Petaluma Feed Mill

oil on canvas, 12" x 9"

This is a plein air painting I did a while back and forgot to post, a partial view of the feed mill appearing behind a row of what looks to be pine trees.

Portrait No. 14

acrylic on hardboard panel, 14" x 11"

The latest portrait, one of two I did that night.  The other was done in oil on metal, which I may post later.  This one I finished in the studio, as I only had 40 minutes left with the model.

Robert's Barn

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 12"

This was done half en plein air, half in the studio.  It took some doing to get the colors and values right on the distant hills.

Lakeville Lineup

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

This was a quick plein air sketch I did on my iPad of a series of eucalyptus trees along Lakeville highway I hope to paint live at some point, and hopefully when sheep are present, as they often are at this particular spot.

Trinidad Bay

oil on cradled hardboard panel, 9" x 12"

This was painted in the studio from a reference photo I had taken, since it was not possible to paint this particular scene on site, at least not that day.

Little Red Shed

oil on canvasboard, 10" x 8"

This is a little plein air study that turned out much more to my liking than I expected.  Another bucolic scene I pass on my way to the studio.

Reflections on a Barn

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 24"

This was done in the studio from a photo I had taken during my road trip through Oregon.  I loved the dappled light on the side of the barn created by the trees.

Denman Vines

acrylic on birch panel, 8" x 10"

This palette knife plein air painting I did on the property where I have my art studio.  It was one of those brilliant, sunny California days, where all the colors were at their most intense.

Portrait No. 13

acrylic on hardboard panel, 14" x 11"

Another portrait, trying something different with this one.

If Trees Could Talk

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"

Just for fun, working with a limited palette again.  I like the colors in this one.

Grants Pass Grove

acrylic on hardboard panel, 11" x 14"

This scene of black and white oaks was painted from the deck of the cottage I stayed in just outside of Grants Pass, Oregon the other day, where I passed through on my way through the state.  

Redwood Way

acrylic on canvasboard, 10" x 20"

This began as a plein air painting of a scene I pass by every day on my way to the studio.  Naturally, I had to fiddle with it in the studio later, where I nearly killed it, but I gave it some CPR because I really like that barn in the mid-distance.  The scene is full of subject matter, so I will try this one again.

White Peonies

oil on canvas, 12" x 6"

Another in my white flower series, done with a palette knife.  Update, 5/26:  I thought the blue background was competing too much with the green bottle, so I changed it to a light gray.  To me, the bottle is more enhanced now.

Grazers

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 24"

Working from a photo for this one, there was a monolithic, cliff-like effect I was getting from the background trees and so I just went with it.

Rodeo Beach

oil on canvas, 8" x 16"

This palette knife painting was done mostly on site, a spot that bears returning to. 

Darling Buds of May

oil on hardboard panel, 14" x 11"

Another palette knife oil painting, a bunch of peonies I got from Trader Joe's.  I used a brush for the Japanese symbol for spring on the vase and also my siggie.  I love peonies!

Follow the Lavender Road

oil on hardboard panel, 14" x 11"

Another palette knife painting.

Cottonwood Cluster

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

For some reason, the acrylic color of violet oxide does not translate well to digital media.  I used it to paint the background hills here, and tried every which way to get the color of those hills to read accurately online, to no avail.   A live viewing of this painting will show the hills to be less purple, more reddish, and slightly paler.  This problem seems to happen only with violet oxide, but it is one of my favorite mixing colors.  What to do, what to do.

Plum Tree

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

Portrait No. 12

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 12"

The latest portrait from a 2-hour session last Tuesday.  The sitter was a good friend of mine, Erin Parsley.  This is my first attempt at painting someone I know, a thing much harder to do, I discovered, than painting a stranger.  Funny, that.

White Iris

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 10"

Another in what has become my "white flower" series.  I'm going through all the white flowers I can think of to paint, all because I enjoy painting the shadow areas.  It's fun to paint a non-white color that still reads as white within a greater context.

Giraffe and Acacia Tree

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

This is for Tex, a beautiful soul who appreciated this little digital painting I did a while ago and have never posted, until now.  I love you, Tex!

