Tiger Stripe Shadows

"Train Bridge (w/ Shadows)"

watercolor on paper, 2011

6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)

For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

I love this late afternoon view of the bridge. The shadows from it and the unseen section stretching across the pavement resemble tiger stripes, giving it a nice linear aspect. It makes for a busy composition so a limited palette serves it better than a more colorful one, which would have made it too chaotic.150

Click on image for larger view

6 Inch Squared Show

Here is the announcement for the square format show and sale at the Randy Higbee Gallery.
Artists from all over the country are participating with all the paintings done in the 6" x 6" (15.24cm x 15.24cm) format.
The opening night and artists reception is December 3rd.
The show will hang until the 22nd.

Encina Power Station at Dusk 1 & 2

"Encina Power Station-Dusk 2"

"Encina Power Station-Dusk 1"

"Encina Power Station - Dusk 1"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2011
6 5⁄8” x 10” (16.83cm x 25.40cm)

“Encina Power Station - Dusk 2”  
oil on panel, 2011
7” x 5” (17.78cm x 12.7cm)

You won't see this palette from me very often. I have an aversion to pinks and most purples. However it was unavoidable here to accurately depict the time of day.
In "Dusk 1" I pushed the pink/purple as far as I could towards a slightly dirty earthy color, by adding burnt sienna, so it was not Easter lavender (yuck!).
In "Dusk 2", which I prefer over the two, zooming in allowed me to loose the pink altogether and again the purple is earthier, more like a dusty desert chaparral color. I then substituted an orange for pink at the horizon. The black helps to kill the 'pastel' palette too.

These are from my series on power plants.
Two elements of our coastal landscapes and a common motif in my work. The mix of industry and nature. Not beautiful to some but in scenes like these I see themes that go beyond the mere industrial or nature images alone. Themes in the tradition of Homer and Hopper.

Man and nature side by side. Industry has to be placed somewhere so it’s impossible to ignore. Since we like to live in beautiful areas we end up with power stations becoming part of the landscape.


Dusk 1 - This one shown in a panoramic view encompassing the lagoon with the station at it’s center.

Dusk 2 - Set in a palette of soft muted colors but contrasted with black. A calm lagoon and clear sky, it’s all there... maybe even therapeutic.148,149

See the nocturne version of Encina Power Station here.

Click on images for larger view

UP Yellow

"Union Pacific Yard"

"Union Pacific 8381"

 "Union Pacific Yard"

watercolor on paper, 2011

6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)

For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

"Union Pacific 8381"

watercolor on paper, 2011

6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)

For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

"Union Pacific Yard"  A simple watercolor broadly painted, large shapes. This view from across the street gave me the compositional device of framing the rail yard with fence, tree, pole and ground plane shadows, highlighting the bright yellow locomotives.

The "Union Pacific 8381" in the heart of the LA Harbor passing an industrial plant. Here is a great example of how the UP bright yellow locomotives stand out against the blues, silvers and grays of the harbor industry landscape as well as showing the gritty unglorified nature of industry without apology.

This is not a painting where the medium, in all its transparency, is celebrated. It is not flashy brush work. It is not pure vibrant colors that sing like a songbird.
It is the subject first. The medium takes a back seat. That inspiration comes from studying (and reading about) the watercolors of Edward Hopper who did not want the medium to overcome the subject, which he felt was more important and a notion I agree with.

This was done by applying the watercolor in repeated washes, more than is typical of the medium, and by scrubbing out then reapplying more washes, building a dense, solid almost inpenetrable wall behind the locomotive, which is placed low in the composition and establishes its place in the greater picture of industry. It is the engine in its environment, working, in the same way wildlife  artists might show a bull, an elk or a bear in its own harsh but true surroundings.146,147

Click on image for larger view

OMA Store 5

"Tree Nocturne (Downhill)"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2010
5” x 4” (12.7cm x 10.16cm)

This painting is the 7th of those at the Oceanside Museum of Art store. Click label below to see the others.
The nocturne ... its origin, mid 19th century French from Latin, nocturnus, meaning ‘of the night’.
Like most from my Tree Nocturne Series this is from a combination of imagination and memories, which lends it a subtle surreal quality. Working this way I allow things like the slightly off kilter street, the rustling tree wrapping around the streetlight, the distant harbor veiled in a marine layer. All to give it a more dreamlike quality.145

Link to value thumbnail here.

Click on image for larger view

Update-Previous Post & Acres of Books

*I have posted an update on the demise of the old Art Deco Building from my previous post 'State of Limbo' and the watercolor painting above "Acres of Books (backside)".

