This is another portrait I'm adding to my series of influential Black American artists, musicians, singers and other creative trailblazers. Ray Charles was considered a genius by many in the music industry and was often referred to as "The Genius," but he preferred to be known rather as "Brother Ray." His powerful baritone packed an emotional punch with a singular style all his own. He is a giant among giants in music and will likely always be.
This painting of a black iris was an exercise in disappearing edges which I found exceedingly hard to photograph without glare. I wanted to offset the background slightly with a reddish black tinge, so I used a mix of alizarin crimson, ivory black and a touch of diox purple, but I'm not sure it comes across.
This little abstract piece started out light an airy, with lots of white, pale pinks and greens, and somewhere along the way, it took a turn and ended up like this. Not sure what to make of it, but I kinda like it.
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.
Here's a palette knife painting I whipped up today of the Lynch Creek area in east Petaluma in springtime, with the mustard flowers forming a citron carpet in the field. To go along with the blustery weather we're having, I tried to move like the wind with my palette knife, and it turned out much to my liking!
The narrative painting of my previous post reminded me of Taos, New Mexico, where I was first introduced to the narrative approach to painting, which reminded me of the casita I inhabited for a year. It was an amazing place with astounding views of Taos Mountain, and it would glow at times with an otherworldly radiance. I've tried to capture the intensity of that glow in late afternoon.
This is an unfinished portrait of an older Amy Winehouse which precedes the other one I've done and which I was not happy with initially, so I never finished it. Since then, I've gazed at it in low light a number of times and find it oddly compelling. It has grown on me, which is why I'm posting it now.
Here's another subject I've been wanting to paint for quite some time. The secretarybird is an endangered, largely terrestrial bird of prey endemic to Africa. It can reach up to over 4 feet in height, and there's something almost human-like in its regal, statuesque bearing. What an extraordinary being!
This is one of those paintings I've been meaning to do for a long time and just now getting around to it. As an animal lover, I'm not so much a cat person as a dog person, but I do find cats fascinating and really fun to paint. Very satisfying!
Spring fever is hitting me at the moment, and I'm seeing magnolia trees sprout their blossoms, so here's a little taste of spring.
This is a study of a scene that I gazed upon daily from my living room window years ago when I lived in Chileno Valley. I may do a larger, more fleshed out version in oil. It was a magical place not only because of the beautiful contours of the terrain, but being so close to the coast often gave the atmosphere a mystical quality.
This is another experimental piece, just playing around with abstract elements. The emerald toucanet is a vibrant little toucan found in Mexico and Central America.
It's back to birds with this little study of three terns. The title is a play on words of the title of the classic Byrds tune "Turn, Turn, Turn." What can I say, I've had music on my mind a lot lately.
I must say, this was a fun painting to do. Amy Winehouse was such a colorful character, in addition to her phenomenal talent as a singer, songwriter, and stylist. I thought it befitting that her portrait should also be a riot of color. She was completely unique, a singular force in a world that craved ever more of her, and in the end, it devoured her. I hope the world will learn to cultivate and revere uniqueness such as hers, and at the very least, give a closer listen to her music. I've titled this painting after one of her lesser known tunes but one of my absolute favorites for its sultry licks, clever lines, and fun sense of humor. Give it a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIz15iovRjE.
I started this painting of a great white heron taking off from a lagoon a few years ago, then set it aside and forgot about it, until the other day. Just mainly playing around with color combos on this bird, seeing how far I can push it.
Another fish study, this one of a "pet" koi fish dubbed Smokey, who lives in a beautiful pond at my friends' property near Mendocino, California. My friends have a bunch of border collies as well, and one of them, a handsome dude named Prodi, actually has a relationship with Smokey. They're friends! They go nose to nose whenever they meet up. It's quite something to witness, so this is a very special fish. I may try and do a larger version of him (or her?) on panel some day, but for now, this'll have to do.
This little abstract ditty reminds me of popcorn and cotton candy, two treats you would find at almost any county fair -- hence the title. Not that I was thinking of edibles as I painted it. These abstract studies are just fun, freeform exercises.
I finally got around to painting a couple horses I encountered near the grounds of Taos Pueblo in the winter of 2018. I'm pretty sure the light horse was named Merwin, as he looked just like the one in a photo I saw at Taos Plaza that year. My heart went out to all the horses who had to tough out the long New Mexico winters without even a blanket for warmth. At least these two didn't seem to be undernourished.
Continuing with the fish theme, here's a study of a red snapper.
This quick little study of a colorful triggerfish was quite satisfying because it was something I could do within an hour. I think he's happy, too. Let's leave it at that.
Although you'd never know it from the colors, this abstract ditty was made from paint left over from the previous painting, Winter Garden. When I finish a painting, if there is enough paint left over, I like to play with it and use it up because I customize my palette for the color needs of each painting and hate to waste the paint.
This is a winter scene from the property in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico where I lived in 2018. It was a magical 4-acre property, a sculpture garden with both natural and man-made sculptures dotted throughout, one of which (a wood totem) is visible beyond the stream on the right.
