada Moderna"
Oil on Board
16 x 12

Save the Granada - Upcoming Events

Monday March 22 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Fundraising Dinner & Art Show at Rosy's at the Beach!
Paella
Salad
Red Wine
Come on down and join us for a special Fundraising Dinner and a great cause!
This is sure to be a classic as Rosy's will be serving up a menu everybody will be talking about. Rosy's at the Beach will be serving up an amazing seafood paella, accompanied with caesar salad and red wine.
Along with fantastic food and fantastic people will be fantastic music by David Schnittman. Yum!
The Art couldn’t be better 29 images of the Granada Theater painted by some of the most accomplished Open Air (Plein Aire) painters in Northern California – come vote for People’s Choice!
Click here to pre-order tickets or Call Pamala Meador at 408 891 4931 and she will deliver them to you.
$25 for Adults, and a special Kids Menu for $8.
A limited number of tickets will also be available at the door.

Monday, March 8, 2010

The day after an art opening.

Hilarious, today was just one of those days when nothing came together, and everything I touched turned into a big mess - literally. As I dashed out the door to meet up with my painter friends in Morgan Hill, I grabbed my trusty painting coat only to find I had managed to drag it through dioxanene purple at last wear. If you know this color, you know how pervasive it is, just like pthalo blue...   so purple paint everyhwere - all over my hands, all over my now new pair of painting pants, my face etc....   oh well, off I go to create a masterpiece. After meeting my buds, 2 of us decide we'd rather paint elsewhere, but I can't seem to get focused and get moving, I'd rather take pictures of everyone with my phone... finally I leave - but by now my painting partner has already disappeared so I venture off solo to find something really interesting!

I drive through neighborhoods that don't belong where nature and wildlife do, and finally settle in on an old truck in a pasture with cows.

Friendly cows!















Cows that I would love to paint but that never stand still long enough to let me get them down on canvas. But these cows somehow sense that I'd rather paint the truck today than paint them, so they make a point to show me just how very great they are. They moo, they poop, they pee, they stick out their - OMG! They sniff at me with huge rubbery wet noses and I pet their scruffy enormous heads. And yes, they really are quite great.















But I still want to paint that truck...  

So I say - "hey move it!" - and - they do!

And I paint my truck.

















I call this one 'Old Friend'.

oil on board
12 x 16

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo

'Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo'
Oil on Board
16 x 12
(Sold)





















Monday was a gorgeous day in Carmel, California. After days of gray gloom and soggy rain the sun popped out and made everything glow! I had not painted this mission before and was intrigued with the prospect, so after scouting out my spotjumped in with verve and painted the front facade of the chapel. This mission was originally built in 1770 and you can still see parts of the original hand built walls and domes. The history of this mission is very fascinating.  There is a graveyard on site as well and I marveled at the dates on one of the tombstones, b 1899 d 1989  that has got to be one of the most radicaly changing centuries to have lived through - from horse and buggy to the age of the internet and everything inbetween.

This painting will be part of an upcoming show at the The Los Gatos Museum featuring works of the Los Gatos Art Associations plein air painters. See sidebar for more information. 

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Monday, January 18, 2010

Figurative Gouche paintings






All 3 Gouache on paper
24 x 18
Painted from live model, a la prima.
Gouache is very similiar to watercolor, with the added benefit of having the option to work opaque, and use white paint. I enjoy the clean, crisp fresh aspect that gouache provides, and the brushes are made of lovely sable hair which is smooth and non-scruffy like oil brushes can be.

Painting in Big Sur

'Big Sur' Oil on Linen Panel 9 x 12 SOLD