Seagull on Sand

 

oil on panel, 8" x 10"

I'm going back to birds, one of my favorite subjects, with this little painting of a seagull.

Iris in Bloom

oil on panel, 14" x 11"

This is a portrait of a friend's daughter I had intended to paint from live sittings, but due to COVID I ended up painting her this time from a photo.  She is only 14 years old but her bearing and maturity are well beyond her years, and I tried to capture that here, as well as her kind, sweet nature.  A beautiful girl, inside and out! 

Baring Witness

 

oil on panel, 12" x 24"

It's back to Naked Athena and the Portland protests with this piece.  I struggled with this one and because there were such long time gaps between sessions, I lost my way a bit, so it is going to the time-out room for now.  Maybe in the new year, I'll be able to see my way forward and finish it.  That would be nice.

Yellow Boat

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is a scene I painted earlier this year from a photo of Nantes, France.  It speaks to my sense of isolation in this time of COVID.

The Vagabond

 

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 16"

Out on the mesa near Taos, New Mexico, there is a cluster of rentable trailers next to the Taos Brewery in a compound called Hotel Luna Mystica.  It's a form of "glamping" (glamorous camping) which affords everyone awesome views from all directions.  I was particularly taken with this turquoise-painted trailer, dubbed "The Vagabond."  Aside from the mountains rising in the background, the sky is often the star of the show, offering consistently spectacular sunsets and sunrises. 

The Wise Look Within

oil on panel, 10" x 10"

I thought this subject apropos of wintertime this year, a year without precedent in so many ways.  If 2020 has been an eye-opening year, 2021 must surely be the year we look within ourselves for answers to the questions posed by 2020.  The wise owl is a fitting symbol for such an endeavor.

South Side of the Mission

 

oil on canvas, 12" x 16"

Here's my take on a classic artists' subject, one that has been painted many times over but continues to draw us in.  Apart from the beautiful lines and curvy shapes of this amazing structure, it's the light that emanates from it, even under a dark sky, that inspires my awe.  To be inside of this church is to invite the light into your soul.

The Road to Seco

 

oil on panel, 12" x 16"

It's back to New Mexico with this colorful scene of an unpaved road I frequently took to the charming little village of Arroyo Seco on my way to Taos Ski Valley to commune with the mountain.  New Mexico is rich in color, with the most amazingly deep azure sky as a backdrop.  

Notorious

oil on panel, 18" x 18"

Because I just had to.

Bodega Bay at Dusk

 

oil on canvas, 12" x 24"

This is a scene of my new favorite beach that somehow escaped my notice until recently.  It is a wide stretch of beach with few, if any, beachgoers at any given time.  The golden hour is quite something there.

White Petunia

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Taking a break from more complicated paintings I'm working on, I seem to have channeled my inner O'Keeffe with this one.  I've heard the symbolic meaning of a petunia points to anger and frustration.  Well, that would certainly be me lately, what with all the turbulence of these times we're living in.  But what does it say about us as a species that we would assign such negative traits to a flower, of all things!  Just sayin' . . .

 

Lindsey in the Field

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

For a change of pace, it's back to digital art with this painting of Lindsey Kustusch, an extraordinary artist, as she paints a landscape en plein air from a field in Hampstead Heath, London.  Lindsey is also a true animal lover, and one of the nicest, kindest people you'll ever meet, if you are so lucky.

Boxed In

acrylic on panel, 12" x 12"

Well, this little ditty took way longer than I thought it would, even as I simplified the scene quite a bit.  The orange sky was from the fires in August that the lightning strikes sparked, lending a surreal quality to atmosphere.

Lightning Up the Sky

oil on panel, 24" x 18"

sold

This night scene is of a neighbourhood in San Francisco in August when California was hit by thousands of lightning strikes, precipitating the devastating fires that followed.  I keep thinking about the symbolism of lightning in this upside down year and the image of the Tree of Life upended.  Curious how eerily lightning resembles an upside down tree with all its branches. 