With this quick little study of a seahorse, I'm just playing around a bit with composition, color, and techniques, using various tools for mark making, etc. I find the seahorse to be such a magical little creature.
Here's another landscape study of a local scene. I travel this road frequently, and it never fails to enchant me with its ever-changing scenery and light conditions. Thinking of new beginnings in 2022 here.
Last year at Christmastime, I painted the one remaining old vine at Denman Ranch and donated it to the owner, Ulysses Torassa. This year, I've painted the silo for her from a photo I had taken in 2014, before these vines were removed. It was a charming visage, and while I'm sad the vines are no longer there, the white fence with the silo and the roof of the barn visible behind it remain intact.
This is a portrait of my former housemate Christine's beautiful little Westie, Tucker, who passed away earlier this year. He was a real looker, and a great partner in crime to my little dog Lola. They were so much fun to watch together, and became the closest of friends and thick as thieves as they plotted their shenanigans in tandem. He is sorely missed. RIP, sweetheart!
Here's another landscape ditty from my imagination, done with a palette knife.
This is a portrait of Lorna Simpson, an accomplished Black American multimedia artist who is known for her groundbreaking work in conceptual photography, which I'm including in a series of paintings of Black American artists, musicians, singers, poets, dancers and other creatives, many of whom I've only recently become aware of.
This is a study of a black-necked stork I had started months ago, then got interrupted and lost my momentum on. So, I gave it a time-out, then revisited the other day and decided to wrap it up. I was intrigued by the name because this stork's neck actually has a beautiful blue-green irridescence, which plays beautifully off those vermillion legs.
This painting was meant as a companion piece to another horse painting I did a while back, a portrait entitled "Just Horsing Around."
Sometimes I just need to paint without the least concern for details or the viability of the end result, and such was the case with this palette knife painting. The inspiration for it came from a photo I had taken of a vase of roses on my outdoor table, and I wanted to see if I could push it toward abstraction. As far as that goes, I think I achieved what I was after, which was a very satisfying experience. Update, 11.22.2021: I revisited this painting and felt the urge to add a few leaves, which I did with a brush. Now it's done!
This is a quick warmup painting for returning to oils after a long stretch of painting almost exclusively in acrylics. Also a warmup for returning to landscapes, which I prefer to do in oil.
I was completely unaware of the great Black American painter Beauford Delaney (1901 - 1979) until I recently read an article on him in the New York Times. He was a modernist painter and a colorist, and so I felt compelled to paint a colorful portrait of him as a way of paying homage to someone who should have been recognized and admired for his singular contribution to art long ago.
Here's a little abstract composition I doodled the other day while bemoaning the end of summer.
Yet another bird study, this one is of a ringed kingfisher. These little guys with their long beaks are found in habitats ranging from the southern U.S. to Mexico. I think they're really cute.
This is a study of a flamingo resting on one leg, something flamingoes love to do. I wanted to get the colors just right, but seeing as this is just a study, I stopped short of my objective. I have enough to go on, though, if I want to try this again on panel.
Pearl is the sole rooster at Denman Ranch, with a brood of about 7 hens (I think), and he is a standout in more ways than one. Aside from his striking colors, he has a reputation, shall we say, of assertiveness and has been known to slam into human legs for no apparent reason other than as a crude form of greeting. Some even find it charming. This guy is full of attitude, and he's not bad looking, either!
This was just a quick study using a palette knife, having a bit of fun using a palette of cad yellow, cad orange, light green permanent, pthalo blue, viridian and ivory black. I've had very limited time to paint these last few days, so when I went to my easel, I had to work fast and furious. Let's just say I'm not unhappy with the result.
This is a study of a scene I pass by often while walking my dog along the Lynch Creek Trail in eastern Petaluma. It is a study of the particular light that hits these hills at dusk, creating beautiful grays, with an intense strip of sun glow at the top of the hills. I had a difficult time getting the values that I wanted, mostly because I was using ivory black in my color mixes to dull the colors down a bit, which tends to darken as it dries. If I paint this scene again, I will do it in oil, not acrylic. That'll solve that problem!
I've heard young cows who have yet to give birth referred to as "springers." I've been wanting to paint these springers in this scene since last spring, in fact. So, now I've done it and I kinda like it.
This is a simple landscape study done without a reference. It's been a while since my last oil painting, and whenever I feel the urge to get back to it, I often opt for palette knife compositions where detail work is discouraged.
I've been fascinated by exotic birds for a few years now, and it seems I'm always finding new ones. Here's one I stumbled across recently and, of course, I had to paint her! The Oropendola is part of the blackbird family and native to the forests of Central and South America. There are variations in color among them, but they all have a bright yellow tail. The face is what I'm most drawn to, however. How does Nature come up with these designs? Amazing.
This is a study of a tropical scene that I am playing around with, hoping to adapt it to a larger composition. Fish are fun to paint, so I'm betting I'll be painting more of them.
