Around the Bend

This is a Northern California landscape that I've been tooling with for a while. I'm still over working it and I will post the results when I give up and stop laying on the pastels.

Large Rock

Another study for a larger painting. This one I liked because of the perspective and the many colors that make up the water. I think in the larger piece the water needs to be more engaging.

Richmond Treetops

I like sitting in Pam's backyard. The sky on sunny days is so vivid. Of course I paint the treetops a lot but I like the way the light hits them. I usually sit and paint til it gets too windy and cold.

Lane Change

This is a Providence, Rhode Island cityscape. A few years ago I taught for the National College of District Attorneys and they shipped me off to Providence. I loved the feel of the town. The buildings were gorgeous and they had lots of character. I did straighten the line on the yellowish building because it was annoying me. I went to this authentic Italian food restaurant for lunch and they laughed at how I placed my order. The regulars were pronouncing the dishes correctly I just said give me the curly pasta with the spinach. That aside the food was excellent.

Afternoon Waves

This was my first painting of the trip using the limited palette of the primaries, white and burnt sienna. This is part of the tree stand in front of our patio. The light was getting to that special point and the waves were hypnotic.

Troubled Waters

Oil study on copper. The goal was to map out the trouble spots. I may work in pastel for the larger painting. I could tool around with this a bit more too.

Gray Day Surf (Pastel Version)

This is the pastel version. In an earlier post you saw the small 5 by 7 oil study.

Like Pea Soup

This is an image from Muir Beach. This is more of an exploration of where I can potentially go with this image in oil, watercolor, acrylic...If you don't paint you don't win.

Lean With It

This is an image from our first Urban Music Festival here in Austin. I'm working on a series involving music and musicians. Its not finished yet.

Bored and Tagged

On my way to a dinner party in Wimberly on some obscure road we spotted a few calves hanging out by the road. This teenager just had that look of utter boredom.

Gray Day Surf

I love the beach on cold blustery days. I qualify that with being properly dressed. On those days you hear only wind and the air is just damp. This scene from Fort Bragg , California reminds me of those days. The sun hides most of the day and when/if it does come out its brief.

This is a study for a larger pastel piece.

Large Rock Waves

No I wasn't standing that close to the drop off it just looks that way. I enjoyed painting this one because the greens were amazing. Pam actually found a way down to the beach. Too steep for me and I was painting anyway.

Signature Lounge Waiters

I must admit that I have changed this up a bit since this image. I shortened the third waiters apron and smoothed out a few raw areas. I love restaurant and bar scenes. I love the white shirts, ties aprons. People also are more relaxed and fun to sketch. The Signature Lounge that I refer to is the one in Chicago, Ill. Its on the 92nd floor and the views are amazing. that day we had an early dinner-thus the waiting waiters- and to the lounge for drinks later.

Busy Busy Waters

This is almost finished. Its my first pastel painting on velour. The surface is interesting to paint on. This is one of those Glass Beach scenes with rushing waves, wind, fog, mist, seagulls... I'm trying to look deeper to get the colors accurate.

Fog Lifting Study

This painting is about fog that is yielding to the sun. One of my favorite foggy beaches is Muir Beach. Its a small intimate little beach near Stinson beach. Of course I'm thinking of playing with this one a little more but I do like the foreground and will probably leave it alone.

Day 2 Four

This is a small study completed on my cliff. My intent was to depict the edge of the cliff and the grass that sprigs up in the sand. This one can almost be a beach from above and the sprigs can be seen as wavelets. I may use this for a larger piece.

Day one One

The firs painting executed on day one. My focus was on the rock shadows and the light that creates the shadow.

Significant foliage

This is the same area as yesterdays post. My focus here was the bush. I like the way it slopes over the fence.

Oceanside Gravel Pit

This is one of my favorite trees on the pathway by the hotel. Further down there's this gravel pit in front of an awesome view of the ocean and land. I liked the slope of the tree across the fence. I was pretty loose and wet with the paper. I like the movement in this obviously still landscape. I think the movement can be attributed to the fact that I had been recording waves in my brain all day. To relax the brain I turned away from the ocean and painted this.

Building Tops Greenville

This a study in values for me. I'm dissecting an image and painting portions of it in anticipation of painting a larger piece. I took this shot from a side street about 6 blocks down from the courthouse. My mom was driving and she stopped to let me take the photos. Greenville, Texas really is a beautiful little town. I think I will set up the gear one day downtown and just paint. Adds new meaning to painting the town.

Day 2 three

The third plein air sketch done on day 2.

A Segment

In front of the beachcomber Motel right across the street there is a patch of trees that catch the light just right as the sun is rising and setting. I turned my back to the ocean and painted this one from the patio looking through a break in the buildings.

Waves and Rocks two versions

Both images represent rocks being overtaken by waves. Painted on site from above the beach. I always learn a lot about the ocean from just watching and painting.