Sunset Study

 

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

This is just a quick little cloud study over an estuary.  I'm in a flurry of activity finishing, varnishing and framing paintings for my first ever exhibit in mid-February.  I've been painting for 20 years and it's well past time I parted with a few of them.  Gonna try to squeeze in some more little ones as time permits.

Hastings at Dusk

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

I painted this scene of a sunset in Hastings, U.K. from a photo I cribbed from my Facebook feed just because I I loved the colors in it.  I distilled it down to the basics to simplify the composition.  Needs a couple tweaks, but otherwise I'm happy with it.  

I've been relegated to doing only small works since last November, ever since my pet sitter went out of commission.  I cannot work in the studio with my dog there, where she paces incessantly, which drives me nuts.  And I cannot work on larger pieces when I cannot work back-to-back 6-hour days minimum.  So for the time being, I must work at home instead where I only have a tabletop easel.  Looking forward to the day when I can sink my teeth into larger works again.

Smoky Sky

oil on canvas panel, 14" x 11"

This is what I'd call a simplified landscape painting, not quite in the abstracted landscape ballpark, done mostly with a palette knife.  Nonetheless, I like the copper tones in this one.  I think they offset the buildings in the background nicely.  The scene is inspired by the smoke from the recent Canadian fires that drifted down into the U.S., especially along the East Coast.

Sunset with Palm Tree

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Here's another palm tree study.

Four Palms at Twilight

oil on panel, 16" x 16"

Continuing with the palm tree theme . . .

Moon Over Rivertown

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

This is a study done from a photo taken at dusk of the Rivertown section of Petaluma along the river. 

Red Rock by a Pink River under an Orange Sky

oil on canvas, 6" x 9"

This was just for fun, exploring warm-to-hot color combinations in a landscape. 

Sunset at Secret Beach

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 8"

This is essentially a cloud study done from a photo of Secret Beach on Kauai, my favorite Hawaiian island.  Update:  I have uploaded a more accurate image of this painting, as the one I posted earlier today was too light.

Fire and Ice

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 18"

With this painting I was trying to develop an earlier idea in a marriage of hot and cold, as in the heat of a setting sun reflected on an icy lake.  I tried to work fast with this one, using a brush in each hand to speed things up, and I must say it was really fun!  

Sunset Study

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

This is a study I did as a warmup for an organic painting I have in mind.  Here, I'm playing around with design and searching for the palette I want to use for it.  I've been using a limited palette on all of my recent paintings, which changes from painting to painting.  I try to use between three and five colors, plus white, for each -- colors I choose according to the dictates of each particular motif I have in mind.

On a separate note, I have four of my digital paintings on display and available for sale at a local venue here in Petaluma, the Aqus Cafe, through 2/26/2017.  They are each printed on a 5" x 7" metal sheet and wall mounted, and can be printed larger by request.