Blue Morpho Butterfly

oil on cradled panel, 20" x 20"

As an experiment, I thought I would try to marry the gold underwing of the blue morpho on the left with its iridescent blue upperwing on the right.  I like the overall effect.  It's hard to pick a side of a butterfly's wings to paint, they are both so beautiful and yet so distinct.  The pattern and coloring of the underwing is, in most cases, designed for detraction from predators, whereas that of the upperwing is meant to attract a mate.  The yin and yang of life, right there in one delicate little creature.  Amazing.

Taos Sunrise

acrylic on MDF panel, 12" x 16"

A new direction awaits me!  I'll be moving to New Mexico in the new year, to the Taos area, and this painting was done in anticipation of it.  The mountain depicted here is part of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, and the adobe in the lower right was just purchased by my good friend Bonny Von Dolores.  Imagine waking up to that view every morning!  I've been living in California for the past 22 years, so this will be a welcome big change for me and possibly a catalyst for complete transformation.  Perhaps that explains my recent fascination with the butterfly, which itself is the symbol of transformation.  

Wallace's Golden Birdwing Butterfly

oil on cradled panel, 6" x 8"

This is a species of birdwing butterfly, of the swallowtail family, found in Indonesia.  It is one of the largest in the world, with a wingspan of up to 6.3 inches.  An exotic and extraordinarily beautiful insect!

Brimstone Butterfly

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

I quite like the color harmonies in this little butterfly painting, especially the bright yellow glow coming off the upper wings.  The brimstone is found in Europe, Asia and North Africa.  

Mourning Dove

oil on panel, 8" x 10"

I painted this mourning dove in honor of my good friend Ron, who lost his daughter Claire recently to a rare liver disease.  She was only 38 years old.  I didn't know her, but testimonials from everyone in her world described an exceptionally rare and beautiful spirit.  The angels in this world sometimes complete their tasks ahead of schedule.  

This painting was done using the various tools I've been learning to master lately.  In addition to brush and palette knife, I used a brayer, a carving block, and a makeup sponge.  With this method, it's really hard to know when a painting is finished.  I could easily go on and on with it, but I do like the abstract shapes in the background and especially the colors.

Stillness in Motion

oil on panel, 16" x 20

This is a work in progress, but because I'm using the indirect method to paint it, there needs to be time for each paint layer to dry before applying a layer of Liquin, then waiting for that to dry before adding more paint.  It's a process that requires patience, something I'm not too good at when it comes to painting.  This lovely creature is a little blue heron, whose breeding habitat is subtropical swamps.  The fanned back feathers signal its breeding status.

The Steering Committee

oil on canvasboard, 18" x 24"

This is a painting I've had in mind to do for a long time, simply because I loved the colors of the four steer in combination.  I used a carving block for some of the foreground, one of my new favorite painting tools acquired from a recent workshop, and the palette from that workshop as well.  Ever since this workshop, my output has slowed down considerably in order to apply coats of Liquin in between painting sessions.  The Liquin seals the paint on the surface so that any new paint applied will not mix with the underlying layer(s).  This is especially useful for glazing, a technique that I've never employed until now.  Lots of learning going on in my studio at the moment!

Madagascar Swallowtail Butterfly

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Another little butterfly painting.  Not spending a lot of time on these, but they are great exercises in low-risk experimentation.  More to follow.

The Watering Hole

oil on panel, 20" x 16"
sold

A Holstein cow standing in water, one of the two main paintings I worked on during an animal painting workshop with Lindsey Kustusch.  I was not particularly happy with either effort, but I do like the cow itself in this one.  I may work on it a bit more later, but for now it's going to the time-out room.  

Ulysses Butterfly

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

This is me taking a baby step toward incorporating abstraction into my realist paintings, an avenue I'm just beginning to pursue.  I've been taking a workshop with the great Lindsey Kustusch, hoping to absorb some of her fine techniques and adapt them to my own style.  I realize this will take a while and requires a lot of patience.  That's okay, whatever it takes, however long it takes.  Painting is a process, and working outside my comfort zone is good for me, even if it feels shaky, uncertain, and frustrating in the moment.  I'm not displeased with this one.

Crater Lake

oil on hardboard panel, 6" x 6"

An abstract palette knife color study done with a limited palette of ultramarine violet, cyan, cad yellow deep, and alizarin crimson. 

