Recent Inspirations - Day 3

"Dana Point Harbor View"

Oil on Linen Panel   8x10"

Available Here

This past week I spent a week hanging out with good friends in Southern California. We got to paint, take photos, visit some beautiful sights and visit the San Diego Museum (Sorolla!), and the Festival of the Masters. It was an exceptional trip. 

I painted this piece from a photo I took of the Dana Point Harbor. This was my first attempt, but I plan to paint it many more times from different perspectives in order to learn from what I was looking at. It was really the best of times.....

Plein Air Convention Week in Monterey

"At the Wharf"

Oil on Linen Panel  6x8"
This painting is available HERE for $95 for the remainder of April

I arrived in Pacific Grove a couple of days ago and unpacked my gear because I'm gonna stay awhile.
I'm here for the Plein Air Convention, but I'm staying to paint and teach a workshop. I found the cutest little cottage here in Pacific Grove. The weather is beautiful after driving down from Truckee in the falling snow. Then a night at my daughters house in Sacramento, and the drive to PG.

I was a little tired if you know what I mean. But I got up early and got some things unpacked, showered and went for a nice little walk to the beach. Only three little blocks to the Ocean, right at the Lovers Point Park. What a great location! I'm scoping out places to set up and paint. The parking situation looks pretty good for those students who are coming to paint with me. We might have to move our cars every couple of hours or park on a side street. But that's not so bad. I need to make sure there are restrooms nearby too.

At the convention I will be going out to paint in three or four locations. They are taking us to Carmel Beach, Point Lobos, Asilomar State Beach and Fisherman's Wharf.

Tomorrow is the first day of the Convention and I've had a couple of days to get settled in. Today I went out and painted with the Plein Air Painters of Monterey. They hosted a paint out at the Wharf.
Before I met them this morning, I stopped west of Lover's Point.

"West of Lovers Point"

Oil on Linen Panel   6x8"

This painting is available HERE for $95 in April

I had to get out there today and get my fingers dirty. I have not painted outdoors since last June in Southern France. As you may have guessed, I'm not really that much of a plein air painter. By that I mean I don't usually hold up out there for long before I start to loose energy and focus. So I paint in the studio for the most part. But that doesn't mean I don't believe plain air painting is essential. It is! 

I've been working very hard to get more healthy and take care of myself. So the rest is in God's hands. I do know this, if I can keep at it, I will. 

These two pieces are just to get me going and I'm hoping to get some more in this week out there, along with about 700 other painters that are here for the event. My plan is to paint small and keep it simple. My goal is to paint using the transparent color wash method to design in an abstract manner as I begin each painting. From there I want to lay in thick confident strokes of color using a large brush. I'm hoping to get more confident and more bold as I go. I feel better just getting started today. I  am pretty rusty so let's hope it gets better!

The week will be packed full, but I will try to keep you posted. But the weather looks good and I'm gonna get out there and paint!

Pacific Grove Pics

I have missed you! Been busy traveling and getting organized for this year with shows, workshops, and lot's more. Life has been good. I am hoping to have a workshop in Pacific Grove later this year, so I HAD to make a trip and pick out some spots. It rained for two days, but finally, sunshine. Then this past weekend my family and I made another trip to San Francisco and toured the Academy of Art University for the second time, getting ready for my daughter to be a student in the future. My son and his wife and my granddaughter also went and it was wonderful to share time with all of them. My son is also an artist and his wife in the business, so we had fun with the tour.

I will put out a newsletter soon with the events that are coming up. Soon I will post a little more about Sergei Bongart. In my art classes at the School of Light and Color, we are painting a copy of a Sergei still life painting. I forgot to get pictures last week, but wanted to share our progress. All the students are doing wonderfully! It has been another eye opener for all of us. I noticed how much it has helped to "loosen up" some of the students brush strokes and that is huge!

I will post some pictures later this week but for now just wanted to share some beautiful sunset photos of Pacific Grove, enjoy......

Palo Alto Baylands - wonderful painting spot!

Baylands Study 6x8"

Palo Alto is where my teacher Brigitte Curt teaches plein air classes. Allison and I went out yesterday and painted the Baylands, a wonderful marsh area by the little airport there off of Embarcadero Street. Brigitte and Jim have been teaching for 14 or so years in the area. They work as a team most times, and the knowlegde, compassion and passion for teaching shows and is very welcoming.

You must check out their websites:
http://www.classart.org/

http://www.provenceworkshop.com/

I was blessed to go to Provence last summer. I need to get out there and work on my skills with all the plein air opportunities coming up!

Baylands Study 2 5x5"

Day Two Capital Plein Air - Painting 1

"The Hanger Restaurant at Twilight"
Oil on Linen
9 x 12"

Finally got a painting in yesterday evening. On day one Michael and I were in San Francisco at the Presidents Cup. Got home Sunday night and went into the studio at Capital Art Center at noon to help sign in the artists and take care of some last minute Gala details. Rene joined me at 3 and by 5 o'clock we decided to go ahead and get a painting in since it would rain like crazy today. So, we set up and I had my first experience painting in the dark! It was dusk when I started and I stuck with that look throughout the painting. We kept waiting for the little red lights to come on, but they never did. I had no idea how the painting looked until I got home. Oh well, it was a good warm up for tomorrow night when the painters are scheduled to paint a nocturn. I'm planning to go down to the I Max theater and paint the fountain, lights and reflections. Hope it doesn't rain!

Hope you can come enjoy the fun Friday night.

Terry Miura Workshop Day One

Napa was beautiful today, perfect weather. We met at the Etude Winery in the afternoon for a plein air demonstration by Terry Miura. I have to say that this workshop is very well put together and Terry is a wonderful teacher. He is so good at explaining his technique and is very generous with sharing his knowledge and experience. A gifted instructor. What he chose to paint was not the easiest, but he pulled it off beautifully. The most important point to remember? Write down your reason for choosing your subject before you start to paint! Essential! Otherwise it is easy to be lead astray and forget your focal point. It is all about that.
He shared all of the foundational information but also gave us plenty of subtle tips that he has learned to rely on over the years. This was very helpful. One thing that I have forgotten to do lately is to use my gray mixture to control the chroma or intensity of the color. Very good stuff.
Tomorrow? Mondavi Vineyards. Can't wait.