Sunlight Curve

I have been going through some old photos for painting reference lately. I think I took this photo reference with my first camera. I started with a watercolor under painting. Finish was with pastel.

Wired Up

A landscape of wires and poles. If you know me you know that I will leave the wires and poles out of my paintings. The only exception is when they need inclusion. This will look good as a pastel.

Facing 1206

Happy Holidays everyone.

Creeping Nigh (Fini)

I'm done. Throwing down my pastels.

Harbor Companions

Another painting of Noyo Harbor. When I get back there I intend to spend at least half a day painting there. The area is so rich with subject matter. This is the first pastel I have painted of that area. I am still using that one photo that has millions of paintings in it.

Romance

The sketch below inspired this little watercolor. I saw this couple walking on the beach and I automatically thought of romance and contemplation. The ocean puts me in perspective and being with the one I love brings the romance.

Embrace

I have been going through my collection of old family photos. These two are much bigger now. I love that I have watched them grow into adults. I also have plenty of subject matter when it comes to painting my family.

Someones Porch

On Thanksgiving night I was standing outside getting some air and noticed how beautiful the light was. I took a photo and painted this painting. I love how Commerce smells like the earth.

The First One

My stepfather loved sitting on our side porch with a cold beer. He could survey the neighborhood and also his barbecue pit if he happened to be cooking. He rarely posed for me. Most times I had to sneak up behind him to get a photo. He cooked for most of our family events. I'm missing my Mom and him this holiday season.

Creeping Night (in progress)

This is one of three paintings that I am working on. Of course its a northern California seascape. Night was falling or creeping in. This is the first pastel painting in a while. The underpaiting is a watercolor painting. My friend Enid Wood suggested this to me. I used Terry Ludwig and Rembrandt pastels.

Above the Vessels

Another little painting of Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg, California. I think these two vessels had just unloaded their catch Above these boats were guys trying to put the catch into large containers.

Mr. Mines Garden

I took the photo that inspired this painting in Commerce, Texas during the fall. Its near the old Norris School. Mr. Mines used to farm this land. He fed many of us from his garden. Norris was the school that I attended prior to desegregation. To the left of this scene was our baseball diamond.

I Wanted Foggy

I used a plein air sketch painted at Glass Beach as inspiration for this painting. I was trying to copy a foggy scene. I think this is a little warm for fog. Maybe fog can be warm. I worked on tinted print making paper. Its a welcome change from the starkness of some papers.

Good Catch

Another scene from Noyo Harbor a place I have to paint en plein air when I visit again. The place is rich with potential paintings and good food.

The Way Out

I paint a lot of stuff related to Fort Bragg, California. Its a very inspirational place. Texas inspires me too but the landscape is too familiar at times. Anyway this is a painting of the Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg. I took this photo during my most recent visit. We had just dined at Silvers.

Thought Caught

I met this man at a family gathering. I take lots of pictures during these events. I like painting people in my family. I remember years ago painting my Uncle Carl and seeing paintings of myself during the process. I think this person is family by marriage.

Beach Pier Skeleton

I used one of the two plein air sketches of this old pier as inspiration for this painting. The poles amaze me for some silly reason. This place has a really interesting history. You get the best of both worlds because it has a lake and the ocean. The lake has ducks etc and the ocean has the gulls.

The Flock

This painting reminds me of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I worked from a plein air sketch for this the second exploration of this image. I was sitting on the beach when I painted the first study: this is the first copy in watercolor. It takes me back to the time and sensations when I copy a plein air sketch.

Morning Shadows

I have painted this scene in multiple mediums. The light is what I liked about the image.

I'm Not Sad

I like when people don't pose for photos especially children. For their age they can at times appear to carry the weight of the world on their tiny shoulders. This little one was actually pushing a toy when I snagged her photo.

Sunset and Cranes 3

Below are prior versions of this scene. I was with my friend Tony going to a musical. I had my cell phone with me and took this picture. The pastel version won 3rd in show from the Austin Pastel Society this year.

