limited palette

Last week Sarah brought in some vegetables to paint because it was too rainy outside.Those of you who know Sarah will appreciate that it was pouring otherwise she would have been outside. I had a few little 4" x 5" canvases around so I did a limited palette exercise. The first painting is with an unlimited palette. The middle is phalo blue, cadmuim red light, yellow ochre, black and white. The painting on the left is burnt sienna, phalo green, yellow ochre, black and white. The last painting really demanded attention to value.

New images for the signal boxes

       

  

 Here are 8 more signal box studies. I submittedthe last ones then found out that the design team wanted an aquatic theme. I didn't get the email-rgggggh. So these are my substitutes. First and The Promenade is a great address. Lots of improvements going on with a new bike station and highly designed bus stops so it's worth the effort to fit in.

First Street and The Promenade, Long Beach

     

I finished my box at 15th Street and Alamitos last week and immediately had to submit 8 more paintings for the two boxes at 1st Street and the Promenade.  I finished this afternoon. Phew. Maybe I'll get back to daily painting while I'm waiting for the paperwork to go through.

Happy Thanksgiving

I've been really bad about posting. I started on a new signal box a week ago. Three sides are almost done and I'll break for Thanksgiving and come back on Sunday and try to finish up. There's always something in the way. Mia's  Peeps has me running around getting stuff for her production - now that she actually works with a professional sweat shop. Then we had rain for a couple of days and the constant teaching. It's good to have a lot to do I suppose.

 

this week's project

The final painting for the Plateau House in Murrieta is underway. It's 7' x 4' and will be installed outside.  I had a door made at Home Depot and the painting will be hinged to cover some ugly utility boxes on the porch at the entrance to the house. I'll take pictures once it's in place. It's funny that it's not much harder to work this big than it is to work small. Just takes sooo much more paint.

Saturday in New York

It's my birthday this week end and Jeff had a show in New York. Kit Winter, my fabulous brother in law gave me a plane ticket to go too. So here I am and it's a beautiful crisp fall day. I get to stay until Wednesday and then Laura's panel for the last painting for her guest house will be underway. 7' x 4'!

From Tuesday

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

purchase info

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from the weekend

5" x 7"

oil on canvas

a  lot of these are for sale

purchase information

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tuesday night and some good news

this is from saturday. I'm sort of behind so now I'm posting yesterdays and I actually even have a painting that I'm really excited about but it's too dark to take a photo. tomorrow.

the good news is all over the place. I knew I get to do 2 more signal boxes but thought I'd have to wait for some kind of artist rotation. but yesterday I got my contracts for the two and an additional box with the botanicals!!! yessss.

and Mia is really coming along. All summer and early fall, I have been working as the assistant for the Peeps line. Miraculously, we went into production on three designs and I was the go to person in LA providing assistance with pattern and sample making, industrial snaps, fabric, shipping and a whole lot of stuff that I know nothing about. But she got a pretty big order form a store in Manhattan and we filled it and here it is- this morning

peeps at pixie market

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the other sides of the signal box

oil on canvas 

12" x 6"

Monday

12" x 6" 

oil on canvas

This is a Toyon Tree. Maybe not quite done. The red parts are berries not flowers. 

Sunday's painting

12" x 6" 

oil on canvas

I'm working on signal box images that are due on Wednesday. This signal box is at Alamitos and 15th Street in Long Beach. There is a little park that's being built the planners want a box that contains the plants in the park. This is Catalina Ironwood.

painting for delivery tomorrow

12" x 36"

oil on canvas

I'm here daily painting but not doing one a day. Here's the last for a while because it's going down to Murrieta and there's just one more 7' x 4'. The surface won't be ready for 2 weeks.

Back to smaller  paintings. I have one more signal box proposal then lots of daily work from observation.

Tuesday in the studio

48" x 36"

a start for another painting for the Plateau House

Monday

study oil

8' x 10"

 I'm working on a mural proposal for this building for the City of Long Beach again. On that big white surface to the right - it's huge. The neighbors wanted what might be an old fashion market so here's my version. It might work. The awning on the store will line up with the awning on the painting.

installed now on to the next

oil on canvas

30" x 40"

I installed this on Wednesday in the Plateau House along with the artichokes. I'll start a 48" x 36 in  during the week.

artichoke flowers

oil on canvas 

24" x 12"

I've been daily painting on work for the Plateau's Edge guesthouse. One more is almost ready that measures 30" x 40". Will post it in the am. 

new from yesterday

oil on canvas

6" x 12"

oil on canvas

8" x 10"

I went back to the Santa Rosa plateau to meet with Laura. we dicided which studies she wants enlarged. The largest will be 7'x4'!  I'm getting started on a 30" x 40" today so I'm not sure how daily painting will work into this but it would be good to keep doing small works.

friday night

8" x 10"

I like this one. My client. friend and designer wants bold color. I hope she likes this one.

more from the Santa Rosa Plateau- thursday

10" x 8"

paths.....

10" x 8"

oil on canvas

 this study refers back to another one that I did for the plateau house but I wanted to capture the light. the morning that I first was there we went out walking at 5 am. It was very inspirational. I will continue to work with this image as I'm not sure it's completely right.

saturday daily painting and it's monday

10" x 8"

another study. wildflowers on the plateau. this is a great idea that hasn't just translated into a bigger work. although I like tho cools in the foreground.

will keep trying. 

Friday night and daily painting

oil on canvas

10" x 8"

This isn't the greatest photo. I taught alllll day, turned in an RFQ for a Metro station art piece, then stayed in the studio to work on studies for the Plateau House. I'm learning to see what it is about oak trees.

Then I cleaned up, packed up all my stuff and locked the studio door, leaving my KEYS inside.

Thank you to Sarah Arnold for coming in early tomorrow to open things up for me.

painting from wednesday

oil in canvas

8" x 10"

 Since I work also as Peeps special assistant I spent hours in the fabric district this week. buying fabric, size labels, stretch interfacing -all at the last minute before she starts production. she has all of her samples and patterns. the first shirt is at the factory and more items are going over on monday. in case you don't know her site, it's peeps.org. the checkered top is to die for.

but that takes a chunk of my work time. I wrote a grant and did the replacement paintings for the new signal boxes. now I have to get down to serious business getting studies for the Plateau's Edge Guesthouse in Murrieta. here's a new one.

another try at the international city building in long beach

12" x 6"

oil on panel

I think this one is better

not working and what is the name of this building anyway

Kids in the studio today and I need one more image for the last side for the mural. This is the second or so  miserable try..... the other sides were so easy. I love the idea of looking at the old landmarks. I know this building and it wasn't that old when I first saw it. now an iconic view...  given all the changes in Long Beach, it's a landmark. In my painting it's waving around because I can't make the layers work.uggggggggh. 

and what is the name of this building anyway. I knew John Savalas who lived there in 1980.

new signal boxes- yesssss

12" x 6"

oil on canvas

If you haven't heard I get to do two more signal boxes in Long Beach ( thanks to Jeff for announcing it so quickly on is FB page). I just love this format. Up until now it hasn't been that hard to translate a 12" x 6"  painting into something that is 56" x 33". I had two studies that were Long Beach style bungalows and the people at the city didn't want me to paint peoples houses so those paintings are going to Ebay asap and I'm working on two replacements. Here is the first, the Breakers Hotel on Ocean.

Artichoke flowers

10" x 8" 

oil on canvas

one of my favorite flowers is the bloom that comes if you  don't pick the artichoke. what a sacrifice. here's from a photo I took at Laura's garden.