Emerald Swallowtail Butterfly

oil on cradled panel, 6" x 8"

Another exotic butterfly to close out the year, the emerald swallowtail is found in Southeast Asia but also commonly collected and kept in butterfly houses worldwide.  I'd hate to cage this beautiful insect, or any wild and beautiful creature for that matter.  I'd rather discover it in its natural habitat, or perhaps make a painting if you can't see it live.

Egret in Flight

acrylic on canvasboard, 12" x 12"

Here's another study that somehow slipped through the cracks and was forgotten for a while.  I painted it early in the year and rediscovered it the other day as I was going through ALL my paintings, cataloguing, labeling and boxing ahead of my move to New Mexico in January.  I had wanted to do a series of birds in flight, but that idea got shoved to the back burner, as often happens with me due to the varying demands on my time.  I see myself in this bird now.  

Mexican Bluewing Butterfly

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 8"

I learned with this little study that the smeared paint technique works better on smooth hard surfaces, such as a gessoed wood panel or metal plate.  Not as easy to do on a canvas or canvasboard, but that was all I had on hand and wanted to paint this little being.  Still, I'm not displeased with how it turned out.  The Mexican Bluewing's habitat ranges from Mexico down through Central America.

Salt Marsh Moth

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Moths are beautiful, too!  These are nocturnal creatures, whereas butterflies are out and about during the day, but they both belong to the order Lepidoptera.  The salt marsh moth is common to Florida and Texas.

Chinese Red

oil on canvas, 8" x 10"

For a change of pace, here's a palette knife painting of an Oriental poppy I did some months ago and, like a few others, recently looked at with fresh eyes and thought better of.  I've been going through my entire inventory, boxing up paintings ahead of my move to Taos, and have made more than a few discoveries of overlooked early work that have stood the test of time, at least in my mind.  I may post some of that early work in the coming days.

Black and White in Blue

oil on MDF panel, 24" x 24"
sold

A seemingly perennial work in progress, this is the same heifer as in a previous post, from a different angle.  I think I liked this painting better in its third iteration.  Maybe the cow is trying to tell me something, as in leave me alone!  Can't I just stand here in peace, enjoying a cool drink of water?  We'll see about that.

A Patch of Blue

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 8"

Here's a little abstract done a while back that I'm offering now as a ray of hope for all Californians who have lost their homes in the devastating fires that have ravaged this once beautiful state.  The deep irony of a blue state being blanketed in red is not lost on me in this challenging time for everyone everywhere.  May the Phoenix rise again!

Rhetus Periander Butterfly

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Another colorful butterfly found primarily in Central and South America.  

Cleared for Takeoff

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 8"

Another little abstract ditty that got lost in the shuffle, painted a few months ago.  I have precious little time to paint right now, so busy getting ready to move.  I will be posting a little less until I'm over the hump of tasks in preparation for it.

On the Wing

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here is a case for putting paintings in a time-out room.  This is what later became "Space Balls," as seen in the previous post.  Although I like Space Balls, I now see that its predecessor had merit on its own.  I regret painting this one over, as I am in love with things with wings, and I see such a thing in this painting.  Ah well, live and learn, as they say.

Space Balls

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

This is an abstract piece I did earlier this year.  It got buried amongst other pieces I was working on concurrently.  In preparation for my move to New Mexico this coming January, I've been going through my entire inventory, something I've never done since I started on this art path, and I am overwhelmed by the number of paintings I have accrued over the years!  I hope to have time to focus a bit more on marketing my work in the new year.  I do know I will be wanting to paint more than ever, so this could become quite a challenge.

A Delicate Balance

oil on linen-mounted panel, 16" x 12"

It is what it is, folks.  All my paintings are experiments to varying degrees, and this one was my attempt to merge my love of cows with my love of birds, as well as subject with background, admittedly with varying degrees of success.  I do like that cow, though; she makes me smile.  The bird is a black-billed magpie.

Blue Morpho Butterfly

oil on cradled panel, 20" x 20"

As an experiment, I thought I would try to marry the gold underwing of the blue morpho on the left with its iridescent blue upperwing on the right.  I like the overall effect.  It's hard to pick a side of a butterfly's wings to paint, they are both so beautiful and yet so distinct.  The pattern and coloring of the underwing is, in most cases, designed for detraction from predators, whereas that of the upperwing is meant to attract a mate.  The yin and yang of life, right there in one delicate little creature.  Amazing.

