Green Adobe with Chamisa

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

After a long hiatus, I'm finally able to start clearing some time for painting again.  Other obligations pulled me away as I was starting this one, so its trajectory was interrupted and, although I worked it to some sense of completion, I can't help wondering how different it would have turned out had I been able to work it from start to finish in one or two back-to-back sessions.  This is a corner of a modern adobe home I often drove by on my way to and from Arroyo Seco, a charming little village in New Mexico between Taos and Taos Ski Valley.  I loved the pale green color of the walls of this home set against the citron yellow of the chamisa blossoms, with the latilla ladder leaning against a wall, and the peak of Taos Mountain just "peaking" over the home.  This is a quintessential Southwest scene, at least to my eyes.

Roses of Robert's Barn

iPhone painting, 10" x 10"

I now have 20 paintings gracing the walls of the tasting room at Denman Ranch, most of them for sale.  I've also done a number of digital paintings of the property, which I hope to show as a collection at some point.  Here is one I did from my iPhone a few months ago.  Life now returns to "normal," where I can FINALLY get back to painting.  Hallelujah!

Backyard Cottonwoods

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here's another New Mexico painting dug out of storage, one that I'd forgotten about.  I painted this with a palette knife en plein air in my backyard one brilliant day.  I love the irregularity and organic look of latilla fences of the Southwest, and the view from my backyard of those golden cottonwood trees was just amazing.

From Out of the Blue

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

I've been rifling through my paintings in storage as I am mounting an exhibit in the tasting room here at Denman Ranch, and I came across this abstract painting I did in New Mexico in 2018.  Looking upon this with fresh eyes, I quite like it.  Glad I kept it.

Fred Baca Park

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

Here's another digital painting from New Mexico, a quick sketch of Taos Mountain from Fred Baca Park, a little neighbourhood park in Taos that I frequently took my dog to.  

African Spoonbill

oil on panel, 14" x 14"

A straightforward portrait of an African spoonbill wading in shallow waters.  I have painted a roseate spoonbill previously, and I just find these birds to be so exotic, with their long legs and bills.

Old San Luis Facade, with Salvia

oil on panel, 10" x 8"

It's back to New Mexico with this one, or rather, Colorado.  San Luis is reputedly the oldest town in Colorado, just over the border with New Mexico.  I've painted this structure before but from a different angle.  I found it very intriguing from a painting perspective, and so of course, I had to paint it again!

White Roses by the Window

oil on panel, 24" x 24"

This painting of a bouquet of white roses from my garden was an attempt at partial abstraction.  I didn't want to fully define each flower, opting for a loose impression instead.  Color harmony and creating a sense of depth were the overriding concerns here, and I'm happy with the result.

Hoo r Yoo?

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

This is a painting of a barn owl I had fully intended to experiment with, but life intervened and, by the time I could turn my attention to it several days later, the paint had partially dried.  This is why I consider myself an alla prima painter.  I like to work a painting to completion while it's still fresh.  Still, the result, at least to my eyes, is not without merit.  I think he's a cute little guy (girl?).

Tigery

acrylic on canvas paper, 18" x 12"

I've been contemplating lately painting a tiger but haven't yet settled on how I want to treat the subject.  In the meantime, I had the urge to do an abstract painting using only Indian yellow, burnt sienna and ivory black, plus white.  The result looks a bit tigery to me.

Becoming

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Just experimenting here with the abstract shapes of a rose unfolding.

Purple Pansy Study

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Another flower study done with the idea in mind of going big on the next version.  

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. 

Taos Mountain with Cows and Clouds

oil on canvas, 12" x 36"

This was a scene that I passed by daily in Taos, NM.  Every time I drove past it, I had to stare at that magnificent mountainous landscape.  The photo I worked from was taken in July, so this is a summer scene.  The mountain has many moods within each season, however, and I am not done with it, not by a long shot.  

Holy Cow

oil on panel, 24" x 24"

I started this painting in New Mexico and finished it here in California.  This is one of those iconic Southwestern sights, and a reminder of our temporary status here on earth, that we, too, are just passing through.  I find the bones themselves to be luminous and wanted to accentuate that quality. I also love the curvilinear shapes of those horns!

Blue Raven

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Here's another bird painting, one of my favourite subjects.  Experimenting, teasing abstracted elements, finding a balance between realism and abstraction:  these are the things I'm working on in this piece.  Also, taking some care with the focus.

Fall Colors at SSU

oil on panel, 10" x 8"

This piece was started en plein air and finished in the studio.  I get more satisfaction when painting on a hard, smooth surface such as this one, giving the paint itself a more prominent role in the picture.  The sheer variety of trees at Sonoma State University makes for a challenging and exciting painting experience.  I try.

Pedernal with Cottonwoods

iPad painting, 10" x 10"

Here's a plein air digital sketch I did last fall, facing that famous Cerro Pedernal from Ghost Ranch, just west of Abiquiu in New Mexico.  My perspective was not far from the cottage that Georgia O'Keeffe rented with a direct view of Pedernal, so this would have been her view as well.

The Sun Feels So Good

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

I'm going to be posting some digital paintings from my year in New Mexico on this blog until I've finished creating a separate blog to house them.  This is a digital painting I did of a sculpture by the same name on the compound where I was living just north of Taos.  

Indian Summer Dusk, West of Petaluma

oil on panel, 8" x 16"

This painting of the hills of West Sonoma County near Petaluma was done from a photo I took in the early evening on my drive home from work recently.  I love the pink and orange hues in it, as I was trying to conveying the warm glow emanating from those velvety hills.  I never get tired of this view.