Burnscape Series - Black and White

Ashen Landscape

Singed Tree

"Burnscape #6 (Ashen Landscape)"
watercolor, Pelikan blk india ink on paper, 2011
6" x8" (15.34cm x 20.32cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE


"Burnscape #5 (Singed Tree)"
watercolor, Pelikan blk india ink on paper, 2011
6" x8" (15.34cm x 20.32cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE


Burnscape Series - Living in Southern California and seeing so many wildfires it would be easy to focus on the destruction. My attraction for the burned landscape isn't for its destruction... but instead how it modifies the landscape, turning it into a charcoal terrain... it is rebirth, the way Mother Nature intended.
It is how She manages her jurisdiction, by controlling dense undergrowth. We usually get in the way.
Man has traditionally prevented fires, the growth becoming so thick that when fire does occur it is devastating. Another topic on the Man vs Nature theme.


TOP: Certain vegetation produces white ash resembling snow. I sometimes refer to these as California fallscapes, winterscapes or snowscapes. Also revealed in the barren terrain are these odd lunar like holes (animal burrows) usually concealed under the growth.


BOTTOM: Grassy vegetation turns a charcoal black. Fire passes some trees when the grass is low to the ground, the heat turning some leaves brown but leaving other parts untouched and green. For composition and design reasons I focused on the pathways left by the fire trucks.143,144


Click on image for larger view

Atomic Number 16 & Caterpillar Yellow

"Sulfur Piles #3 (w/ Palm)"    SOLD
watercolor on paper, 2011
6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)

"Cat Hydraulic Excavator 320C"
watercolor on paper, 2011
6" x8" (15.34cm x 20.32cm)


Two of my recent watercolors, and different approaches, in the industrial genre.
On top is another view of the sulfur piles in the port. The high chroma bright lemon, sometimes cad yellow piles are quite a sight among the more earthy and somber colors of industry. A subject I simply can't pass up.

Below, in this one I let go of an absolute realistic depiction, having some creative fun. Wanting to give it something extra I decided to place it in a setting that looked more like a play in both lighting and staging, imparting some drama. A dark background and artificial type lighting to accentuate the bright yellow Cat and orange web fencing.141,142

Click on images for larger view

Thank You Again

Again I would like to Thank those who have joined/followed my blog, Thank you!
As I said before the whole google friend connect/send a message doesn't make sense to me. I have never been able to figure out how it all works.

In fact, it's all screwy... at times followers avatar/favicons/photo URL's fall off the followers list only to re-appear the next log-in or refresh, I don't know why. I finally gave up, deciding I was put on this earth to make the art, not figure everything out.

I do notice and appreciate everyone who takes their time to visit and/or leave comments.
I know how busy I get and how little time there is in a 24hr day.

David-

Urban River 1

"Santa Ana River #1"
oil on cradled panel, 2011
12" x 24" (30.48cm x 60.96cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE


Urban nature is a sort of oxymoron. It took years to come to terms with seeing our rivers encased in concrete banks as part of the natural world. I could never quite call them rivers.

But this is how we modify nature as it passes through our cities before being returned back to nature and into the ocean. There is a push and pull of man/nature going on. Concrete and manicured rock banks, then natural silt islands and vegetation growing in the middle. Nature briefly contained and on display. Ebb and flow.

I do see the beauty in both, the smooth hard man made surfaces and the delicate organic forms of nature. They simultaneously compliment and contrast each other.140

Click on image for larger view

OMA Store 4

"Tree Nocturne (Billowing Tree)"
oil on panel, 2010
5" x 4" (12.7cm x 10.16cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

Here is another of my small paintings at the Oceanside Museum of Art Store.

The nocturne... its origin, mid 19th century French from Latin,
nocturnus, meaning ' of the night '.

My Tree Nocturne series. I've kept the series compositionally simple, focusing on the tree and usually an unseen light source.
This painting breaks from that slightly.

There is more of a surface showing in the street, the cracks and buckling of decades old concrete, before asphalt. The sidewalk, hints of commercial storefronts and power poles all adding to its more urban setting.139

Link to value thumbnail here.

Click on image for larger view

Burnscapes - Man vs Nature

"Burnscape #4 (Charred Pine Stand)"

"Burnscape #8 (Charred Cactus)"

"Burnscape #4 (Charred Pine Stand)"
watercolor on paper, 2011
6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)

"Burnscape #8 (Charred Cactus)"
watercolor, Pelikan india ink on paper, 2011
6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)


Here are two recent watercolor/mixed media's from my Burnscape series. Both were at my solo show at the Randy Higbee Gallery. See previous posts.

