How To Clean Your Brushes and Keep Them Like New

I promised a few people that I would re-post this blog so here goes.....

I use a product I found through my lovely plein air teacher, Brigitte Curt. This product is amazing. The best part is that it is ecologically safe and harmless to your brushes. It even gets out dried oil paint in your brushes and clothes. This means I don't have to make all my clothes into paint clothes, ha! I will tell you how to use it on your clothes and dried up brushes that you thought you'd have to throw away at the bottom of this post. But first, let's go through my procedure for regular brush cleaning.

I've also had some of my students tell me that Murphy's Oil Soap works very well and is available in most stores. 

Cover the bottom of a small bucket, can or jar with Brush Flush.

Now, dip your brush into the Brush Flush and get it saturated well.

Usually I've been using the same brushes all week, and I do clean them with mineral spirits, but to get them in good shape you need to remove all of the paint. 

Next, take a leftover kitchen sponge and wipe your brush into it, back and forth. You will be amazed how much paint is still in your brush.

Rinse, and repeat until the brush and suds are paint free. The soap suds will turn white.

Rinse with warm running water.

Then wipe to make sure all the paint is removed. Be gentle with your brush. Alway wipe away from the ferrel. 

Now your brush is clean. It might be stained, but the paint has been removed and your brush will last you! Wipe it dry, gently.

Lie flat on an absorbent surface.

After you have cleaned all your brushes, dip your fingers into the Brush Flush. Now wipe your brush with your fingers, shaping it.

Squeeze the tip, and the hairs will stick together and dry correctly.

Give them a day to dry in a sunny place if your can. If the paint is dry because you forgot to clean it at all, just saturate the brush hairs with the Brush Flush and let is set for a day, dip again, loosen into the soap and let it set again. When the hairs are nice and soft, follow the above directions.

If you have dried paint on your clothes, pour a little Brush Flush into the paint, scrub, and let set. Repeat until the paint loosens up. Then wash as unusual.

PLEASE NOTE

When you are in the middle of a painting and you are cleaning paint from your brushes, take care not to cram you brush into the mineral spirit can. 

BE GENTLE and swipe it back and forth inside the spirit can to remove the paint. NEVER push your brush into the can and never leave it in the can. The MS will dry out your bristles and make them brittle. 

When you take the brush out of the can after a few swipes, sop up the extra moister with your rag or paper towel. One more tip, if you will get into the habit of wiping your dirty brush with a paper towel BEFORE you dip into the can you will save on Mineral Spirits. 

See ya next time.....

Find Out What Your Palette Can Do For You....

We have been talking about our palette and color mixing for a couple of weeks. This week I wanted to share a very useful exercise that will teach you what your palette can do for you.

It is not a quick and easy exercise. But I promise you, it will open your eyes!

Here is how it goes:
Grid a sheet of gessoed canvas, about a 16x20" with about one inch boxes. You will need to have at the same number of squares across the top and side of your grid, as the number of paint colors you use on your palette. I used my basic palette colors in addition to some mixed colors (in quotes below).

Keep in mind I don't have all these colors on my palette at the same time and I don't always use tube greens. Also note that I always like to have 1-3 mixed grays on my palette for mixing purposes.

The paint colors across the top and down the side are exactly the same and in the same order. In the example above they are:

White                            W
Cad Yellow Medium    CYM
Yellow Ochre               YO
(mixed Orange)            O
Cad Red Light              CRL
Rose                              R
Alizarin Crimson          A
(mixed Violet)              V
Cobalt Blue                   CB
Ultramarine Blue          UB
(mixed violet blue/gray)    VBG
Pthaylo Blue                  PB
Viridian (I think?)          VG
Pthaylo Green                 PG
(mixed neutral middle gray)    NG
Payne's Gray or Black    B
Transparent Oxide Red   TOR

What happens next? A whole eye opening experience. It starts out tedious but believe me when I say, you will develop a rhythm and you will have so much fun when you begin to see what you get with each mix.