Patience

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

A lion study here, done on canvas paper which warped a little.  I may adhere it to a hard surface, as I do like this lady.  She is centered, calm, and focused on a hot afternoon.

Pink Powder to the Rescue

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

 Like everyone else in California, I've got fire on my mind in addition to COVID, in addition to an election year like no other.  I felt the need to paint some pink, and if I were still a pilot, I'd feel the need to spread some fire retardant in the form of pink powder.  There's a reason why 99% of little girls favor the color pink:  it's the color of love,

Selfie Portrait in the Time of COVID

 
acrylic on panel, 14" x 11"

A fitting self portrait for the times we are living in.  It perfectly captures the spirit of the day, wouldn't you say?

Athena Rises to the Occasion

oil on panel, 20" x 20"

The idea for this painting came to me after I learned of the Portland, Oregon protests and the federal agents that descended on the scene to "control" the crowds.  One very brave woman, dubbed Naked Athena, rose to the occasion to confront the hypocrisy of the moment, and did it in the cleverest, bravest way imaginable:  naked yet in disguise with face mask and knit cap.  I thought it was a brilliant move, and her yoga poses made a profound statement of defiance and compliance, all at once.  This is one strong woman in total possession of herself.  I was also impressed by the fact that she had no tattoos, at least that I could see from behind.  So, here is someone who is able to resist peer pressure.  What yoga practitioner doesn't have a tattoo?  Naked Athena is a rare bird and a symbol of feminine strength of spirit.  

I should point out that the scene, aside from the figure of Athena, is taken from a fireworks display outside the Police Headquarters in St. Louis, but it served my purpose in this composition to a tee:  a case of poetic license.  I have another painting in mind to do on the same general theme, but we'll see how that goes, as I am currently unable to devote large chunks of time to painting, even as I feel the urgency to go to my easel on a regular basis.

West Marin Ranchland

acrylic on MDF panel, 8" x 16"

The golden hills of California are so beautiful to me at this time of year, and the local landscape is looking gorgeous right now.  This was painted from a photo, but I'm hoping to get out there and do some on-site painting soon.

On the Prowl

oil on panel, 12" x 16"

I've been thinking about cats lately, perhaps because there are so many roaming around where I live, although none quite as feral or imposing as this panther.  Fun to paint!

Fleurescent

acrylic on canvas board, 12" x 12"

For this painting, I used no visual reference.  It started as an abstract idea, which evolved into a semi-abstract painting of flowers.  The idea I started with was to make a statement about Paris in color and shape.  When I think of Paris, I see mostly dark green and white stripes, and splashes of hot pink.  Voila!

Been to Church

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This was a quick exercise I made for myself to see how fast I could recreate a painting I had found online of what looked like a cathedral on a misty day framed by greenery, branches, and a few springtime blossoms.  I gave myself an hour and was very happy with the result.  My thanks to whoever the artist was!

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Sometimes, when I've created a "wiper," I use the leftover paint to just play with and, well, use up the paint.  This is the result of one of those sessions.  I was agitated when I started this, but somewhere in the process, I calmed down.  Guess I got beamed up!

Sting Me!

oil on panel, 18" x 18"

This is the first in what I hope will be a series of paintings of my little dog Lola.  She is an extraordinary zen-like being and it's been difficult to capture her special essence with a camera, much less a paint brush, but I feel satisfied with this one.  She came through for me very early on in the process, and so I've left her face untouched in places from the first go round.  

Chamisa

acrylic on canvas paper, 9" x 12

An aerial view of chamisa, a beautiful, fragrant shrub and a common sight in New Mexico.  It makes for a fun color study.

Anticipation

oil on panel, 8" x 10"

Here's a little painting of a black cat on a white ledge in shadow.  I was drawn to the alertness in the cat's stance, and the contrast of its black coat against the shadow and the sunlit wall.