Living in Southern California and seeing so many wildfires it would be easy to focus on the destruction. My attraction for the burned landscape isn't for its destruction... but instead how it modifies the landscape, turning it into a charcoal terrain... it is rebirth, the way Mother Nature intended.
It is how She manages her jurisdiction, by controlling dense undergrowth. We usually get in the way.
Man has traditionally prevented fires, the growth becoming so thick that when fire does occur it is devastating. Another topic on the Man vs Nature theme.

Top - #4 Trees are meant to survive fires where brush is low to the ground, the fire sweeping through too quickly (and frequently enough) to wipe them out. This pine stand didn't look like it would survive so to accentuate this I set its blackened silhouette against a background of unburned green.

Bottom - #8 As fire sweeps through dry brush, here... all that's left of a thicket, sometimes all that is left behind is high water content vegetation like cactus. What caught my attention was how the left side of the cactus clump seemed to have leaned away from the fire.137,138

Click on image for larger view

Harbor Line - Bridge Shadow

"Pacific Harbor Line 20 (Bridge Shadow)"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2011
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

The Pacific Harbor Line, the workhorse of the LA  Harbor. This newer one is part of the low emission line of locomotives for the move towards a greener port. Black and shiny as tar with striking graphics, they don't blend in, they stand out. Not graceful looking, they look like they mean business. The back end diagonals point down, the front point up to distinguish front from rear when seen head on. Its side panel graphics angling forward. So a nod of beautiful work to the designers of these burly beasts of burden.

My Pacific Harbor Line series. This one, the #20, is a remote control locomotive and is often parked here near the base of the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
Here it sits in the afternoon at the shadow of the Vincent Thomas Bridge as the marine layer begins to settle in over the port.136

Click on image for larger view

Matrix 2

"Power Plant Interior #2"
oil on panel, 2011
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

Here is another view of the power plant interior, the first here and a drawing here.
I could do dozens of these and not tire of it, even slightly different views. In fact I have a larger 24" x 30" in progress. I love the limited palette of muted ochre/yellow and sienna, with punctuations of earthy greens and reds.

One of the most fascinating buildings...several stories high...the interior nearly wide open... a matrix of pipes, valves, steel... deep and cavernous.

The light and colors seen here are faithful to the actual site...the walls and pipes painted in these ochres and creams, the floors a mixture of reds and greens, worn and distressed...deep earthy orange reflected light, then the translucent glass filters the outside light...a cool pale yellow.135

Click on image for larger view

Vincent Thomas Bridge #5 - Color study

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #5 - Color Study"
oil on panel, 2011
9" x 6" (22.86cm x 15.24cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

Here is another version, in oil, of the watercolor / gouache study from an earlier post.

On this one I experimented with a different color and value scheme to cut back the amount of lime green that shows in full sunlight. Throwing a soft shadow across part of the bridge allowed for multiple greens, from the lime green it shows in bright light to its signature chrome green and into a deep bluer green. The roadway a chocolate brown, the foreground structure a warm olive green.
Doing that also changes the design of the value distibution. With the towers in light and shadow a stronger more dramatic composition is achieved.134

777- Google's 7 Dynamic views

The Seven Dwarfs, The Seven Samuri...
and now Google has introduced 7 new different ways to view blogs.
And while they are still working on it to allow for better customizations, blogs can still be viewed in them without switching the template over. Click link below to view Avid Art in any of the seven Dynamic views starting with Flipcard. Each has its own characteristics. 


http://davidteterart.blogspot.com/view/flipcard


You can also at any time click the link 'Google Dynamic Views' in the right hand column at top.


Flip card is best for seeing all images currently on blog at once and allows for sorting by Recent, Date, Label, and Author.
One of the best features all share is infinite scrolling, no clicking older or newer posts.
No matter where you are in scrolling you can access the drop down menu by edging the pointer just over the black line under the title.
Hover over the arrow next to Flipcard to see others.
Have fun with it.
Click on blog title 'Avid Art' to return to this template.




PS- I'm not sure why some images do not appear in Flipcard and Mosaic. But the image is still there to click. On others, images are missing, maybe a result of this being a preview and not a selected template.
Also there seems to be some spacing issues in the translation.

