New Art to See!

Turning to the Sun
6 x 6

Radishes
6 x 6

Flying High
9 x 12

Trees & Shadows
16 x 20

Paintings and Memories

Magnolia Memories
9 x 12
Oil on Linen Panel

Sometimes a memory creates a painting and sometimes the painting creates a memory.    These magnolias were painted as I remembered lazy days spent in the South.  The Peony brings back the pleasure of a special bouquet delivered just at the right moment.  Magnolia Memoires is traveling to Texas today.   Cheers to Memories!

Peony Memories
6 x 6
Oil on Board

Sunflowers are one of my favorite subjects .... and this painting is a favorite among my Sunflower paintings.   I never tire of their happy faces looking up and saying "Come out and play"!  Hope you enjoy it. 

Oil on Canvas
9 x 12

Off Track Gallery Paintings

I will be showing these paintings at Off Track Gallery in the Encinitas Lumberyard until Wednesday of next week.  By Thursday at least half of them will rotate out to make room for more art.   Stop in and take one home!

La Jolla Cove
16 x 20

Up At the Tower
12 x 16

Grapes & Pomegranates
8 x 10

Pomegranate & Spoon
8 x 10

Off Track Gallery 

LA 'Pit'

This cute pit bull mix was rescued from the streets of LA and now lives in a cool downtown LA loft.   Her name is Lu.  I love the black and white with pink color combination.    This painting will be going to its new home as soon as it dries!

LA 'Pit"
8 x 8
Oil on Canvas

Copper Kettle Roses

Painting roses is always fun.   Usually I paint them in either glass or silver.   This time the roses are in a copper kettle which creates a wonderful warm glow!

This painting is now on display at the OffTrack Gallery in the Encinitas Lumberyard.   Come by and check it out!

Copper Kettle Roses

Oil on Canvas

9 x 12

The San Dieguito Art Guild is hosting a Mother's Day Art & Garden Tour over the weekend.   These new paintings are packed up for the show and ready to delight our guests.  The florals will make a perfect Mother's Day gift .... flowers that last forever!

Thinking of Van Gogh
16 x 20
Original Oil Painting

Amalia's Roses
11 x 14
Original Oil Painting

Lifeguard Station
8 x 8
Original Oil Painting

Some Like it Hot!
9 x 12
Original Oil Painting

Golden Pear
8 x 10
Original Oil Painting

In San Diego the afternoon skies are typically clear blue.   Not in the Sierras.   There you get skies full of big puffy clouds all day.   This was one of those days where the mountains meet the clouds call your name ... 

Cloudy Day
8 x 10'
Oil on Canvas

Garlic ... makes life more interesting!

8 x 8
Oil on Board

Farm to Easel

I have always tinkered with the idea of combining art, food and gardening.   When cooking, my mom taught us to gather all of your ingredients on the counter before starting.   This gives me the chance to indulge the artistic side of my brain by arranging my ingredients into a pleasing still life which is often photographed and sent to those who might be jealous of what is up for dinner.

This painting represents one of the times when you have gotten things from the garden, gathered them in the kitchen and are getting ready to chop them into something delicious.   But wait .... the green onions look better in front of the purple .... the garlic pod might be more pleasing broken apart.... back to dinner!

Oil Painting
12 x 24
"Farm to Easel"

Sunset on Tom

This week the sunsets in Encinitas have been spectacular with soft pastel pinks, purples and blue over the ocean.   Another place that can get a wide spectrum of colors is a mountainside at sunrise and sunset.   I painted this small "Sunset on Tom I" from a photo taken near Bishop, CA.

Sunset on Tom I
9 x 12" Oil on Canvas

I was inspired to paint this again - but this time in a large format.   The second painting is three feet by four feet.   It is the largest painting I have attempted and I found it a very different (at times difficult) process.    The smaller painting will be on display at OffTrack Gallery in August and September.   The larger one is too large to fit in my allotted gallery space!   Enjoy the sunsets.