Begin by painting each square across the top in the order on your usual palette, (use your own palette paint colors), and then paint them in the same order down the side.

1-The first square - white is already done.

2-The second color is CYM. Mix white with CYM and paint the box where the two meet.

3-Now, move to the third color, YO. Mix white with YO and paint the box where the two colors meet. You will be mixing each color with white first, and you paint that in the square where the YO along the top and the YO along the side MEET! Above you can see this, the YO light is painted in the square where the two meet. Think of a crossword puzzle.

It can be tricky, especially as you get going and you are mixing more and more colors with each other, so use your finger on each hand to find the middle square by starting at the top and side and then follow to the center where they meet.

You will mix each color (along the top) with those colors that are along the side. What you will find out is that each color will get mixed with every other color on your palette - in addition each color will be mixed with every other color PLUS WHITE. You will get the idea after a while.

4-Still working with YO, you will then mix YO with CYM, the color that is above the YO tint box. If you put your finger on the YO on top and the YOM on the left, you will paint this box with that mix.
Now mix a little white into that mix and paint the box left of the YO tint, where the CYM on top meets the YO on the side.

5-Continue with one color at a time. I found that if I mix the original color with white first, it kind of helped me set the pace and keep my place. After I painted in the tinted color, I began mixing the pure color with the color that meets it from the side. After I mix two colors together, I paint the box above the tinted version of this same color. THEN mix a little white into it and paint the box on the left side of the tinted color. Move to the next color!

You will find in the finish that the color mixes that are below the white mixes will all be lighter because they have been mixed with white. The color mixes above are pure color mixes.

I don't know how to explain it any better my friends. It is not as difficult as it sounds, especially after you get going. I had so much fun discovering these new mixes, and was most of the time surprised at the beautiful colors that would evolve.

What you will learn through this exercise is much more than you might expect. Your mixing on the palette while painting will be much easier and smoother. You will discover new ways to get the mix you are looking for with less effort. You will save time.

If you paint this on a sheet of canvas or board you can take it with you or post it in your studio and use it as a reference.

I hope you give it a try. Please send me a note or just leave a comment if you do, and ask questions. Let me know if I said anything that doesn't make sense. Best of luck to you!

What? A Limited Palette? And Mixing Compliments

As I mentioned in the previous post, in the Wednesday studio classes we are studying color and color mixing using a limited palette. For those of us who started out with a full palette of color, (guilty!), we have a lot to learn. 

When I started teaching I began learning so much. I started setting up still lifes, so my students could learn the value of painting from life. I had painted this way, but not a lot. When I first learned to paint I painted mostly from photographs, (how NOT to paint). So, I began to "see" and identify value and color on a whole new level. What they say is true, to teach what you want to learn!

But, to stay on my topic, I then started teaching these color mixing exercises. The above photograph is one example. This is a wonderful way to learn to understand what your palette can do for you.

Use the color wheel as a guide and chose any two compliments. Paint a small square - use a palette knife or a size ten flat brush - on each side of the scale. No need to get fancy and draw everything out perfectly. You just want to practice this quickly and move to another set of compliments. Note - paint on a canvas sheet, and when it dries you can take it with you to class or use it in your studio as a guide.

When you paint your complimentary color on each side of the scale, allow about three inches in between. Now you begin to mix the two. The trick here is to use your eyes and not equal amounts of paint. The goal is to mix a neutral, one that does not lean toward either of the complimentary colors. 

So when I mixed yellow and violet, I used a LOT more yellow than violet for the neutral mix. It is important that you judge this correctly so take your time on this.

So now you have three spots of color. One compliment on each side and a their neutral gray mix in the center of the two. Now you will mix each compliment with the neutral mix, and your goal here is to lean the color mix toward it's compliment. So the middle right yellow spot will be less neutral than the center spot and more yellow than violet. On the left, the mix will be more violet than yellow. 

