Looking North, Covelo Ranch on a Hot Summer Day

oil on canvas panel, 6" x 12"

This is a palette knife plein air sketch I did in late afternoon the other day at Covelo Ranch, as the heat was just beginning to abate.  That viridian green hay barn in the mid-distance is just beyond the property line of the ranch, and the hot summer sun seemed to intensify its color just before the shade hit its roof.

Reflections on a River

oil on gessoed panel, 6" x 12"

This is now what I would call an abstracted landscape, having messed with an actual landscape painting to the point where it is now almost unrecognizable but seems to have a life of its own.  You just never know.

Urban Wetlands

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

This is an abstract digital painting I did while half asleep.  I like it and can't explain why.  I suppose it has to do with what's been on my mind lately:  New York City and a local wetlands nature reserve here in Petaluma.

Trees of Covelo Ranch, Summer Impression

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

Another quickie digital landscape sketch.  This one I was unable to finish on site, but when I looked at it later, I liked it as an abstracted landscape, something I'm wanting to do more of.

September Scene, Point Reyes

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

It was so hot in Petaluma yesterday, I grabbed the pups and drove to Point Reyes, where it was 13 degrees cooler.  This sketch was a real quickie, less than 10 minutes, executed while we all sat in comfort on a bench in the shade as I gazed at this scene.

Conversation at the Confluence

oil on linen mounted on board, 12" x 16"

This painting was done from a photo I had taken of my friends Ron and Marilyn with their dog Dot at the confluence of the Eel and Black Butte rivers in Northern California.  The rocks in shadow on the far bank were actually lighter than the sand mound in the foreground.  The time was that golden hour of a summer day, around 7:00 pm, and I loved the warm and varied colors lit by the setting sun.

A Balancing Act

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 24"

This, as in all my abstract paintings, emerged gradually, starting with a simple idea, then letting the paint itself take over and talk to me.  I could go on and on with these, but at some point you just have to stop, walk away, and call it done . . . for now.

Lakescape

oil on hardboard panel, 8" x 10"

No particular reference on this one, just using up leftover paint on the palette.  I love Italian cypress trees and lakes, and wanted to convey stillness and light.

Lakeville Poplars

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

A 10-minute sketch of poplars along a section of Lakeville Highway in Petaluma.  The leaves are turning yellow now, giving the trees a glow around their perimeters, something I find quite beautiful, especially when they sway in the breeze.

Bolinas Lagoon on a Summer Afternoon

oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

A plein air sketch of a section of Bolinas Lagoon in late afternoon, done with a palette knife.  The oranges of autumn are starting to appear along this beautiful stretch of landscape, of which there are many choice views along Olema Bolinas Road.

River Rock Rose

oil on hardboard panel, 6" x 6"

I've been working on several paintings simultaneously, all of which have presented challenges.  One is a closeup of the Eel River near Black Butte River Ranch in Northern California.  I thought I had finished it, but when I looked again with fresh eyes, I felt the need to rework it with a different palette.  Instead of mostly blues, greens and pinks, I want to see what I can do with blues, browns and oranges.  This abstract painting was created using the leftover paint from that one.

Clover Flowers

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

What do you do when you are sitting on the grass with your iPad and feel uninspired by all the cookie cutter homes around you?  You look down at the little flowers growing at your feet.  So, I focused my attention on these sweet little gifts of nature that humans typically trample on.  I probably killed a few just sitting down to do this sketch.  

Open Door Windows

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

Once again on a walk with the dogs, I sat on a ledge across the street from the Open Door Christian Church on B Street in Petaluma for this sketch.