Friday night

10" x 8"

oil on canvas

this is another path on the santa rosa plateau. painting oak trees is a pain. but there's a wonderful path that goes underneath the trees back onto the shadow. 

here's a small preview of tomorrow's painting

more from the Santa Rosa Plateau

9" x 12"

oil on panel

here's another study of the plateau in murrieta. it's full of those gorgeous old oaks and grass that must be bright green in the springtime. it was sunrise when we walked through and the grass had the most beautiful pink and gold tones.

today

10" x 8"

oil on canvas

my great friend Laura Loring Comers, who now lives on a hillside overlooking the Santa Rosa Plateau in Murietta, wants me to do a bunch of paintings for her new bed and breakfast. we went there two weeks ago. it was hot and we got there late because I underestimated traffic. the next morning, we got up at 5am and took a long walk down from her house to this beautiful plateau. it's all protected- a huge number of acres. I got some good photos and get to go back next monday. here's the first study. just a start.

Signal box images in!!

  

Here are all my renderings for the second round of Long Beach Signal Control Boxes. Not sure when I'll hear or how many I will get to do but at least I can get back to daily painting and working on paintings of Murietta for my good friend Laura.

Tuesday/ Wednesday

12" x 6" 

oil on canvas

Second signal box study-

12" x 6" 

oil on panel

I'm beat. Time to head home. 

The Blue Line

12" x 6"

Sunday in the studio

12" x 6"

I painted this only a few blocks from my old studio in Long Beach. I'm trying to find tranquility in a pretty burnt out neighborhood. I don't know if it would be good on a signal box. Trying to imagine it 5' high.

I'd really welcome comments. I think the painting might need some adjustments.

Saturday

12" x 6"

another possibility for the Long Beach mural project.

Now that the first signal box is finished, I'm trying to get more work. I'm not sure how many I can do as they rotate the artists so I'm going to apply for specific locations and hope that they can't turn me down. This one is very close to the old studio in Long Beach. If I get it, the challenge will be safely painting in the neighborhood.  here are two possible images. The first is a local house and the other is the front of West Coast Choppers. I need for two more. going for 16 by next week end. I think I can do it.

I'm back

  

My daily painting routine got really upset by the signal box project in Long Beach. I did manage to keep up a daily painting over 4th of July Week end. I did four- here are the two that turned out okay. I used a limited palate of phalo green, burrnt sienna, yellow ochre, black and white. It really seemed to fir the green of the sage. We had such a fun week-end.

purchase information-click here

When we got back I had to go to work in Long Beach. It was so physical because each side of the box was 64" high and 33 wide and it took a lot of paint. But it was a great experience. The neighbors were particularly receptive and honked their horns and gave me thumbs up and stopped my to comment all day. Here are the finished products. I put the last of the graffiti coat on yesterday. Technically that means that I should do a painting today but it's Mia's going away party this afternoon. She returns to Brooklyn tomorrow. :(

Updates

I'm getting sort of behind on my daily blogs. There's a painting in the studio for Sunday that hasn't been posted. I probably won't be doing small daily paintings as regularly because I'm working on the signal box. I sanded and primed it on monday, taught all day on tuesday and today I started the first side. I'm not quite finished and will be in Long Beach again really early again tomorrow. Then off to the Sierras for the 4th and I'll post what I can from Bridgeport. Hope to have the box by mid July at the latest. Check out this photo of Harper who dropped by with Ariel.

Friday afternoon at the studio

10" x 8"

an insane amount of information in these aerial landscapes. I just keep trying to get it right.

Thursday Night

10" x 8"

this might not be done because I got a call to pick Mia up from the fabric district and I had worked on it long enough anyway. will look and see if it needs a few more touches and re photo. then out to the roof again for the morning. 

Watermelon Pluoits

purchase information-click here

9" x 12"

We bought these pluoits at the Farmer's Market on Sunday. They are called Watermelon Pluoits for their wonderful pink color I'm guessing. I made arrangements to start my signal box cabinet in Long Beach next week. I'll try to keep daily painting but the boxes will be a huge physical job. I really fell off this week. I think this is only my 13th blog and today is the 23rd of June. Part of the problem is how hard it is to work at home. I started getting little spots of paint in the house then ended up on Sunday dropping a tube out of my french easel and someone stepped on it and brought permanent green footprints in and all over the rugs. So I lost a day renting a carpet cleaner and trying to get them out. ahhhhhhh not a new story unfortunately.

Tuesday- Korea Republic-Nigeria 2:2

Sarah and I painted on the roof today. It was all hazy and I was about to do a still life in the studio when the sun came out just a little on these yellow buildings. I should get Sarah to post some of her paintings.  We were working away but there was a commotion below in the park that has one of those HD TV's. Not long before I realized it must be World Cup. It went on for hours and the whole time people were screaming and singing the Korea Republic national anthem. I can sing it for you. 

Saturday

9" x 12"

We had a model session in the studio this morning then Sarah stayed for the afternoon to paint in the deck. It's a beautiful day and in continuing with my pool theme I found a roof top pool that I did not really get but here it is anyway.

Friday Night

sold

8" x 10"

more houses and hills and pools. 

from last night

purchase information-click here

10" x 8"

I'm looking at the Holywood Hills and trying to find the backyard pools that look like turquoise jewels.

Sunday Morning in Oakland

8" x 10"

We're staying with Ashley and I got out at 6:30 while the girls slept in a bit. This is nearby corner. I was talking to Mia about why it is so much harder to do a landscape painting on site than a still life indoors. There are issues of changing light, finding a location and body temperature ( I froze today until the sun came up). But most of all the challenge is editing the information, there is just so much to see outside. I've had a good couple of days painting.