From here just add a little white to each mixture (toward a middle value), and paint it directly below the "pure" colors you just painted. Then do this again, adding enough white to mix a very light value. 

That's it. You will have fun using several different tube colors for each compliment. After you have done this with all three primaries, go on ahead and paint the secondaries and tertiaries the same way.

There are many more valuable exercises to do, but this one is simple and easy and will pay big benefits.

Last week we painted a still life set up using only black, white and ONE color. It was a fun learning experience and a good study of value and what you can do with one color.

Mixing Color

Years ago I taught a Color Workshop, and recently I have been teaching color mixing and how to explore color using a limited palette. So, I've decided to post the notes from the workshop so you can practice it at home (if you so desire).

Color Workshop

I held a one day color workshop at the Capital Art Center at 1200 S Street in Sacramento a few years back, and have decided to post it for any of you who might like to give it a go. It's a great little review for those who have studied color, but also for beginners who need to learn more about mixing color on the palette.

Some of the information I got out of the book, "How to See Color and Paint it" by Arthur Stern. The rest I have picked up while working with Anita Wolff, Brigitte Curt and Jim Smyth. http://www.classart.org/



STEP ONE: THE COLOR WHEEL

Making a color wheel may seem like a waste of time, but it is far from that. While making your own color wheel, you gain the experience of learning for yourself how the color wheel works. It is an amazing tool, when you understand it, and will serve you well if you want to master the art of painting.
In the workshop we used canvas (with gesso), and I used a black marker to draw the wheel before we painted the colors that we mixed onto the wheel. This worked great. Otherwise just use a canvas tablet that is large enough to get a good amount of mixed paint into each piece of pie or just a regular stretched canvas. Paper will not work well and absorb your beautiful colors!

• paint tubes



• palette set up



• mixing colors



• spectrum - The range or scale of colors on the Color Wheel (red, orange, green, blue and violet.

Making a Color Wheel (Spectrum Colors)

*Keep in mind when mixing two colors, you do not use the same amount of paint for each color, you must mix the two until you get the correct hue.

1. RED Mix Cadmium Red Light & Alizarin Crimson



2. RED-ORANGE Cadmium Red Light



3. ORANGE Cadmium Red Orange



4. YELLOW-ORANGE Mix Cadmium Orange & Cadmium Yellow Pale 



5. YELLOW Cadmium Yellow Pale (or light)



6. YELLOW-GREEN Mix Cadmium Yellow Pale and Phthalo Green



7. GREEN Mix Phthalo Green & a lot of Cadmium Yellow Pale



8. BLUE-GREEN Mix Phthalo Green & Phthalo Blue + a touch of Alizarin Crimson + a hint of White



9. BLUE Mix Phthalo Blue & Ultramarine Blue + a hint of White



10. BLUE-VIOLET Mix Ultramarine Blue + a touch of Alizarin Crimson + a hint of White



11. VIOLET Mix Ultramarine Blue & Alizarin Crimson + a hint of White



12. RED-VIOLET Mix Alizarin Crimson + a hint of White

Next we will learn to mix Complements to create beautiful 

neutralized colorful grays!

Class Demonstration - Floral Color Wash Technique

Yesterday in class I painted from a live floral set up using the Color Wash Technique. It was an interesting exercise in warm and cool. The shadows looked cool, but they were really on the warm side. The key in a case like this one is to compare the color temperatures to one another.  When I was judging this set up, the flowers were very warm, which made the shadows look rather cool. It works much like values, the easiest (not easy), way to judge is to compare.

I like to look at my subject and compare the shape that I'm working on to the shape next to it. When I'm making a color decision, do the same and compare the shape you are working on to the shape next to it, while squinting at your subject or set up.

Color temperature decision making is one of the more difficult things for a painter. Color itself can be tricky. We get a little confused because we sometimes think that a color is either warm or cool. Not so! It is all relative. Try to make your decisions based on whether your color/value shape is darker or lighter and also warmer or cooler than the surrounding shapes.

