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.
