All at sea.... well Ocean.

Here's a couple of seascapes finished recently. The first was done last year, but the final touches weren't done until recently. Sitting together the works seem a little different. But I feel in part that speaks to the strong palette on 'Sun over the calm' and the unusually subdued palette on 'Light haze' (well subdued for me anyway).

Sun over the calm
23.5X23.5
Acrylic on canvas

Light haze over Ocean cliffs
24 X 18
Acrylic on board

Colorful storm

I still find I'm jumping around a little with consistency of palette with my landscapes; but I'm enjoying myself and that's half the battle. This is painted from a small study I did about 2 years, the original was a lot more somber with a threatening sky of the approaching storm. I decided I wanted something more punchy in color, but possibly the increase in color has lightened the mood of the ominous sky? Still the painting works on other levels, even if I have lost some its threat.

Approaching Storm (Nr Albuquerque, Nm)

36 X 24    Acrylic on board

*

This painting below was one I worked on last year, but only recently adjusted and refined a couple of details, so thought I'd post it up.

'At the edge of the fields, California'
40X30        Acrylic on Canvas

Two Big Endevours

So I've just finished two big paintings on canvas. I ordered the canvases in stretched and used a new firm. I was very impressed with the quality of their stretchers, very substantial. They're well stretched, so have been good surfaces to paint on.

 The initial canvases -  45X65 and 40X70

I decided to work on both painting simultaneously and to bring them both along at a similar rate. I arrived at this decision largely because the paintings are too big for my studio ceiling and the way I have my studio laid out (i.e. there's too much stuff in it). Well, there's just not room to work comfortably in there on something this size. So, I needed to haul all my painting gear to the garage and therefore getting both done at the same time seemed to make sense.

I consciously chose very different subjects, compositions and dramatically different color plans to keep the paintings very fresh and unique from each other.

I also treated one of the canvases with an extra thick coast of gesso primer, just as a bit of an experiment, it was interesting to see how the paint responded differently on each, and I think I can see a difference in the final pieces because of this. Though after the first layer of 'real' paint their was little difference in the application.

 Initially blocking in the line work and finding the forms. I worked here against the garage door, the paintings propped up on an ice chest. No time to miss the nice studio easel upstairs, it's far too big and heavy to move.

Not sure what I'm doing here, measuring, conducting?...

Blocking in the under-painting colors. The garage door opened provides lots of good natural light and working standing, bending and stretching isn't too bad as long as you keep moving. With a big canvas like this I like to block the under-painting colors in with a rag, or even a paper towel, coming in later with a brush for little incidentals.

In action putting in the background color.

The paintings progressing nicely.

FINISHED

Sunflowers lemons and bread

Acrylic on canvas              40X70.

(detail) I love the loose treatment I gave to some of this painting, with lots of broken color to allow the under-painting to shine through. The Pomegranates look great!

For years I never painted Sunflowers. I guess I felt too intimidated by those wonderful Van Gogh versions, then one day I had a go... And I've never looked back! They're such great flowers and so much fun to paint.

Lilies tangerines & lemons on red 

Acrylic on canvas                     65X45.

(Detail). It's a hard painting to capture for the camera, the dramatic contrasts of the table cloth and the background color compared to the subtle hues found in each lily. I think a lot of color is lost in the camera.

A peeled tangerine (Detail). I included this last picture to illustrate a broader looser treatment in this painting. I could have worked in more detail, but wanted the painting to keep fresh and bold with big ideas and not get too granular. Works great from a distance or at mid level and that exactly where the painting should work and where the drama should be!

A Calm Sea

A Calm Sea (Point Lobos SP) CA
42X28
Acrylic on wood

I particularly liked the way I treated the ocean and orange background. It reminded me of Raimonds Staprans.

3 person show in Scottsdale AZ

Last week I traveled to Scottsdale AZ, for a couple of days to attend a show opening of some of my still lifes and landscape paintings. It was held with Paul Scott Gallery (480 874-3000) on the main street there. Scottsdale has a good number of galleries and art community and they do an art walk every Thursday evening. The opening tied in with the event and I chose to do a little painting demonstration to draw people in. We had a good attendance and few interested people, friends and collectors showed up specially, which was nice.

 Tulips and lemons beneath summers glow 

36X24               Acrylic on board 

 

 a few of my paintings.

The final painting from the demo.
18X24

I love the AZ scenery for it's dramatic differences to California and stereotypical cactus. So many fantastic paintable rock formations and every plant seems to be spiky!

Amongst the rocks, a painting in progression

On Martin Luther kings birthday I took the boys up to one of my favorite local painting spots. Castle rock SP. We got there early for nice light, but it was bitterly cold. So we only took a quick walk and lots of photos. It's a location I've been too many times so felt reasonably comfortable, not doing any  location paintings, especially since the boys didn't have warm enough clothes with them (oops dad).

The park is filled with some great rocks and boulders, many with fascinating wind weathered effects
.
I decided I'd work up a big painting of one of my favorite spots (I'd painted smaller versions in this location before so knew the subject well).

Blocked in the position of everything and did some colorful under painting. For my style of art I always mark in objects and form with a heavy dark line,  I keep these lines all the way through the painting process.
.

 Starting on the forest floor, trying to get a nice transition between magenta purple tones and a warmer yellow ochre hue.
.

 My favorite part, painting tree trunks!
.

 Often I'll paint the foliage colors in sympathetic tones to the rest of the painting, but in this instance I wanted to get in some of the nice yellows and greens I'd seen in the mornings sun. This was a slightly dangerous decision, because it pretty much gave me a complete (basic) color wheel. Sometimes painting a full spectrum in a painting can fail and weaken the painting, but with care it's achievable.
.

The sky and rocks are painted in. The rocks were 'color wise' the bridge to the painting. Bringing in tones and hues from other aspects of the painting into the rocks made the whole painting hold together - phew.
.

The finished painting.

Amongst the rocks - Castle rock SP, CA

44X32

Acrylic on wood

detail

I'm not sure if this picture shows it, but it's an attempt to show some of the paintings use of under painted colors shining through the main body of paint. This process of painting can really make the the final piece come alive with life and energy.

oops

Sorry, these days I get so used to posting on facebook that sometimes I forget to put something interesting up here too.

The other week I posted this picture of my new studio set up. I got an ipad for Christmas, so I mounted it on a poseable arm next to my easel. I can use it to bring up reference photos, or do digital color plan sketches on it (something that I find very useful). I'm also able to play music wirelessly to a speaker on other side of the room, so it's pretty cool.   The downside of course is that I can also check my email really easily, so I'll have to be strong and avoid the temptation.

Ploughed field under Californian sun - CA

24X36                     Acrylic on board

This painting is from an area really near where I live, this valley yields a lot of paintings for me, and it's beautiful considering it's so near to suburbia.