Problem Solving- "Vincent Thomas Bridge #4"

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #4 - Catalina Express"    SOLD
watercolor on illustration board, 2011
11.75" x 8" (29.845cm x 20.32cm)


Here is a fairly common view of bridges. But a good one because there is a great sense of height when seen from the ground from underneath.

This is the finished painting of one I posted (here) back in March as a work in progress. One intended for my October Show.
It was one of those that at the beginning I had a clear vision of what I was going to do and how it would look. A quick painting, in a method I had done many times. I like those, they are fun and satisfying.

Then about halfway through I realized (OH NO!) it isn't working... it was just sort of dying right in front of me. So much for fun and satisfaction. This one is going to battle me. Should I panic? No... not really my style.

Problem solve, no problem. Think fundamentals, that is where most trouble lies. It's not the flooring, the curtains, the sofa etc., no, no, no... its the foundation, the framing or the roof. No point moving forward till I figure it out or I'm in for some wasted time.
Most of the time I know what to do... that is to 'let it go' and keep painting, keep forging ahead. Not this time, I sat back and stared at it and for the life of me I had no idea where it was failing. Ok, it's only half way done I thought soooo... start checking... the drawing or perspective of it really isn't off, maybe a little, but thats not it, those kinds of minor corrections take place as I refine the painting, working to the end.

It's too premature to really judge the color, or more specific... color relationships. If everything else is working; design, values etc, then color is usually secondary.
The point of view? nooo... god forbid otherwise the whole thing gets scrapped. Bad choices you can't fix.

The composition? ... uh... maybe... shoot, that would mean significant changes.
Forget texture or detail or surface... technique, these are usually more superficial, usually not the make or break of an image, more along the line of the refinements/corrections, at least the way I work.

I don't always know where things went wrong, right away, but I know WHAT TO DO.
That is to STOP looking at it. Put it away, turn it around, don't think about it, work on something else. Come back later for a fresh look.

So thats what I did. I came back to it, (more than once I might add), with a fresh eye...then it hit me! like a ton of bricks! It's lifeless! Stupid thing! Duh! I remember thinking  " ...it's dying right in front of me" the opposite of life, how did I miss the connection?
OK! Now what? Give it some life.

Sometimes, fundamentals or not, if I have an image that starts slipping away it unconsciously affects my enthusiasm and I start to lose interest which shows in the painting. The sooner I identify that the better. Then surprisingly few changes need to made.

• Start by introducing the warmer tones in the sky, it's far too cold in color temperature. 
• Too much residual green from my initial lay in, the early washes, substitute blues in place of greens.
• Break up the silhouette and soften edges. I was going for a strong graphic pattern from the start but now that I see it, it's too rigid, even for a bridge.
• Extend the foreground a bit, it's too slight to visually support the bridge

Whew! It wasn't that far off... looks like I won... HA, HA, HA,   it did not defeat me this time.133

Click on image for larger view

Vincent Thomas Bridge #8 Containment 1

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #8 (Containment 1)"
oil on panel, 2011
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

Bridges carry a certain civic pride much like state and country pride.Their primary function may be utilitarian but for locals they are a source of identity.

This painting also overlaps into my containment series, a series on modern construction techniques. These days everything gets wrapped in heavy plastic or tarps to contain the work, a sort of cocoon, keeping dust from contaminating the environment.

Twenty or thirty years ago it was not done and open construction was more prevalent. Modern green thinking has changed our approach to not only recycling but how we do  everything. This painting shows the painting of the underside in progress.

A broad view of the containment area shows all of the working tools and materials needed to paint the bridge.

A platform is hung underneath then everything is wrapped in plastic; wall, floors & suspension hooks. Nothing allowed to escape into the environment.133

*Update:
See the "Vincent Thomas Bridge #11 (Containment #2)" here.

Click on image for larger view

'Lines and Colors'

I am happy to announce and thrilled that Charley Parker over at 'Lines and Colors' has done a post on my work here.
I have followed his blog for some time and it is a great place to discover artists, both past and present, as well as museum websites, art related events, products etc.

Be sure to check out his other websites on the left hand side under 'My other sites' as he also does website design, comics, iPod and iPhone apps and cool dinosaur stuff.

Thank you Charley!

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #13"

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #13"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2011
7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)

Bridges carry a certain civic pride much like state and country pride.
Their primary function may be utilitarian but for locals they are a source of identity.