Sunlit Ridge

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Painted from a photo, here's another quickie I did to distract me from the two paintings I'm currently struggling with.  I think it helps to do these quick studies, because I notice that it puts me in a different frame of mind when I return to the more challenging paintings.

Out of the Blue

acrylic on panel, 16" x 12"

As the title implies, this painting was not planned.  It was started as a distraction from another one (actually, two) that I'm currently struggling with.  A little experiment that was quite satisfying.

Green Adobe with Chamisa

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

After a long hiatus, I'm finally able to start clearing some time for painting again.  Other obligations pulled me away as I was starting this one, so its trajectory was interrupted and, although I worked it to some sense of completion, I can't help wondering how different it would have turned out had I been able to work it from start to finish in one or two back-to-back sessions.  This is a corner of a modern adobe home I often drove by on my way to and from Arroyo Seco, a charming little village in New Mexico between Taos and Taos Ski Valley.  I loved the pale green color of the walls of this home set against the citron yellow of the chamisa blossoms, with the latilla ladder leaning against a wall, and the peak of Taos Mountain just "peaking" over the home.  This is a quintessential Southwest scene, at least to my eyes.

Roses of Robert's Barn

iPhone painting, 10" x 10"

I now have 20 paintings gracing the walls of the tasting room at Denman Ranch, most of them for sale.  I've also done a number of digital paintings of the property, which I hope to show as a collection at some point.  Here is one I did from my iPhone a few months ago.  Life now returns to "normal," where I can FINALLY get back to painting.  Hallelujah!

Backyard Cottonwoods

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here's another New Mexico painting dug out of storage, one that I'd forgotten about.  I painted this with a palette knife en plein air in my backyard one brilliant day.  I love the irregularity and organic look of latilla fences of the Southwest, and the view from my backyard of those golden cottonwood trees was just amazing.

From Out of the Blue

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

I've been rifling through my paintings in storage as I am mounting an exhibit in the tasting room here at Denman Ranch, and I came across this abstract painting I did in New Mexico in 2018.  Looking upon this with fresh eyes, I quite like it.  Glad I kept it.

Fred Baca Park

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

Here's another digital painting from New Mexico, a quick sketch of Taos Mountain from Fred Baca Park, a little neighbourhood park in Taos that I frequently took my dog to.  

African Spoonbill

oil on panel, 14" x 14"

A straightforward portrait of an African spoonbill wading in shallow waters.  I have painted a roseate spoonbill previously, and I just find these birds to be so exotic, with their long legs and bills.

Old San Luis Facade, with Salvia

oil on panel, 10" x 8"

It's back to New Mexico with this one, or rather, Colorado.  San Luis is reputedly the oldest town in Colorado, just over the border with New Mexico.  I've painted this structure before but from a different angle.  I found it very intriguing from a painting perspective, and so of course, I had to paint it again!

White Roses by the Window

oil on panel, 24" x 24"

This painting of a bouquet of white roses from my garden was an attempt at partial abstraction.  I didn't want to fully define each flower, opting for a loose impression instead.  Color harmony and creating a sense of depth were the overriding concerns here, and I'm happy with the result.

Hoo r Yoo?

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

This is a painting of a barn owl I had fully intended to experiment with, but life intervened and, by the time I could turn my attention to it several days later, the paint had partially dried.  This is why I consider myself an alla prima painter.  I like to work a painting to completion while it's still fresh.  Still, the result, at least to my eyes, is not without merit.  I think he's a cute little guy (girl?).

Tigery

acrylic on canvas paper, 18" x 12"

I've been contemplating lately painting a tiger but haven't yet settled on how I want to treat the subject.  In the meantime, I had the urge to do an abstract painting using only Indian yellow, burnt sienna and ivory black, plus white.  The result looks a bit tigery to me.

Becoming

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Just experimenting here with the abstract shapes of a rose unfolding.