This will be a little easier after you have blocked in the original color value shape - and you get it right or nearly right. At this point you can judge more easily.

Plein Air Day at Sand Harbor...

About edges.....

I wanted to share a few ideas with you about controlling edges. This is one of the most important visual elements in painting. It is also a more advanced technique, I believe. I say this because it takes time for our eyes to observe edges correctly. 

The way we see: The human eye takes in what is in front of us in a way that you might not have considered while painting. We zoom in on something as we observe. While doing this, everything around the object of our attention goes into "soft lens mode". Our eyes move from subject to subject, in "zoom mode". Continually, everything that is not in focus is out of focus. 

This is what we must consider as an artist while painting. When you look at a painting, it is best viewed in zoom mode. So pick your focal point early in the painting process. I have found that it works best for me to keep all my edges soft, unless I'm working in an obvious focal area of the painting.

Carolyn Anderson says that our problems with edges have to do with our perception, the way we process what we see. I get it, the image goes in, but we might be getting the message wrong. You can read her post on edges here.

I finished up this little demonstration piece this morning. I started it during my class in Sacramento last Tuesday. It was dry of course, but fortunately I had left the edges soft. It was mostly underpainting, painted using the transparent color wash using the "sauce".

I only had to ad a few strokes to finish it up and I left a lot of the transparent wash as a lighter value in the flowers. I had no photo reference, so I used my imagination. I do this more and more lately, and it's not problem because if I don't like the way it turns out, I throw it out! That takes all the pressure off and allows me to experiment while having no concern (ok, maybe a little), for the outcome.

Okay, about painting edges. Consider that an edge can be painted as a sharp edge, soft edge or even no edge. When two similar values come together, usually in shadow, there is no edge. A cast shadow, at it's base is usually a sharp edge. as the shadow moves away from the object blocking the light, it will turn into a soft edge. A form shadow is almost always a soft edge. At the focal point, use big value and temperature changes and a sharp edge! 

You can learn to create a soft edge with your brush. Paint one value/color shape into the one next to it. Paint from an abstract design, and don't draw on the canvas. Mark your composition using slight marks with paint but don't draw. Stay soft. Keep away from thinking too much and making everything just "so". 

Paint right "into" the shape next to the shape your are painting! Let it blend. If you see an edge that is too sharp, using a clean brush, use a light stroke to pull them together from top to bottom, not side to side with many strokes. 

Use a light touch with your brush. If you see an edge that is too sharp and the paint is dry or is drying, mix the two colors together on your palette and paint that into the edge.

Please comment and leave your questions, or send me an email. We can talk about this further. I'll demonstrate in our next class, just remind me. 

A very tidy palette indeed Suzanne! And I like your notan too!!

One of the set ups at the Studio last week.

Blonds painting flowers!

Everybody in class did a great job. I do love teaching and I love painting flowers so for me, it was a win, win.. 

I was really happy to meet some new painters in my group. You were all a joy to work with and I'll look forward doing it all again in our next class on March 24th.

We talked about a lot of things, but first and foremost, we talked about how to see value and color. What is going on with that? We must learn to see value before we can see color relationships. This is a big topic and I hope to get back to you soon with more about this... R

"It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly." Claude Monet

I am finding this truth these days, so it is a great comfort to find a quote like this one.

Today's effort...

I'm working on 5 paintings right now. It's tough because I don't get to spend the hours I need to in order to work on each one further to finish. The smallest piece I've got going is 24x24. So, they have to wait, which means they will be dry between sessions.
I'm teaching tomorrow and then preparing for a trip to Sacramento on Sunday. I'm hoping to finish this piece at least, in preparation for my class on Tuesday at Patris Studio and Gallery
In addition to this piece I have started another floral, along with the 4 big pieces I've got going. Below is my commission piece (almost there), and the 30x30 Squaw Valley piece. They will have to wait until I get back next week.
I enjoy working wet into wet, but with large pieces and life in the way, it doesn't happen much for me.

