16″ x 20″ oil on panel
Point Lobos is amongst the most beautiful places on earth. It’s full of happy memories for me and it’s those feelings I leaned into as I was painting this in my studio using photos and plein air oil sketches as references.
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
On a visit to Lake Geneva I enjoyed the watching boats traverse a backdrop of picturesque lakefront villages and vineyards. My favorite sailboats had what I came to understand was Italian style sail rigging known as lateen sails. I’ve caught up with this one sailing just east of Evian France.
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
The mosaic angles and the dome of the Stanford Chapel encourage us to look up.
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
Painting these old growth grapevines in October gave me a chance to intently focus on the character of the gnarled wood along with the subtle color shifts in the leaves.
8″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
The schooner “Star of India” spends much of her time these days in San Diego. In this painting, she’s festooned with lights bringing a holiday vibe to Aquatic Park in San Francisco.
10″ x 8″ (private collection)
In this backlit early morning plein air piece I was drawn to the moody shadows and the sense of mystery. I decided not to include the ducks and frogs but they were certainly good company as I painted the spring fed pond.
6″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
As I set up to paint at nearby park, I was struck by the backlit reeds glowing in the morning sun. It was a crisp fall day and as I started and the location was all about serenity. Then a crew of seven year old pos Thanksgiving day-campers arrived. So … there was less of a calm vibe than I initially anticipated. Still … there was a magic in the laughter of the kids which made for a great day.
14″ x 11″ oil on linen panel
There are a few moments on early fall mornings when the first rays of the sun illuminate the lighthouse at Pigeon Point. The fog lifts and it just glows. As I painted this on location, I gave all my attention to that effect and to the way the glow carried as a reflection on the ocean’s surface. I deliberately kept the vegetation on the foreground bluff loose to ensure the distant glow was the star of the show.
Exhibited …
2024 – Coastal Arts League “Iconic California”
11″ x 14″ oil on linen panel
While painting on a glassy calm morning, I was attracted to the way the dark rowboat in the foreground interacted with the lighter muted colors of the assembled white fiberglass boats.
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
This painting of Villa Montalvo’s Italianate garden captures the temple on an autumn morning. The orange quince in the foreground seemed to be lit from the inside. I enjoyed its loose structure as a contrast to the temple’s vertical columns.