A Crossing

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

This painting has been through several iterations, and this might not be the last one.  It's in the time-out room at the moment, where I'll pass it every day and wonder what it needs, if anything.  Update 1.29.2024:  I pulled this painting out of a box in my storage room the other day and found it pleasing.  I declared it finished, then signed and rephotographed it.  Time does give one a fresh perspective.

Lemon Bar

oil on canvasboard, 10" x 10"

Here's a semi-abstract imaginary still life using, once again, leftover paint on my palette from my previous post, Pink-necked Green Pigeon.

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

oil on wood panel, 12" x 12"

This is a work in progress, having laid down the basic composition.  I'm hoping to work on it more this week, but I'm attending a six-week workshop that is keeping me very busy learning another approach to painting, the indirect method.   In this approach, you first complete a tonal underpainting, then apply paint in layers as transparent glazes to get an overall translucent effect.  I've been painting in a direct method, or alla prima (one session), for the most part, for years now.  It involves painting wet on wet with opaque (non-transparent) paint.  I sometimes paint wet on dry simply because I can't get back to it for several days, but I've learned to work with that being the case.  I'll be posting a little less frequently because the paintings done in the indirect way take much more time, since each layer of paint needs time to dry before work can progress.  So, this new challenge is most welcome!  The teacher of the workshop is an incredibly talented young artist named Lindsey Kustusch.  Check out her work!  

Updated 9/20/17:  I've worked on this painting more and, for better or worse, consider it finished.  I wanted to render the foliage in semi-abstract leaf and flower shapes so as to draw more attention to the pigeon.  Not sure I accomplished it, but that was my intent.  I just love the rainbow of colors on the pigeon's front as they interact with the red berries directly below.

California Gold

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 8"

This is an imaginary landscape done with a palette knife, essentially amounting to a color study using a palette that is somewhat unfamiliar to me.  The "new" colors here are phthalo blue, cad red medium, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre, in addition to the familiar colors of ultramarine blue, Indian yellow, and cad yellow light.  I'm just trying to get more familiar with the mixing capabilities of this palette.

Oh, to See the Light!

oil on hardboard panel, 12" x 9"

This is a plein air painting of the south end of a rustic barn on the property where my art studio is located, which is now called Denman Ranch.  Robert, a wonderfully upbeat and creative man, makes high-end lighting fixtures inside that barn.  Ironically, the narrow opening in the lower left illuminates nothing of the interior space, rendering it all the more mysterious.  The barn is graced by irises, grapevines, and a privet tree, and the lawn in front is one of my dog Lola's favorite hangouts.  Denman Ranch is a special place for sure.

Purple Honeycreeper

oil on wood panel, 8" x 8"

This was meant to be a work in progress, but knowing that I won't be able to get back to it for a few days means I may have a totally different idea about it by then.  Or I'll just leave it as is, having done it in one session with the same palette, which helps with the overall harmony.  The purple honeycreeper is native to northern South America, from Colombia to Brazil.  Love his yellow feet  (yes, it is a male)!

Update 9/13/17:  I finally got around to working a wee bit on the background, so it looks more finished now to me.

Bodega Bay View from Doran Bluff

iPad art, 10" x 14"

Another perspective on another day at Bodega Bay, this digital sketch was done from the opposite end of the bay.  I had to work faster than ever, as it appears my dog is losing her patience whenever I whip out my iPad and lose myself in it.  This one took about 5 minutes, a record for me!

Labor Day at Bodega Bay

oil on wood panel, 8" x 10"

I came upon this enchanting but rapidly changing scene at Bodega Bay, and was glad I snapped a few photos before I had to pack up and leave so that I could add those fleeting elements in the studio later.  I was frustrated with the gessoed surface, which had vertical grooves left by the brush, but decided to use those grooves to help me create some interesting textural effects.  I loved watching this photographer pursue her labor of love in an area of low tide to try and capture in closeup a very large white bird, probably a great egret.  The fishing boats were returning from their day's outing and various smaller white birds were dotting the shallow end of the bay, an altogether charming scene.

Tomales Bay Triangles

oil on linen-mounted gatorboard, 8" x 10"

This is a plein air palette knife painting of a scene that I simplified in order to emphasize the triangular patterns I saw in the cliff, the trees, and the two sailboats floating on a quiet Tomales Bay.  I have to say, it's quite a challenge to paint boats with a palette knife.