Portrait No. 11

acrylic on canvasboard, 10" x 8"

Another 2-hour portrait sketch from my Tuesday night group.

White Carnations

oil on canvas, 12" x 12"

This may be my last oil painting using a brush, unless I can figure out a way forward without using mineral spirits.  I used both brush and palette knife on this one, but from now on, it will be palette knife only with oils, since the mineral spirits have been talking to my kidneys.  It saddens me because I do love working with oils using both brushes and knives together to make a painting.  It's not the end of the world, since I can do that with acrylics, and if I had to choose one medium, it would probably be the plastic one; the colors are just so dynamic

Mammoth Rock

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

Ellis Creek Study

acrylic on canvasboard, 12" x 16"

This is a plein air study I did at my new favorite spot, Ellis Creek.  I plan to paint that particular scene again, as I am mesmerized by all the colors in the water.

Island Girl

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 12"

This was painted from a live model last weekend in a 2.5 hour session.  There were two models and I wish I could have painted both, but I ran out of time.  

Yunnan Rice Field

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

Shollenberger Reeds

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

A quick iPad study of one of my favorite local painting spots, Shollenberger Park.

Portrait No. 10

acrylic on canvasboard, 12" x 6"

This is the result of a 2-hour session, a portrait of a young Japanese-American woman.

Window Reflections

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 12"

Portrait No. 8

oil on canvas, 8" x 8"

Another portrait, the result of a 2.5-hour session, this time in oil.  As an exercise, I forced myself to do it entirely with a palette knife.  I used two knives to create this one.  The sitter was an exchange student from Beijing.

Cabin in the Cottonwoods

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"

Portrait No. 7

acrylic on masonite panel, 10" x 10"

Lola

oil on gesso board, 12" x 12"

More green and pink! I love the pairing of a hot pink with a cool green.  In fact, I love the pairings of all complementaries where one is hot and the other cool.

Springtime in Bathpool

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 18"

I seem to have spring on my mind a lot lately, and when I think of spring, I think of green and pink.  This painting is a scene alongside the River Lynher in a little piece of paradise called Bathpool, which is located in Cornwall.

Devon

oil on cradled birch panel, 11" x 14"

This was an exercise in painting material, something I've been doing a lot lately and loving.  Here I was playing with the abstract shapes made by the folds of satin, wondering how far I could push it.

Portrait No. 6

acrylic on hardboard panel, 16" x 12"

The result of another 3-hour portrait session. 

Putnam Plaza

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

Orange Vase with Daisies

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

Blood Brothers

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 12"

There were two little bulls, siblings, that I got to know a wee bit when they were kept in the corral attached to the art studio I had in Sonoma.  I added the third in this painting just to balance the composition.

Emily from Memory

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 6"

This past weekend I took a wonderful workshop taught by Peggi Kroll Roberts, with the focus on still life and figurative.  This little painting I completed from memory later on in my studio, as I had not taken a photo of the model during her sitting and only had a rudimentary sketch to work from.  She was a great model to work with; unfortunately, I could not remember how her hand was placed and so now it seems to be lost under the folds!  If and when I find that hand, I will update this post, but for now, time to move on.

Spring Hopes Eternal

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

Slurp!

oil on hardboard panel, 6" x 6"

Just for fun, this.

A California Winter

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

This is my impression of the countryside surrounding Petaluma in January this year.  I was painting outdoors yesterday and it felt like the middle of summer.  Bizarre!

Portrait No. 5

acrylic on canvas panel, 12" x 9"

Lately, I've been attending weekly 3-hour drop-in portrait sessions here in Petaluma, this being my 5th one.  I'm really enjoying the experience and hanging out with a good group of artists.  If this becomes a regular thing, I may start a separate blog devoted to portraits and figures.

The Green Window

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

Blue Nude

iPad painting, 14" x 10"

The Cliff's Edge at the Pelican

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

This was painted from a photo I had taken while staying at the Pelican Cottage just north of Gold Beach, Oregon, earlier this year.

City Scene

acrylic on canvas, 10" x 10"

This was an exercise in neutrals that didn't turn out as expected.  Because acrylics lean toward the center values when they dry, it's hard to get the subtle value shifts accurate.  I still like the effect, though, and might try a larger version of this one.