Sunset on Tom II
36 x 48" Oil on Canvas

Favorite Things

David Austin Roses
8 x 10"

A bunch of pink David Austin roses on silver, a beautiful day at a Cardiff beach .... clear colors and blue skies,  All things Blue!   

Cardiff Station
8 x 10"

My favorite things remind me to take a moment, look around, breathe deeply and find the peace, joy and love in God's creation!   In everything!




Tonight at Off Track Gallery in Encinitas there will be a flurry of activity.   Artist will be hanging new work.   

Blue on Blue
8 x 10"

Come to find YOUR favorite things! Mine will be there.

Favorite Places

D Street Singer
9 x 12"
Oil on Canv

It is always nice to remember and relish special moments in life.   These are two special places to me - D Street in Encinitas at sunset and a Tahoe Donner Trail in Truckee in October.   

Through art we keep these moments alive and can share them with others. Enjoy these moments!


Available from Off Track Gallery in the Lumberyard in Encinitas

Truckee Trail
9 x 12"
Oil on Canvas

Rooster on the Road

9 x 12"
Oil on Canvas
Rooster

This Rooster painting is hitting the road and heading down to the Off Track Gallery in Encinitas.

It just feels right for this cheery rooster to be hanging out during this hot summer we are having here in Southern California!

Enjoy!

A Weekend Well Spent

Thank you to all of you that stopped by the San Dieguito Art & Garden Mother's Day Tour this weekend and said hello.   We had a wonderful time and several paintings found new homes.

My Corner of Paradise Mother's Day Weekend
San Dieguito Art Guild Mothers Day Art & Garden Tour

Batiquitos Eastward
9 x 12
Oil on Canvas

Batiquitos Eastward is heading back down to Off Track Gallery in Encinitas.   I usually paint looking toward the west when on this trail but on this cloudy day I turned and looked east towards La Costa.   Enjoy!

Pomegranate at Carole's

Pomegranate
9 x 12
Oil on Canvas

I attended a workshop given by local artist Carole Mayne last month.  We started by photographing a colorful still life.   We edited the photo into a black and white image  -which we used to create a thumbnail value sketch using black paper, a white pencil and a black sharpie pen.   It really cemented the values of the painting well in advance of picking up a brush.   "If the values are correct the color doesn't matter"!   So true!   I hope you enjoy the painting and seeing the photos we used.  

Painting at Cardiff State Beach ... aka Suckouts

I went painting on the beach in Cardiff two times this August.   While I was standing in the exact same spot the color is quite different.   Day One we were there in the morning and Day Two in the afternoon.   This is a nice place to paint if you are looking north since there is a picnic table conveniently located at the end of the cul-de-sac to hold supplies!   Quite a treat when outdoors.  I hope to paint there again before the month is over.   Stay tuned!

Cardiff Reef Day One
9 x 12
Oil on Panel

Cardiff Reef Day Two
9 x 12
Oil on Canvas

Lillies at the Gardens
11 x 14
Oil on Canvas Panel

Swami's South
11 x 14
Oil on Canvas Panel

I will be taking these two Plein Air paintings to Encinitas City Hall today where they will hang until July 16 in a exhibit.  

It is still a challenge for me to paint outdoors - and these are both a little larger than I normally use when on site - so they both took two outings to complete.

If you get a chance to come down to see the exhibit let me know what you think!

Radio Flyer

8 x 10
Oil on Board

Last month I participated in the San Diego Botanic Garden's Artist QuickDraw.   We had 3 hours to complete a painting on site.   Instead of the landscape and iconic scenes in the gardens I chose this little red wagon that was in the plant sale area.   For some reason it reminded me of being a little kid playing with my brother and sister!  I wanted to capture that moment in time!

Taos Memories

Taos Memories
20" x 24"

Taos Mountain brings back many memories of summers as a child.   The smells of pinon, listening and telling stories and enjoying the mountains.   But mostly, it brings back wonderful memories of family and Mom!   It is good for all of us to remember the things we are thankful for - good memories are just one of them.