Taos Sunrise

acrylic on MDF panel, 12" x 16"

A new direction awaits me!  I'll be moving to New Mexico in the new year, to the Taos area, and this painting was done in anticipation of it.  The mountain depicted here is part of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, and the adobe in the lower right was just purchased by my good friend Bonny Von Dolores.  Imagine waking up to that view every morning!  I've been living in California for the past 22 years, so this will be a welcome big change for me and possibly a catalyst for complete transformation.  Perhaps that explains my recent fascination with the butterfly, which itself is the symbol of transformation.  

Wallace's Golden Birdwing Butterfly

oil on cradled panel, 6" x 8"

This is a species of birdwing butterfly, of the swallowtail family, found in Indonesia.  It is one of the largest in the world, with a wingspan of up to 6.3 inches.  An exotic and extraordinarily beautiful insect!

Brimstone Butterfly

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

I quite like the color harmonies in this little butterfly painting, especially the bright yellow glow coming off the upper wings.  The brimstone is found in Europe, Asia and North Africa.  

Mourning Dove

oil on panel, 8" x 10"

I painted this mourning dove in honor of my good friend Ron, who lost his daughter Claire recently to a rare liver disease.  She was only 38 years old.  I didn't know her, but testimonials from everyone in her world described an exceptionally rare and beautiful spirit.  The angels in this world sometimes complete their tasks ahead of schedule.  

This painting was done using the various tools I've been learning to master lately.  In addition to brush and palette knife, I used a brayer, a carving block, and a makeup sponge.  With this method, it's really hard to know when a painting is finished.  I could easily go on and on with it, but I do like the abstract shapes in the background and especially the colors.

Stillness in Motion

oil on panel, 16" x 20

This is a work in progress, but because I'm using the indirect method to paint it, there needs to be time for each paint layer to dry before applying a layer of Liquin, then waiting for that to dry before adding more paint.  It's a process that requires patience, something I'm not too good at when it comes to painting.  This lovely creature is a little blue heron, whose breeding habitat is subtropical swamps.  The fanned back feathers signal its breeding status.

The Steering Committee

oil on canvasboard, 18" x 24"

This is a painting I've had in mind to do for a long time, simply because I loved the colors of the four steer in combination.  I used a carving block for some of the foreground, one of my new favorite painting tools acquired from a recent workshop, and the palette from that workshop as well.  Ever since this workshop, my output has slowed down considerably in order to apply coats of Liquin in between painting sessions.  The Liquin seals the paint on the surface so that any new paint applied will not mix with the underlying layer(s).  This is especially useful for glazing, a technique that I've never employed until now.  Lots of learning going on in my studio at the moment!

Madagascar Swallowtail Butterfly

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Another little butterfly painting.  Not spending a lot of time on these, but they are great exercises in low-risk experimentation.  More to follow.

The Watering Hole

oil on panel, 20" x 16"
sold

A Holstein cow standing in water, one of the two main paintings I worked on during an animal painting workshop with Lindsey Kustusch.  I was not particularly happy with either effort, but I do like the cow itself in this one.  I may work on it a bit more later, but for now it's going to the time-out room.  

Ulysses Butterfly

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

This is me taking a baby step toward incorporating abstraction into my realist paintings, an avenue I'm just beginning to pursue.  I've been taking a workshop with the great Lindsey Kustusch, hoping to absorb some of her fine techniques and adapt them to my own style.  I realize this will take a while and requires a lot of patience.  That's okay, whatever it takes, however long it takes.  Painting is a process, and working outside my comfort zone is good for me, even if it feels shaky, uncertain, and frustrating in the moment.  I'm not displeased with this one.

Crater Lake

oil on hardboard panel, 6" x 6"

An abstract palette knife color study done with a limited palette of ultramarine violet, cyan, cad yellow deep, and alizarin crimson. 

A Crossing

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

This painting has been through several iterations, and this might not be the last one.  It's in the time-out room at the moment, where I'll pass it every day and wonder what it needs, if anything.  Update 1.29.2024:  I pulled this painting out of a box in my storage room the other day and found it pleasing.  I declared it finished, then signed and rephotographed it.  Time does give one a fresh perspective.

Lemon Bar

oil on canvasboard, 10" x 10"

Here's a semi-abstract imaginary still life using, once again, leftover paint on my palette from my previous post, Pink-necked Green Pigeon.

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

oil on wood panel, 12" x 12"

This is a work in progress, having laid down the basic composition.  I'm hoping to work on it more this week, but I'm attending a six-week workshop that is keeping me very busy learning another approach to painting, the indirect method.   In this approach, you first complete a tonal underpainting, then apply paint in layers as transparent glazes to get an overall translucent effect.  I've been painting in a direct method, or alla prima (one session), for the most part, for years now.  It involves painting wet on wet with opaque (non-transparent) paint.  I sometimes paint wet on dry simply because I can't get back to it for several days, but I've learned to work with that being the case.  I'll be posting a little less frequently because the paintings done in the indirect way take much more time, since each layer of paint needs time to dry before work can progress.  So, this new challenge is most welcome!  The teacher of the workshop is an incredibly talented young artist named Lindsey Kustusch.  Check out her work!  

