Today was a “crisis of confidence“. I couldn’t find the right spot, it was windy, etc… Oh well. You need bad days to recognize the good ones. Here are the two paintings I did today. This painting was done on the coast of Cambria, just south of San Simeon, home of Hearst Castle. Cambria Bluffs … Read more
Painted today from 7am to 9:30pm–and okay, yes, there was a 2-hour nap in-between, I’m not a machine! I finished 4 paintings, so at this rate, I should have a good selection from which to select my 3 for the judge and exhibition, and 3 backups. I started the morning at Laguna Lake Park, which … Read more
I’m headed to San Luis Obispo tomorrow morning for their annual plein air event. The weather forecast looks terrific, so I shouldn’t be hampered by rain (like last year). There’s a great roster of artists attending, so it should be a terrific show! Hope to see you there. See below for show details. Click for … Read more
Wow, I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I blogged last! I’ve never gone this long. Mike and I just returned from a Mediterranean Cruise. I decided last minute not to take my MacBook…yet another thing to carry and worry about, so I just took my sketchbook and a camera. After a hectic … Read more
I had a great day at Golden Gate Park yesterday, finishing two good studies. This view is the other side of the Golden Gate Pavilion peace pagoda, that I painted last week. There are some color harmonies here that I’m really happy with, and likely to use in a larger painting. In particular the left … Read more
“It is in the contrast of light and dark that design happens.” – Helen Van Wyk Petaluma Farm – Oil on Canvas – 8×10 (SOLD) This is part 7 in my series of 10 “top observations” on painting…although I think a few more may crop up 🙂 First a definition: In art, “value” is the … Read more
I painted the Golden Gate Pavillion peace pagoda (see comment below) today on Strawberry Hill, on the bank of Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. There’s a neat virtual tour of the structure here. According to Wikipedia, a peace pagoda is a Buddhist stupa designed to provide a focus for people of all races and … Read more
Hey, I won an Honorable Mention last night! Nice surprise. The show was judged by Sarah Besarra, of the Plein Air Scene. My personal favorite, “Trash Day” won the award. The funny thing is, Julia Seelos painted the same house from a different angle, and won an Honorable Mention as well. My next plein air … Read more
I gave the Epperson Gallery two paintings this morning: “Trash Day“, my personal favorite and “First Avenue“. I needed one more painting to meet my quota, so went for a drive in the hills to balance my two town paintings with a country. Here’s my setup. I started with a 12×16 linen canvas toned with … Read more
Vahona Plein Air is a short, three day paint-out for which I only need to paint 3 paintings. I did well today, painted two good ones. If I can get one more done tomorrow, I can skip Sunday (and just come to the reception at 4). Both of these were painted on the same street, … Read more