Magnolia Blossom

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Here's another quick little piece.  Because my time is so limited lately, I don't have the luxury of spending time on details or working in layers which require drying time.  When I only have 1-2 hours/day for painting, I'd rather work fast and see how far I get in one session.  Alla prima work is ultimately more satisfying to me, anyway.

Cheery Cherry

oil on canvas, 24" x 12"

I find the color pink to be a difficult color to mix to my satisfaction.  Alizarin crimson was just not cutting it for this cherry tree, so I reached for a tube of crimson lake to get a livelier pink.  I was going for a color that would complement the cool trees in the background that were shrouded in mist.

Spring Fever

oil on canvas panel, 8" x 8"

This started out as an abstract, but then I had to quit before I'd covered even a quarter of the surface.  When I returned to it the next day, I had cherry blossom trees on my mind and so, of course, they made their way into the painting.  

La La Land

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"

I just felt like transporting myself to a fantasy land, and this is where I went with that.  I may have another go at it, but for now, it goes in the time-out room.  I've been reading Hockney's "A Bigger Message" and I can see his influence pretty clearly here.

Pineapple Sundae

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"

This one nearly didn't make it due to extreme frustration.  But having put it in the time out room for a day, upon viewing it with fresh eyes, I knew right away of one thing it needed.  That result dictated what to do next, and when I got to a stopping point, it went back to the time out room for another brief stay.  It may be finished, I don't know.  I've chosen to stop, and when I look at it hanging on the wall, I am not displeased by the effect it has on me.  This painting has similarities to an earlier work, entitled Lovebirds.  The two will be hanging in close proximity during my open studio on July 4th.  I have filled the walls with new work and wish I had two more pairs of hands to handle all the paintings I feel are in me.  This may be a common complaint of artists everywhere, but it's only gotten worse over time.  My solace is in the digital art I can produce on the spot, no muss, no fuss.  It's a great tool, and I am grateful to have it at my fingertips, literally.  Organic, "real" painting is another animal, it seems.  With the atmosphere so arid lately, my paint turtles dry up within seconds.  Very frustrating!  It makes me want to run to my oils.  Ah, I think I hear the Caribbean calling!

Plum Trees at Covelo Ranch

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

Another plum tree painting, this one from Covelo Ranch.  The blossoms have fallen and the leaves take on either a purplish or reddish glow, depending on the light.  I just love the color of plum trees.

Wistful

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"

Here's another painting from my imagination, working without a visual reference.  I saw myself lying in a hammock with a canopy of white wisteria drooping above me.  This one gets a time out, since I'm not sure I'm done with it quite yet.  Time will tell.

Sweet '16

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"

This is another effort to work without a visual reference.  My only plan was to stick to a certain limited palette (ivory black, Prussian blue, alizarin crimson, cad yellow light, and white) and the plant world.  I've always loved the underside of flowers, especially when they are backlit and get this deep glow emanating from the center.  It's a perspective that's kind of hard to capture without a camera, so I relied on memory and imagination.  The idea was to do something floral that looked like it would smell divine.  These giant buds turned out rather peony-like and, now that we're finally moving into spring, sweet! -- hence the title.