I'd like to know what you think about the Claude Monet quote. Let's get some feedback on this one. 

See you soon!

Studio Class Schedule Update and ... Venice?

 

WEDNESDAY CLASSES AT STUDIO BLASQUEZ

This class is ongoing throughout the year on most Wednesdays. It is designed for the beginner through intermediate painter. We will study the basic elements of painting and paint many studies. It is my belief that the student who practices these basic elements through regular exercises will soon become comfortable with them and begin to use the creative side of the brain. This is where real painting begins.

Please call and let's talk about how we can work together toward your goals as a painter. 

Here are the dates on the 2015 calendar...

March 11 and 18

April 8 - 22 - 29

May 6 - 20 - 27

I'd would like to incorporate some plain air painting on Wednesdays this Spring and Summer. It will be a great opportunity to learn about painting outdoors. I can help you with the set up so you can get comfortable with the Plein Air experience. 

Price: $50.00 per class or buy 4 for $185.00

Location: 10382 Donner Pass Road #2, Truckee CA 96161

*Class dates are subject to change. I will update the working schedule as time moves forward.

**Stay tuned because I can't wait to announce a painting workshop in VENICE, Italy next year. This is an amazing opportunity and not an easy venue to get into. I am working with a wonderful company to customize this workshop. Mark your calendars for the last week in September and the the first week in October 2016! 

CONTACT INFORMATION: 

Contact: Randy
Email: ranblaz@hotmil.com
Phone: 916-952-7914

California at it's Peak

"California at it's Peak"

Oil on Linen   30x30"  

Available Here

This painting was a total experiment. I didn't have a real reference photo, and had to settle for a very poor quality shot. For the most part, I made it up. Believe it or not I used a web cam shot from the internet. What else can I say accept that I was desperate for snow. Does it look anything like Yosemite? Yes, really!
I tried to leave some of the underpainting untouched, but didn't really succeed. I have to say I had fun with it and loaded on the paint.
I'm hoping to get to the other two snowy pieces that I washed in with the transparent sauce, but first I will need to finish the commission piece, so I'll post that next.
Until next time,
Randy

Squaw Valley Sunset - transparent block in
30x36"

California at it's Peak - transparent block in
36x36"

Squaw Mountain Late Day - Early Spring - transparent block in
36x36"

Horsetail Falls - transparent block in
24x36"

 These paintings are all blocked in using the transparent color-wash method. It is a great way to start a painting. Yes, I'm in the mood to paint BIG!

They will look quite different when they are finished, but I do love the illumination of the transparent colors. My hope (and goal), is to allow plenty of the color-wash to show through the finished piece.

Of course, I also love the impasto of oil paint so there will be that as well.

When creating a piece of art, it is a good idea to have a variety of texture. Usually a transparent dark will dominate, OR the lighter values of an Opaque color will dominate. It is always better that one takes up more space on the canvas than the other.

It is like the idea of keying the painting in a dominant value, either high key, middle key or low key. Variety is the spice of life? (painting)!

I'm talking about lot's of variety, as in variety of value, (above), variety of shape, edges, etc. The more variety, the more interesting right?

"Squaw Valley Sunset"  Oil on Canvas
8 x 8"
Available Here

Truckee Winter Wonderland (Woes?)

"Afternoon Light Show" 

Oil on Linen   36x24"

Available here

"Afternoon Light Show" is a new piece that I painted in the studio. It was painted using the color wash method. I took the photo at Christmas, when we got a few inches of snow, just about all there has been this season.

We've been busy in the studio though. We started out with  a few changes that seem to have been a good idea. First, by going to weekly classes, everybody is very much more focused. The class time is shorter and I am giving out homework. We are beginning with a very limited palette to see where it takes us.

First we began by painting complimentary color charts. Then we used what we learned there to paint some little studies. It is amazing how much you learn from painting with two compliments plus white.