Updated 9/20/17:  I've worked on this painting more and, for better or worse, consider it finished.  I wanted to render the foliage in semi-abstract leaf and flower shapes so as to draw more attention to the pigeon.  Not sure I accomplished it, but that was my intent.  I just love the rainbow of colors on the pigeon's front as they interact with the red berries directly below.

California Gold

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 8"

This is an imaginary landscape done with a palette knife, essentially amounting to a color study using a palette that is somewhat unfamiliar to me.  The "new" colors here are phthalo blue, cad red medium, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre, in addition to the familiar colors of ultramarine blue, Indian yellow, and cad yellow light.  I'm just trying to get more familiar with the mixing capabilities of this palette.

Oh, to See the Light!

oil on hardboard panel, 12" x 9"

This is a plein air painting of the south end of a rustic barn on the property where my art studio is located, which is now called Denman Ranch.  Robert, a wonderfully upbeat and creative man, makes high-end lighting fixtures inside that barn.  Ironically, the narrow opening in the lower left illuminates nothing of the interior space, rendering it all the more mysterious.  The barn is graced by irises, grapevines, and a privet tree, and the lawn in front is one of my dog Lola's favorite hangouts.  Denman Ranch is a special place for sure.

Purple Honeycreeper

oil on wood panel, 8" x 8"

This was meant to be a work in progress, but knowing that I won't be able to get back to it for a few days means I may have a totally different idea about it by then.  Or I'll just leave it as is, having done it in one session with the same palette, which helps with the overall harmony.  The purple honeycreeper is native to northern South America, from Colombia to Brazil.  Love his yellow feet  (yes, it is a male)!

Update 9/13/17:  I finally got around to working a wee bit on the background, so it looks more finished now to me.

Bodega Bay View from Doran Bluff

iPad art, 10" x 14"

Another perspective on another day at Bodega Bay, this digital sketch was done from the opposite end of the bay.  I had to work faster than ever, as it appears my dog is losing her patience whenever I whip out my iPad and lose myself in it.  This one took about 5 minutes, a record for me!

Labor Day at Bodega Bay

oil on wood panel, 8" x 10"

I came upon this enchanting but rapidly changing scene at Bodega Bay, and was glad I snapped a few photos before I had to pack up and leave so that I could add those fleeting elements in the studio later.  I was frustrated with the gessoed surface, which had vertical grooves left by the brush, but decided to use those grooves to help me create some interesting textural effects.  I loved watching this photographer pursue her labor of love in an area of low tide to try and capture in closeup a very large white bird, probably a great egret.  The fishing boats were returning from their day's outing and various smaller white birds were dotting the shallow end of the bay, an altogether charming scene.

Tomales Bay Triangles

oil on linen-mounted gatorboard, 8" x 10"

This is a plein air palette knife painting of a scene that I simplified in order to emphasize the triangular patterns I saw in the cliff, the trees, and the two sailboats floating on a quiet Tomales Bay.  I have to say, it's quite a challenge to paint boats with a palette knife.

Naked Ladies of Salmon Creek

oil on canvasboard, 10" x 8"

I took an impressionistic approach to this palette knife painting, which was done from a photo I had taken at Salmon Creek the other day.  Didn't have time to paint the scene on site, and by the time I get back there, those pink ladies will likely be gone.  I will get back there some day and paint whatever is there, as it is quite a lovely spot, just north of Bodega Bay.  Update 9/11/17:  I've been informed by someone in the know that these flowers not called Pink Ladies but are, in fact, Naked Ladies -- a far more catchy label, don't you think?  So, I hereby retitle my painting to more accurately describe this scene.  I stand corrected!

Night Owl

oil on canvas, 12" x 9"

Another bird painting, this one of a barn owl on a black gessoed canvas where all the black you see is unpainted canvas, except for the eyes, which were painted in ivory black.  To create this painting, I used a limited palette of indian yellow, burnt sienna, ivory black, and titanium white.

Flower Power

oil on canvasboard, 10" x 8"

Here's a colorful little composition using leftover paint from Falkland Barn.  I enjoy these little freeform experiments.  This one has grown on me over the last few days.

