THE STANDOFF

                                                          "THE STANDOFF"
                                                         8x8inch oil on panel

On a back dirt road, this young longhorn stopped and stared as I did as well.   I was in my van, window down and we just looked at one another.  After a time he moved on, joining the rest of his group. and I did the same.     

                             

CLOUD COVER

                                                         CLOUD COVER
                                                      6X6inch oil on panel

Racing ahead of what looked like a change in the weather, I turned my car around and back down the hill I went.  It was hours later I heard a storm moved in with road closers just where I was.  I will try another day, the mountain isn't going anywhere soon. 

EMPTY

                                                                EMPTY
                                                         6x6 oil on panel

In crossing the heartlands sometimes up close most of the time far away; one can see empty barns, some standing proudly most looking tired, all have stories if when one stops to listen.  I stood for a time and stared at this one, took a few photos and now in painting it I feel I've given it life again.

SNOWFALL

                                                                SNOWFALL
                                                          6x6inch oil on panel

This last winter when with my son we went back to a magical place with quiet.  The only sound was the water moving over and around the stones in this icy cold stream.  It was picture perfect, I hope I did it justice to paint such perfection.      

"THE PIX / LOVE STORY"

                         

                                                                   THE PIX

                                                                 6X6 oil on panel

So it's still early and about two hours away before we eat, I have an idea, let's go grab a flick.  Let's go catch a classic at "The Pix" and see "LOVE STORY".    

"TIED-UP"

Hanging around back bay in Newport Beach one morning with calm waters I couldn't help but photograph the colors reflecting back at me of gear and other stuff on the boats.  These made for some wonderful happy abstract shapes for me to paint.  I thought "this will be fun to do".  I kept it loose to feel the joy in the dancing shapes of colors floating on the waters surface.  This is an original 6x6 inch oil painting on a finished wood box with no framing required: $125 + s/h (Sold)

"DRAGONFLY MORNING"

In Newport Beach there is this place called "Back Bay".  Most everyone just drives by and glance over at it, after all, we are in such a rush to maybe stop and look.   I parked my car and walk down to the water, sat and let my mind soften as I drift into the quiet ripples of a dragonfly morning.  This is a 6x6inch original oil painting on a varnished wooden box with no framing required: $130

"FOREST LITTER"

With a light rain, fallen leaves and twigs the forest floor comes to life.  I could not take a single step without seeing beauty in each.  Moss, lichen an occasional mushroom, rainbow colored beetles, all forming an incredible tapestry for my eyes.  How can I not paint this magic from just an afternoon walk in the forest litter.  With no framing needed, this 6x6 original oil painting on Birch wood has been mounted to a varnished wooden box:  (Sold)

"BURNING FIELDS"

From a trip to Kansas City somewhere in the middle of Nebraska they where burning fields to clear for new crops.  The sun was going down and the smoke mixing into the clouds made for some fantastic coloring.   This original 6x6: oil painting on Birch wood is mounted to a varnished wooden box: $140

2:57

"HEADLIHGTS & SHADOWS"

Heading north.  I couldn't help but notice that everything was in shadows.  Hillsides, trees, roads and especially the clouds, that's what really caught my attention.  It was not just the fact that the sun was lowering in the horizon forming long shadows over a color saturated landscape, but the clouds were adding it's own mix of colors to it.  I had to stop and get out of my van and fill my eyes.  I was excited about getting back to my studio knowing I had to paint this.

This 6x6inch original oil painting is on Birch wood that had been mounted to a box that I get to finish:

(Sold)

2:20

"HEAR THE SILENCE"

Sometimes I would pull off on the side of the road and just listen... That time of stopping on the side is long gone, even a great portion of this road is gone, progress they say, speed limit is 55 but everyone moves far faster then that... lot more cars now... but I do remember... remember parking on the side, shut the engine and... "Hear the Silence".  This is an 8x6 inch original oil painting on Birch wood that's been mounted to a varnished wooden box: (Sold)

"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

"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