"Santa Monica"

                                                     "santa monica" 14x14

This is one of an ongoing series of paintings about light, rain and what happens when camera focus's on just the drops of water.  For me it is a magical moment both to see and then paint.   Stay tuned for more.  

"SUGAR FROSTING"

Now that the festival and the summer show is over and I'm not tempted by the never ending fantastic cupcakes, lemon squares, bundt cakes and all the goodies baked by Marcia, a wonderful water-colorist at the show, maybe I can loose some weight.  She would sneak up with a tray of goodies and ask "would you like one,  like I would say "no".  What made it worse was her husband a relatively big guy (that you never say no to) would also find you and ask the same question... long and short, I gained 10 lbs...

The show has been over for a week.  I've been eating salads, light soups that I make, small pieces of chicken and a vegetable...  So what do I paint today....  Is there no escape!...  This is an original 6x6 oil painting:     

"FIRST STOP"

On one of my many road trips looking for the right subject to paint (which by the way is a battle with the changing of my taste and what I want to say in each painting). It is a constant hunt for the right sky as that is my muse to talk about in my work. So, on this last trip after driving around for hours I finely make my first stop at this motel and take a photo of "you guessed it" the sky.  This is a 6x6inch original oil painting on wood mounted to a varnished wooden box: (SOLD)

"FIRST DAY BACK"

Last year in Minnesota I kept spotting yellow school buses that jumped out at me. The contrast of dark tree backgrounds and the glare of snow was exactly my kind of subject.  It gave me the mood and the challenge to record a memory and the feeling of "First Day Back". 6x8 by 2" deep box original oil painting: $140 (SOLD)

"GOODBY SUNSHINE"

Owens Valley is most magical of places.  Just about every direction is another eye-popping mind-bending thing of beauty.  So, knowing all this I thought I would give it life by painting less then a fraction of it on a 6x6 inch Birch wood panel, All this has been mounted to a varnished wooden box:  Gift to my granddaughter

"SAN DIEGO EVENING"

So, I'm down in San Diego with some friends overlooking the city from their condo and see this, grabbing my camera and take the shot.  It was all there.  Sunset, clouds, ocean, palm trees, everything was right.  Back at my studio studying the photo I thought "not much to change or enhance".  With that, I mixed the colors and begin to paint. This is it, a 6x8" original oil painting on Birch wood mounted to a varnished wooden box:

"HOME-RUN"

I have seen so many wonderful artist's paint this.  Now, here I am wanting to give my own spin if you will on this "American Icon" "The Baseball".  The thing is, I am not a sports person at all. I don't know one team from another but, what I do know is shapes, composition and color.   I have had this baseball in my studio for years, not sure how I came by it but, that maters not so I approached it with the intent of giving it life. I wanted it to fly through the air like it was intended to do. I wanted it to be a "Home Run". This is an original oil painting on Birch wood that is mounted to a 6x6inch varnished wooden box:  Gift to my grandson

"THE GRAND FINALE"

This last 4th of July at my good friends house in Long Beach, I took this photo hoping to capture something I could eventually paint.  Well, summer has come and gone and now having the time to delve into this along with my fascination with the glare of light and especially fireworks is how this painting came to be.  I do love playing or I should say painting things like this.

This is a 6x6 inch oil on Birch wood mounted on a varnished wooden box:  This painting has been entered into a competition show and is not for sale at this time.  (Sold)

"DAGWOODS at PISMO BEACH"

I must confess, I did this painting months ago and as much as I liked it, I didn't love it.  So! I went and painted out the blue sky, clouds, palm tree and darked the wall the sign is on... A real hundred & eighty degree difference.. Its a real place by the way.. lived up the hill from it in Pismo Beach.. So it's a new post. Want to see the original? "Click Here"   This is a 8x6 inch oil on Birch wood mounted on a varnished wooden box:  (Sold)

"IN SHADOW"

The last bit of light just before the sun disappears up and around Mt.Baldy and the velvet night takes over. A nice departure in painting this for me capturing the subtlety of shade. 8x6 inch oil on Birch wood, mounted to a varnished wooden box:

"RAINDROPS"

Riding around in L.A. on a gray and rainy day was just what I wanted.  So I turn my windshield wipers off, grab my camera and focus on the rain drops gathering and forming wonderful patterns.  The abstract shapes of the background mixed with the hard edges of each reflective drop I knew would make for a fun and challenging painting.  Another 6x6 inch oil painting on Birch, mounted to a varnished wooden box: (Sold)

"CLOSE OF DAY"

Cold and hungry I had to stop and get just one more shot before the day came to a close.  This was last winter in Minnesota.  I have worked on this on and off and now that my show is over I got to revisit this canvas and make the changes I wanted to months-a-go... I know, I know... its early for a snow scene, but I thought I would post it anyway, after all, its my site.. :) Sure feel good to be back painting..  Oil on canvas 30x36 inch $3200