At this time we have moved into the primaries plus black and white. The homework assignment this week is to paint one or two small studies using this palette, but also to chose a dominant, secondary and little value plan. That means that the real estate or square inches used on the canvas by the "largest value" will be the dominant value. In other words, if the dominant value is a "middle" value, the secondary value might be the "light" value and the "little" would be a "dark". This would be considered a "middle key" painting. A high key painting would have a large amount of the canvas painted with the "light' value. A low key painting would have the largest amount of canvas painted in a darker value.

In class, we name our values: L - "light", ML - "middle light", M - "middle", MD - "middle dark", or D - "dark". It really helps to start your paintings with 3 to 5 large value shapes at most. We sketch out a quick notan to nail down this design idea, making sure to try and identify the largest dominant value.

Maybe a few photos will help this make sense.

The above painting is a low key painting, with the middle-dark/dark dominant value plan, a secondary mid-light value and a small amount of light value.

 From our exercise this week, this painting is a high key painting with a dominant light value, a secondary mid-value and a small amount of dark value.

If you can, come on up to the studio next Monday Night, I'd love to show you around!

Learn to Capture the Concept of your Painting....

"Apple Bouquet"
Oil on Canvas   12x12x1.5"
Available Here

Yesterday class resumed at Studio Blasquez. I wanted to start the year off with a demonstration and give an overall question and answer opportunity before we start with the weekly mini lessons - the basic elements of oil painting.

I was happy that the class wanted to see me paint using my "color wash technique' and "the sauce". This technique was adapted from what I learned studying with Ovanes Barbarian. I washed in the underpainting with this thin wash, and followed with the opaque layer while leaving a lot of the underpainting showing through. This makes for a loose and glowy painting.

For this piece, I textured the canvas with gesso and then varnished it. The varnish helps a little to keep the paint from being sucked into the gesso, leaving a nice surface for the brush.

The Concept

I spent a lot of time the day before the demo setting up the still life. I started with a lot more flowers and fruit. I kept moving things around and ended up removing most everything until I could find inspiration. I also changed the lighting around a lot. After each change I used my view catcher to see if there was something special about what I seeing. 

It wasn't until I removed most everything and simplified the set up that I found the concept. The concept is what the painting will be about. It is what you want to say. This is an important part of painting, but it takes time. 

For me it was years really, until I understood this. My brain just wanted to see things. A concept is not usually a thing. It is an idea that you are attracted to. It is what you love about what is in front of you. It can be about the time of day, the mood or a story, balance, imbalance or almost anything. It is the emotional content of the painting. Perhaps it will help to read a few quotes:

A painting is good not because it looks like something but rather because it feels like something. (Phil Dike)

Never lose the first impression which has moved you. (Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot)

A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art. (Paul Cezanne)

I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say, 'he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.' (Vincent Van Gogh)

For this piece, by the time I finally saw something that I liked a lot, I had removed a lot of the clutter.  Once you feel inspired you know you have a concept. Then, you must identify it and name it. So here I wanted to describe the beautiful shadow shapes in front of me. The concept was the simple and lyrical shape of the middle value shadow shapes. I went into it hoping to communicate this idea. The idea came while I was looking through the view catcher. 

Although I rarely get the result that I imagine through my visual inspiration, I feel good about the fact that I can now find inspiration through "concept". It's progress right? I will just keep at it, that's all we can do. It's the journey ya know? 

So, go ahead and give this idea a try. Ruminate on what your concept will be, and what you want to say. Keep at it and you are bound to get good at getting closer to saying what inspires you, and the viewer will know it when this happens. The painting will communicate to the viewer and he/she will get the concept, even if it is subliminal. This is a good thing!

A New Year Already and Covering the Basics

"What was any art but a mold in which to imprison for a moment the shining elusive element which is life itself---life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose."

Willa Cather (1876-1947)

"The Branch"

Oil on Linen   8x16" 

Available Here

I just wanted to send out a post this morning and wish you all a Very Happy New Year. It is also a good time to bring you up to date on upcoming classes and events.