A bright day and back lit, a close-up of one of the towers partially unwrapped, the painting recently completed. A small pulley is used to haul up tools and materials from a platform below that extends out from under the bridge roadway.132

Click on image for larger view

One Man Show Opening - Randy Higbee Gallery

Me and Jennifer Teter-Mitchell
just before the show opened

Artist Wendy Wirth and Me

The opening night of my One Man Show at the Randy Higbee Gallery looked fabulous.
The highly professional presentation is the norm for the Gallery but is never as easy as it appears. It is achieved through lots of hard work by the entire staff there; from the framing to the hanging, the advertising and right down to the little finishing touches. All done with smiles and enthusiasm.

Here are some iPhone pics of the opening night. I'll post more pics soon. Here's a link to more art in the show, which will hang until October 15th.

Here at Avid Art, before it even becomes a show, there is the same hard work happening behind the scenes.
Jennifer Teter-Mitchell, who handles all the marketing and graphic design at Avid Art, deliveries, ephemeral material and far too many little but equally important tasks was tireless.
And Susan Laumen, who handles all the accounting, inventory, and archiving documentation, typing and the same... multitudes of minor details, was also tireless right up to the end.

None of us can do it alone, it requires a concentrated effort by too many people to mention individually.
So I thank every person in helping to make the show a success.

One Man Show - Seascape

"Seascape #5 (Rock Outcrop)"   SOLD
oil on canvas, 2011
24" x 36" (60.96cm x 91.44cm)

Another of my seascapes that is hanging in my show at the Randy Higbee Gallery and was sold on opening night. The show will hang until October 15th so there is still time to see it.

This Painting is loosely based on a real location off the California coast. Viewed from above but zoomed in for a slightly closer look so I could paint a classic seascape. That meant making certain compositional decisions and thus throwing out elements from the actual location to achieve that goal.

The foreground rocks, slightly soft focused, were designed to lead down into the composition.
The water surrounding the outcrop of rock had to be completely invented to really work as a convincing seascape so I carefully observed the actual behavior of the water and how it interacted with the rock, making sure to use my knowledge of art fundamentals as much as what I was seeing in real life.131

Click on image for larger view

Vincent Thomas Bridge and Containment

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #6 - Gold"   SOLD
oil on panel, 2011
16" x 20" (40.64cm x 50.8cm)

One more for the show tonight...

Bridges carry a certain civic pride much like state and country pride.
Their primary function may be utilitarian but for locals they are a source of identity.

This painting is from my Vincent Thomas Bridge series as well as overlapping into my containment series, a modern construction method of covering structures entirely while building and maintaining them.

Presenting the bridge in various lighting conditions allows me to show it without having to always use its signature chrome green color.

Late on a hazy day and with the east tower covered, no green at all is present but the bridge is still recognizable by the architecture of the west tower.130

Click on image for larger view

Temper Tantrum

"Seascape #9 (Angry Wave)"   SOLD
oil on panel, 2011
24" x 36" (60.96cm x 91.44cm)

One of my larger works that will be in my show at the Randy Higbee Gallery this Saturday  October 1st 2011, (See previous posts for more info). And a nice contrast to the harder edged works I do.

We like to give human characteristics to inanimate objects and the sea is no exception. Here I experimented with a soft edged focus to play against the somewhat angry wave violently slamming down like a child throwing a temper tantrum.129


Click on image for larger view

One Man Show - HB Power Plant

"HB Power Plant - Dusk"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2011
12" x 16" (30.48cm x 40.64cm)

Here is the painting from the postcard announcement for my show at the Randy Higbee Gallery next Saturday, October 1st 2011. See previous posts for more info.

Two elements of our coastal landscapes and a common motif in my work. The mix of industry and nature. Not beautiful to some but in scenes like these I see themes that go beyond the mere industrial or nature images alone. Themes in the tradition of Homer and Hopper.

Man and Nature side by side. Industry has to be placed somewhere so it's impossible to ignore. Since we like to live in beautiful areas we end up with power plants like this one becoming part of the landscape.

Here the setting sun and the marine layer provide a dramatic backdrop to both the power plant and the wetlands of Huntington Beach.128

Click on image for larger view

Oh No!... Chrome Green

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #5 - Study"
watercolor/gouache on wc paper, 2011
9" x 6" (22.86cm x 15.24cm)

A study for my Vincent Thomas Bridge series and included in the upcoming show. See previous post.

A few months back I began to ponder this series, especially regarding the show, and how it would present itself.
The challenge I found myself faced with was the color of the bridge itself. If I wasn't careful I would end up with a bunch 'chrome green' paintings... and green is a tough color, too much and your'e sunk. My Dad used to say "There is no such thing as a bad color... only a bad application of it."