Point Arena Plateau with Red and White Pagoda

oil on wood panel, 8" x 16"

This plein air painting from yesterday was worked on a bit more in the studio this morning.  It was a strikingly brilliant day at Point Arena, around 82 degrees, with a slight, soft sea breeze.  It was a challenging scene to paint, but I couldn't ask for better painting weather, or better company in the form of my good friend and fellow painter Joyce Creswell.  This plateau is part of Stornetta Public Lands and sits just to the north of the famed Point Arena Lighthouse. 

Snowy Egret Portrait in Profile

oil on canvas, 12" x 12"

This is the second in a series of bird portraits I've had in mind to do, the first being Flamingo Portrait in Profile, which I posted to this blog on January 14 of this year.  For this portrait, I was experimenting with a tool I recently purchased, called a brayer, which I will hopefully learn how to use with more skill in an upcoming workshop with a fantastic painter, Lindsey Kustusch.  A brayer is a rubber roller typically used for printmaking and to achieve decorative effects on surfaces.

Falkland Barn

oil on wood panel, 12" x 12"

I stumbled on a photo of a red barn in a cornfield online a while back while searching for something else, and knew I just had to paint it.  

European Goldfinch

oil on panel, 8" x 6"

I've been wanting to warm up my palette since the last few paintings have all been cool-dominant.  So, here's a warm little painting of a colorful goldfinch, native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia.

Perchance to Dream

oil on canvas, 24" x 12"

This painting came together more like a sculpture than a painting, in that I painted the negative space first and gradually whittled it down to the bird, and the rock on which the egret stands somehow morphed into a fish, as if in a dream.  There is an ethereal quality to this piece that I find quite appealing.

Algae-covered Rocks, Waimanalo Beach

oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

Waimanalo Beach is maybe my favorite beach in the world.  It is a gorgeous, pristine expanse of white sand beach on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  I've been feeling a bit nostalgic for it, so here's a small memento.

Goat Rock

oil on canvasboard, 9" x 12"

A seascape painting of Goat Rock, which sits along the coast near Jenner.  It was a light overcast day when I took this photo.  

Chileno Valley Oak

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 8"

This was a quick little plein air sketch done from a pullout on lower Wilson Hill Road, looking north to the hills that surround Chileno Valley.

A Terning Point

oil on wood panel, 11" x 14"

This painting was done in the studio, a subject I've had in mind for a while.  I love the peaceful feeling I get when gazing at shallow still waters and grounded boats, and of course, I had to include a few birds to complete the picture, in this case crested terns.  This scene takes place at the edge of Lake Victoria, Uganda, with Bugala Island off in the distance.

Curiosity Called A Cow

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 6"

I was hoping to paint some cows in a landscape yesterday from a pullout on lower Wilson Hill Road, and was delighted to spy a bunch of them off in the distance.  When they saw me setting up my gear, though, the entire herd came running up to the fence.  I switched my focus to portraiture instead, and God bless her, this Holstein cow held perfectly still with this gaze for the 20 minutes it took me to bash in her portrait.  That's a first!  I finished it off in the studio later, and will definitely return to that same spot again to paint more cows, one of my favorite subjects (aside from birds, that is).

Russian River at Jenner

oil on gessoed textured hardboard panel, 6" x 12"

This started as a plein air painting on a mostly overcast day, but I was none too happy with my effort, so I reworked it in the studio.  It didn't help that the panel I had chosen was damaged in the upper left corner and was one of those textured surface panels made to emulate canvas that I don't care for, but it was the only 6" x 12" format I had brought with me.  It seemed that no matter how much paint I applied, the texture still showed through.  I prefer to work on actual canvas or a smooth hard surface, the simple reason being that I want the paint application to form the texture, not the prepared surface.  Lesson learned, in the future I will either sand down the textured surface or gesso a layer or two over it so as to smooth out those ridges.

Another Little Piece of My Heart

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 6"

This little abstract piece was done with leftover paint from Swanderful, for which I had used a palette consisting of cyan blue, alizarin permanent, vermillion (all used up, so none in this painting), permanent yellow deep, and white.

Abbott's Lagoon

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 10"

This rough color study was done with a palette knife from a photo because I couldn't figure out how to haul my painting gear to this spot, as I've been told there is a long sandy path to get here from the road.  I really wanted to paint that light caramel colored water.  

Swanderful

oil on canvas, 20" x 20"

I've been itching to do some figures lately, and portraits in particular, but I'm not yet over my bird fascination.  So, a light bulb went off with the thought, why not combine the two?  This was a fun project.

Happy Hooters

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

This is a work in progress, and now that I've covered the canvas, it goes in the time-out room until further notice.  You get the idea, though.  Another addition to my theme-within-a-theme bird painting series.