Monday, August 29, 2011

Rabbits Everywhere and Looking Forward...
















Posts here on my blog may start getting rather sparse as I finish work for the upcoming show at the Randy Higbee Gallery October 1st 2011. Click here and here for earlier info on that show.

I'll do my best to post something at least once a week, but even doing that requires time to assemble and write and that is time better spent on painting. I will post some random images of work for this show as it approaches, so stay tuned.

The amount of work always seems like a daunting task with research, preparing panels, and all the other details I seem to forget about before I can even begin putting down paint. Even with all the help I get with calendars, schedules, gallery contacts, framing, accounting, archiving current work and too many other mundane tasks to mention it can seem overwhelming.

Some chores like cleaning and re-organizing get left out though, my studio is becoming choked with works in progress, materials strewn about and stuff I call 'Rabbits'... those little odd things laying around that seemingly come out of nowhere and multiply when I'm not looking (you know, clutter). Sometimes I have to hopscotch thru my studio. Bummer dude.

I am however excited, already have some work done, several larger works in progress and am chomping at the bit to begin others. This kind of nervous energy is always positive thing. It's the energy that feeds and drives me towards a goal. I like deadlines, I find I'm much more decisive with less time for second guessing. Those gut instinct decisions are usually right. My best work is usually born out of necessity.

Friday, August 19, 2011

One Man Show - Coast Magazine ad





















Here is the first formal announcement for my show at the Randy Higbee Gallery this fall. Above is the ad for Coast Magazine.
More info on what I will be showing here.
The above image, "Catalina Pacific Concrete (View from North)", blog post here.

Click on image for larger view

Monday, August 15, 2011

California Brown Pelican


















"Pelican #1"
oil on panel, 2011
6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)
private collection

The California Brown Pelican is found all up and down our coast and in the 1970's was in danger of becoming extinct due to DDT, a pesticide.

Pelicans with their huge beaks appear gangly but are so graceful in flight. Simple subject, simple design.
The challenge with the single object is trying to avoid the  'clump'  or  'bullet hole' smack dab in the middle of a composition.

Fortunately birds, with their wings especially, make the design easier to manage. Even centered this configuration allows for a more dynamic composition of angles and interesting shapes.

After that not much more was needed. I put the lightest value along the bottom to put air underneath the pelican and provide a visual 'lift' and subtly echoed the head and feather shapes in the darker clouds to set up an opposing angle to the two wings.
Cool light from above, warm shadow or reflected light from below.126


Click on image for larger view

Monday, August 8, 2011

Update-Previous Posts

*Updates
Here are three updates to previous posts.
Sometimes at the time of posting images I am either too busy or haven't yet collected (written) my thoughts to include them in the post, or I've rather hurriedly put down incomplete thoughts. Whenever possible I'll go back to update those to round out my blogs original intentions of putting down my own insights relating to my work, whether individual, series, or in general.


Click on titles to see update.
"Chandlers - Study #1"
"Harbor Line#70 - Study #1"
"Power Plant Interior - Study #1"



Monday, August 1, 2011

OMA Store 3
















"Sulfur Pile #1"    SOLD
watercolor on paper, 2011
5" x 8" (12.7cm x 20.32cm)

Here is another of my paintings at the Oceanside Museum of Art Store.
This one is framed and ready to hang, shown here unframed.

These sulfur piles were to hard too resist, bright lemon yellow in the middle of all these earthy, rusty browns, grays and blues. Clean pure high chroma colors are unusual in industrial settings.

I'm sure they are at least 30 feet high, so they reflected the sunlight like a beacon. Impossible to miss.125


Click on image for larger view