The Caracal

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

This is a study of the elusive caracal, an exotic wild cat found throughout Africa and Asia.  I punched up the colors but couldn't get them quite right.  Will retake photos in the morning and update this post.

Hola

oil on panel, 24" x 24"

This was a work in progress that stayed that way because it really was finished; it just took me a while to see it.  It sat in the time-out room for months because soon after starting it, I got pulled away for 4-5 days, during which time the paint had dried and I'd lost some momentum.  When I finally gave it a second look, it felt finished.  

Lavender Baby Rhino Study

 
oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

So I painted a pink elephant.  Why stop there?  Lavender is the perfect color for a baby rhino, don't you think?  I think this little guy is pretty cute.

Pink Elephant Study

 

oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

This one was just for fun.

After Ophelia

acrylic on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

The reference for this painting was a thumbnail.  I'm getting lots of practice painting cars lately.  Not sure what's up with that, but there must be smething, right?  This scene is from Wilmington, North Carolina as tropical storm Ophelia was passing through.

Hastings at Dusk

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

I painted this scene of a sunset in Hastings, U.K. from a photo I cribbed from my Facebook feed just because I I loved the colors in it.  I distilled it down to the basics to simplify the composition.  Needs a couple tweaks, but otherwise I'm happy with it.  

I've been relegated to doing only small works since last November, ever since my pet sitter went out of commission.  I cannot work in the studio with my dog there, where she paces incessantly, which drives me nuts.  And I cannot work on larger pieces when I cannot work back-to-back 6-hour days minimum.  So for the time being, I must work at home instead where I only have a tabletop easel.  Looking forward to the day when I can sink my teeth into larger works again.

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.