Banggai Cardinalfish 2

 

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Here's another little fish study to go with the one I did last week.  

To and Fro

 

oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"
SOLD

This was an experiment (aren't they all?) with a palette knife, trying to keep it loose.  I wanted to create an after-the-rain atmosphere that I had liked in the reference photo.  

Banggai Cardinalfish

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

A little fish study of an endangered species found only around the Banggai Islands of Indonesia.  I love the opalescence of this little fish, which only reaches 3 inches end to end.

Morning Commute

oil on panel, 9" x 12"
SOLD

This painting of my morning commute to work in San Francisco was done from a poor quality photo I took from my car with an old point-and-shoot camera.  I challenged myself to see if I could still produce a viable painting from it.  I'm happy with the overall composition, although it proved nearly impossible to get an accurate photo of the painting, since it was done on a smooth pre-gessoed panel that made the paint look slick and shiny. 

Bluebeard

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

The first pass at this painting was strictly palette knife, but then I went in with a brush the next day, before the paint had dried, and swiped some areas, to a beautiful effect, I thought.  I love this painting.  I'm amazed at its magic, especially when viewed live.  The black background was a combo of pthalo green and alizarin crimson, always an interesting black, and I think it sets off the intense blue violet of the iris to great effect.

Fragrant

 

oil on panel, 9" x 12"

This was an attempt to meld abstract and realist elements in a still life.  I was working from a bouquet of lilies on the kitchen table and didn't want to get too realistic but did want to suggest lilies.  More importantly, I wanted to convey their scent in pictorial form.  I'm already longing for spring.  Can you tell?

Gary's Friend

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is a quick portrait study from an image another student used in the portrait workshop from last October.  I thought she had an interesting face and her deep inward gaze pulled me in.  Had to try and paint that!

Cheeky!

 

oil on canvas, 36" x 42"

This is a narrative painting that I actually started late last year and never quite finished.  It's been languishing in the time-out room for months now.  I did it for a laugh, especially for the guy in the mid-distance.  He cracks me up.  I was also going though a phase then, living vicariously through her, lol!  I hope to finish it before too long.

You're Kidding, Right?

oil on panel, 8" x 10"

At the risk of anthropomorphizing my dog, here's a painting of her I did from a photo that seemed to capture her almost human-like stare.  Even though it came together very quickly, I may tweak this one with some details in the near future.  I love her little mouth in this one and the stray hairs over her right eye.

Feliz Navidad

oil on canvaspaper, 12" x 12"

A little Christmas composition.  Sending out some lights within the darkness...

Tiger in Water

oil on canvaspaper, 12" x 12"

This study of a Royal Bengal tiger was just for fun.  I love the interplay of colors throughout.  Don't have time to do more ambitious pieces right now, just small works that don't take a lot of time to complete.  Temporary circumstances force me to curtail work on larger, more labor-intensive pieces and focus instead on simple studies and paintings that evoke a particular mood.  Update 12.25.2023:  I tweaked this painting a bit in places where I cut into the face with a few green shards to integrate the tiger with the water more and also hopefully emphasize the eye on the left a bit more.

El Prado

 

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

ON LOAN

This study is a scene that became very familiar to me when I lived near Taos, New Mexico.  I needed to find safe areas to walk my little dog Lola and maybe let her enjoy some off-leash time, something she loves.  El Prado is a high-end neighborhood in the north section of Taos as you're heading toward Taos Ski Valley.  It is dotted with well-kept modern adobe homes, the only drawback for me being that there are no paved roads in that area; in fact, much of Taos is unpaved, a bit of a nightmare in winter.  That's why many of these nice homes are either unoccupied or rented out for the duration of what can sometimes be a brutal winter.  I lived there for only one year in 2018, but it was a heavy snowfall that winter and I found it to be a deal breaker, coming as I did from the California coast, where snowfall is unheard of.  Alas, even in El Prado, I found free-roaming dogs on occasion.  I always had to be vigilant for my dog's safety everywhere I went, which was psychically exhausting.  The views of Taos Mountain and the Ski Valley were always breathtaking, though, with the high desert carpeted in sagebrush.

Moonface

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 8"

This was an experiment that didn't go as planned, so I adapted the composition accordingly.  The subject is an African moon moth, a fascinating flying creature with eerie eyespots giving a human-like appearance.  For some reason, I found it very difficult to get a decent photograph of it.  Ah, the elusive moon moth!

Piglet Pals

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

A simple study of two little piglets I've been wanting to do for a while in a warm composition.

The Stare

oil on panel, 8" x 10"

Persian cats all seem to have attitude, and this one is no exception.  They're fun to paint.

White Wolf

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Continuing with the wolf theme here.  This study wanted to be impasto, so I let it.  

Arctic Fox

 

oil on panel, 12" x 24"

Here's a painting of an arctic fox on a bed of icy snow.  I'm on an animal kick right now.  We'll see how long it lasts.

Trailblazer

 

oil on panel, 24" x 18"

This is an experimental piece that I see as largely successful.  I may do more to it, but I'm happy with the overall composition.

Origami II

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This abstract study has grown on me.   I did a similar one back in 2017.

Soul Sistahs

 

acrylic on canvas, 30" x 40"

This is actually two paintings on canvas, 30" x 20" each, but I put them together here as a kind of diptych, to showcase the mirror effect of the stark similarities in manners of expression between Tina Turner and Beyonce.  These two are aligned in the ether, and so I thought I'd put them together here.