Who would buy paintings with lots of green? Kermit the Frog. Shrek. The Incredible Hulk. They're not real so that leaves... Ed Begley Jr.?

The green of the bridge itself is spectacular in real life, the iridescent light reflecting paint, shimmering even on overcast days. But the moment it becomes a painting it's a different set of problems. Artistic decisions must be made. You can't merely copy real life.

I decided I had better use atmospheric conditions and time of day, light and shadow to control the green of the bridge within the paintings. This allowed me to modify the palette. Darken it by throwing it in shadow, lighten it with bright sunlight, increase the saturation, decrease the saturation or step on it (as Stapleton advises), use very little of it by featuring more of the surroundings, or eliminate the green altogether. All of which I've done in various paintings for the show.

This study shows the bridge in the afternoon under full sunlight, giving it more of a lime color. Lime green could easily overwhelm too, but used sparingly (as Dad would do) it pops, its bold, like it or not it's unexpected.
For a study I was free to throw down color. Here I put the more saturated color in the top half of the composition, the blue sky and the bridge, while the lower portion is deeper and richer in color and tone, chocolate brown and forest green, which helps anchor and keep the saturated colors under control.
To better integrate the bridge into its environment I allowed the warmer tones to spill into the background.127


Click on image for larger view

One Man Show at Randy Higbee Gallery

Here is the postcard announcement for the show at Randy Higbee Gallery. More info on this show here and here.
All above paintings are new and were painted for this show so this is the first preview of what the show will look like.

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.

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

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

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"

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


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OMA Store 2

"Encina Power Station Nocturne"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2011
4" x 5" (10.16cm x 12.7cm)

Here is another of my paintings at the Oceanside Museum of Art Store.

No moon, the darkness of night slowly consuming the fading light.
The lagoon for now still visible, but just barely. Soon the only interruption to the inky black will be a thin strand of smoldering embers at the horizon, nothing else till morning.124


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OMA Auction Paintings SOLD & OMA Store 1

I'm happy to report that my two paintings for the Oceanside Museum of Art sold saturday at their 'Summer Soirée'. Links to previous posts on this here and here or see below, a couple posts back.

I'm also fortunate to have some of my paintings offered in their museum store. 7 small oils and one watercolor.
The 3 below currently on my blog here, here and here. The train used for my Avatar/Favicon/Photo URL in a cropped version.
The others will come in (near) future posts.

Early Announcement - Fall Show

Besides recent and current projects, I am incredibly busy preparing for an upcoming show in the fall at the Randy Higbee Gallery.
Up to 50 works, paintings and drawings in various mediums including mixed media, at assorted sizes from the smaller 5" x 7"s up to at least 24" x 36" maybe larger.

I plan on showing several current series; my favorite assorted industrials, trains, burnscapes, seascapes and especially the bridge series which the show will center around and one I haven't yet really shown other than a couple of 6" x 6"s at previous shows. I'm also going to try to include a small percentage of works (hints) of new series which have been rolling around in the back of my head for some time.

As the show nears I'll post a few random images of whats to come, so stay tuned...

OMA Auction Paintings

Top:        "OMA #1"            SOLD

                oil on panel, 2011
                10" x 7.5" (25.4cm x 19.05cm)

Bottom:  "OMA #4"            SOLD

                oil on panel, 2011
                10" x 7.5" (25.4cm x 19.05cm)
View the complete art auction online; Oceanside Museum of Art Blog
For more info or to place a bid on any artworks in the silent auction call 760.435.3722
or email ; danielle@oma-online.org.


Here are my two paintings for the Oceanside Museum of Art Auction/Fundraiser. See previous post for more info.
Having visited the museum during the day as well as after dark to really study the architecture I decided to focus in on its entrance instead of a panoramic view, choosing two slightly different views, each taking advantage of that time of day and night.


"OMA #1"
This is the most dramatic nocturnal view of the Oceanside Museum of Art entrance. Lit up from inside, the architecture has a completely different character with an emphasis on it's warm interior.
Diagonal lines of light, the stairwell and interior corridors converge on the museums strong signature "O" located prominently at the center base of a pyramid shape formed by the lights of the upper hall and highlighting the reception area.


"OMA #4"
This is my favorite view of the Oceanside museum of Art; it transforms the formal architecture into diagonal planes and highlights the strong lines in the windows.
The reflected light off the unseen side of the glass provides extra drama against the dark marine layer.
The Museums strong signature "O" logo is prominently featured against the dramatic glass architecture of the entrance and draws in artists, art patrons and the public.122,123


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