Flora

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"

This is an abstract painting from my imagination sparked by a desire to paint a gorgeous purple and white bearded iris that opened as I was leaving the ranch this past week.  As you can see, it morphed into something else entirely.  At least I kept to the plant world, sort of.  I do enjoy working without a concrete plan, just to see what happens.

Marlon

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

A digital portrait of Marlon Brando as a young man, just for practice.  Working on the human head again.  

Ely Road

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

The property where I have my art studio sits at the top of a knoll, and I've always liked the view south beyond the vineyard to the hill that shows Ely Road climbing up and over another knoll.  This was the view I had from my former art studio and as beautiful as it is, I still haven't gotten around to painting it with actual paint.  I see beauty everywhere, though, so to narrow the choice down is always a difficult one for me.

Looking South, Covelo Ranch on a Misty Winter Day

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 36"

This was done in the studio from a photo I had taken at the ranch, and I loved the subtle layers the mist made out of the distant hills.  I'm not quite done with this one, but will not be able to get back to it for a few days.  Who knows, it may be finished now.  I never know these things.  I find it helpful to sit with a painting for as long as it takes to receive the answer to that question.  I've heard it said you never finish a painting; you just stop working on it.

Filoli Garden Impression

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 18"

This is a work in progress, already significantly altered since the first go round.  

Swimming Upstream

acrylic on canvas, 6" x 12"

All those years of indoctrination in the mental practice of labeling things can work against the creative impulse in the artist.  I noticed it happening with this piece, as a fish appeared before my eyes, and so when I caught that (pun intended!), I tried to work against the tendency.  It was a bit like swimming upstream, hence the title.

Old Eucalyptus Branches

iPad painting, 14" x 11"

This digital sketch was done on the east side of Petaluma, looking east, with the ridge of Sonoma Mountain in the distance.

Annie

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 6"

I've been wanting to do faces again, so here's another one.  I was going to "finish" it, but now I think I'll just let it stand as is.  I like the sketchiness of the background and the minimalist treatment of her hair.  Once I saw the spirit in this painting, I was loathe to toy with it.  Update:  Couldn't help myself, had to do one more wee little thing to it.  

Flowering Plum Trees, Covelo Ranch

oil on canvas, 12" x 12"

Another painting started on site and finished in the studio, done with a palette knife.  This scene is of the side yard by the main house, with the slough running alongside and a large field beyond.  

Sheep in the Field, Early Spring at Covelo Ranch

acrylic on canvasboard, 12" x 16"

This started as a plein air painting which was finished later in the studio.  I wanted to paint the sheep relaxing in the white flowered grass, against the subtle color variations in the trees beyond, but as soon as I set my gear up, they were gone.  How dare they!  Luckily, I took a photo where some of the sheep were still lingering and used it as reference for the studio work.