Classes will be starting up again in the Studio in Truckee this week, kicking off with a full demonstration while covering the basics of Oil Painting. Composition and Design, Value, Color Mixing, Observation Translation, Edges, will be addressed, as well as the

 three ways to start a painting and a few studio tips. We will start at 10am and go until the painting is finished, about 2pm. I will be happy to answer all of your questions about the way I paint. Bring a snack and I will provide water and coffee.

Here is the thing: Every artist has his or her own way of doing things, as do I. But when it comes down to it, the basics are the basics. This is what I will be focused on teaching in the studio. We will tackle them one at a time over and over again. Artists at any level needs this practice, just like a tennis player or golfer needs to keep sharp on their skills. 

Send me an email if you'd like to attend this demonstration on Wednesday January 7th. Classes are $50. or 4 for $185. Call me with any questions. (regular class times are 10-1:30 on Wednesdays) ranblaz@hotmail.com

I will be in Truckee most of January and February, so you can plan to attend these classes if you choose, after that I will be moving around some. I plan to teach at Patris Studio a couple of times on Tuesdays in March (Sacramento) and then I will be attending the Plein Air Convention in Monterey (one last time) in April. That means at least two or three Wednesdays in the studio in March and at least two Wednesdays in April. 

It is my belief that practice of consistent learning in the classroom is the best way to learn. In addition I believe in homework assignments and will be adding that into my classes this year. I will work with each individual at their own level and on the areas of their own weaknesses, along with keeping focused on their personal goals. 

Class size is limited.

I'm happy to announce that my painting, "Last Light over the river L'aude", was accepted into the California Art Clubs "Romance of Europe Exhibition". 

Oil on Linen  8x10"
$975
Available through CAC 

EXHIBITION DATES:

January 30 – May 26, 2015

LOCATION:

Altadena Town & Country Club 2290 Country Club Drive Altadena, CA 91001

"Last Day at Squaw"

oil on canvas, 10x10 $675
Available Here

Also on exhibition is the Small Works Show in Sacramento. You are welcome to come and enjoy all of these little beauties on Second Saturday January 10th 

Patris Studio and Art Gallery

3460 2^nd Avenue

Sacramento ca 95817

In February look for a group exhibition at The Red Dot Gallery in Sacramento. I will be one of twenty-one artists participating in the exhibition California Scape:Beyond the Snapshot, at Red Dot Gallery, in February 2015.  The premise of the exhibition is to showcase the work of artists who have a unique take on the regions, locations and/or elements of California, which go beyond the postcard imagery widely associated with our state.

"Ski Day" 

Oil on Linen   11x14x.15"

$875

See the show at the Red Dot Gallery, 2231 J Street in Sacramento, February 14, Valentines Day for the reception.

A Couple of Demo's and Holiday Shows.....

"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream"

Vincent Van Gogh

"Butterflies and Coffee"

Oil on Linen Panel   8x6"

Available Here

In Class this week at Studio Blasquez I painted a couple of demonstration pieces. We discussed how important it is to paint small and often from life. It is the best way to learn the art of observation. When an artist learns to "see" or observe, he/she will learn how to paint. I was inspired by Carol Marine's new book, Paint Small and Often. I highly recommend it!

"Green Apple, Blue Cup and a Mirror"

Oil on Linen Panel   8x8"

Available Here

I will be showing a few pieces this Holiday Season at two upcoming shows. The first one is at Patris Studio in Sacramento, "Small Works" Winter show. Opening Reception - December 13th, 6-10 pm. 3460 2nd Avenue, Sacramento 916-397-8950.

Additionally, I have entered one piece in the Holiday Treasures show in Southern California, at the Debra Huse Gallery on Balboa Island. Opening Reception is on Thursday December 4th, 5-8pm. The show will run through the holidays if you are in the area. 

Hours are OPEN 10-5 Friday-Sunday. 

Please call 949-723-6171.

Enter around the corner from Marine Avenue on Balboa Avenue