"FREED AT LAST"

Just another angle and still exploring the shades of grays and the many moods they represent.   (For more on my black & whites) I must say, deciding on the placement of the balloon took a little time.  I knew I wanted red, but where to place it?  A little to the left a little to the right, higher, lower then finely, the balloon was freed at last. Oil on Birch panel, mounted on a 6x6" varnished wooden box:  (Sold)

"POPCORN & PIZZA" an original oil painting

When was the last time you went to a drive-in?  When I went, their wasn't any coolers to bring food in, one ordered a slice of pizza and coke from the food-stand at the drive-in, then went back for popcorn and chocolate raisins, I love the combo still... The movies had new, cartoons then coming attractions and then the movie. The teens had the new girl friend, the parents, kids in the backseats... No cell phones, No Wi-Fi on someones lap illuminating the car... Just popcorn & pizza.  This 6x6" painting is on Birch wood mounted on a varnished wooden box so no framing is needed.  This little wonder is going into the "LAGUNA ART FESTIVAL" show I am in this summer.  It must dry first so it will be next week.
(Sold) 

"CRYSTAL COVE"

Just a nice departure from my other works I thought I would paint this.  I was down at a wonderful place that has been painted hundreds of times over many years. "CRYSTAL COVE" an enchanting place centered  somewhat between Laguna Beach and Corona Del Mar, each beautiful in their own way.  Crystal cove is filled with much stories from locals and the Hollywood movie stars from the past, "YES" I have my own stories too but, that's for another time.  Crystal Cove is on the sand with new and used homes, some empty amazingly still standing.  So with all this charm and history, like I said, many paintings are floating around out there... I on the other hand zeroed in on the flowers that are abundant along the path in and around old railroad ties for steps, fences, porches and sand drifts and all, I spotted this beautiful hibiscus minding its own business avoiding foot traffic and the stomping of stray dogs.  I knelt down, said "hello"  and gave honer to its survival by painting it.  This painting is going into the Art Show I'm presently in for another 6 weeks...  ( Not Available)

"STEAM MAKER"

Ah Yes! I got to paint yesterday at the show.  I set up my easel and began to do what I love best "PAINT".

It truly felt great to mix colors and feel the paint move across the surface of my birch-wood box's.  My rhythm broken with good conversations with passerby's who stopped to see and then I would direct them to my booth and talk about the Daily Painters, it is wonderful to know how many people are hearing about us, one such lady made it a point to find me as she has been fallowing my posts.  So here is an ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING, all done on Birch wood that has been mounted on a varnished wooden box so no framing is needed, the size is 8x6 inches. (Sold)

"SO! QUIET"

About a weekend ago I caught sight of the moon in the deepening blue sky and thought to myself "could be my next painting".  I pulled off where it was safe and happened to be near enough to one of the farms along the road.  I walked until I got this shot in focus, held steady to my camera and blasted off one click.  Here is one of my 6x6" oil on Birch wood paintings.  ( Sold)

"POOL TIME"

Just another Palm Springs kinda evening.  The summers are heating up so a dip in the pool is just the thing to cool down the bod now that the temperatures are flirting around 110... I must say, I do like the heat and the Springs is a fun place to be.
This painting is an 8x6 oil on Birch wood, mounted on a varnished wooden box: (SOLD)

"EDGE OF TOWN"

Driving for about 8 hr and just on the edge of town I didn't feel like looking for the best deal, I pulled in to the closest one, "The Star Motel" clean room and decent coffee it was a done deal for me. Side note, if and when you watch the little movie, you will see that I am painting over or on top of a previous one hour post that obviously I didn't care for, specially after reworking it three times. I new it was time to use it as a good undercoat for this that you are seeing now : )

This 6x8 inch is in oils on Birch wood and that is mounted to a varnished wooden box ready for any wall anywhere. (Sold)

"edge of town" the movie
 

"PATENT LEATHER & POLKA DOTS"

I entered the office and signed in.  As I turned to sit I spotted her, she was dressed to kill. I took a seat, picked up a magazine and pretended to read but couldn’t take my eyes off her. Her gaze never left the window.  After a time a door opened to my right and a soft voice called out into the waiting room… “Ms Greenfield” she stood up and with grace glided across the floor.  Passing me she nodded, I smiled; she was wearing “Gardenia” probably my favorite perfume. I sat for a few minutes then the receptionist called out to me, she told me this and that with politeness, I thanked her nodding my head up and down showing I understood. Turning to leave I stopped to looked out the window, smiling to myself I thought, oh well, it was a nice encounter anyway. Oil on 8x6 Birch paneling, mounted on a varnished wooden box:  (Sold)