The 5 by 7 in watercolor

Across Pudding Creek

I have been working a lot from my plein air sketches. I did a drawing and small painting on site. I used those as inspiration for this studio piece. I really like the afternoon light on the rocks and vegetation. These houses overlook Pudding Creek in Fort Bragg, California. The drawing done onsite is posted below. I thought that a different format would work too.

Sky Smiles

When I paint the sunset I am smiling so that's why we have this title. I have painted most of the day before it gets to this point and I am artistically loose. The paintings flow and I am in heaven. The ocean gives me this feeling.

Cooking Cousin

Another painting of a relative from our Mothers day celebration.

Cousin Drawing

Recently my family reached out to our family in the Sulfur Springs, Texas area. We have had reunions, holidays and just plain fun this year. I, being the artist get an entirely new group of people to paint and photograph. Plus it adds to my family series. I have painted Laroyce quite a few times. He is one of my cousins. I wonder if we were friends as kids. I find him to be funny plus he cooks good. He makes a great painting like all of my family.

Sports Building

I used an acrylic plein air sketch as inspiration for this painting. I was sitting on one of the benches That had just amazing views of Richmond harbor and a the surrounding area which was lush with spring greens.

Rock Solid

People and animals enjoying the beach and water. I used one of my plein air sketches as inspiration.

Beach Tent 2

I used my plein air sketch for this larger painting. I was painting from the hotel balcony looking down on the beach. The weather was warm and someone had put up a blue tent for shelter.

My Hood

You have seen this scene before in watercolor. My oil version is above. I don't paint in oil much but I probably should as the paintings sell better. This is the Sulfur Springs highway near my home Commerce, Texas. If it wasn't dangerous I would set up in one of the fields and just paint. I would need a guardian as I don't like snakes, etc. I love the landscape because it is me.

Half Moon Bay Vessels 2

I painted this picture the same time I painted the first version. I wanted to cool it down a bit and maybe define the vessels better with the negative space. I first did a pencil drawing and then used the drawing to paint the two watercolors.

Birthday View

I sometimes just record my view as opposed to designing a painting. This composition is a tad weird and I must admit I wasn't loose enough. For some reason I was not in the proper mode yet. My focus was the mood of the weather. It was foggy in places including this new beach area we found on Point Reyes.

Noyo Harbor 2

The second attempt at simplifying this very busy image. I could blur most of it and just focus on something interesting. That is the beauty of painting on site as opposed to painting from a photo. On my next visit I will definitely spend some time in this area.

Gulls and Surf 2

I used one of my plein air sketches as inspiration for this painting. I liked the seagulls and of course the waves. I experimented a bit with color temperature in this version.

Wine Shadows

One of the oils I started this weekend. My previous explorations were in watercolor. I am again working on a copper surface. I bought a lot of copper to paint on about 4 years ago my goal is to use up every panel that I have and that's a lot of paintings.

Noyo Harbor 1

The hard part about this subject is the amount of material in the scene. The actual source photo had tons of material and subjects. I tried to focus in on a small area for simplification. Noyo Harbor is in Fort Bragg, California. Its an area that has great dining and views of the ocean.

Distant Bale

I have had this piece of copper sitting around so yesterday I revisited some of my hay bale photos for inspiration. I rarely paint in oils but yesterday was an oil kind of day. This scene is from North East Texas along the Sulfur Springs highway.

Bushes in Fog

On my birthday we were hanging out on the Point Reyes National Seashore. It was foggy. I did a small 3 by 5 watercolor on site and used that as inspiration for this larger piece.

Pier Skeleton 2

Another little sketch from my recent holiday in California.

Across The Bridge

Note to reader I have corrected the blue blob car. I painted from the deck of the hotel for a while. It has great views and lots of tables.

Pastel Eye Twinkle

I am still working on this painting. The eyes have to look at me before I consider a figurative complete. I will finish and frame it this weekend. It's a relative who is a very colorful person and fun to hang out with.

Plein Air Choppy Waters

This is the plein air version of Choppy Waters (watercolor) which I posted a few days ago. On site I used Golden's Open Acrylics on primed Gator board. I was perched on this cliff above the water looking down at the beach and surf.

Full Glass 2

I painted both paintings during the same painting session. I played changed the sky a little and I think the colors are bolder in this version. I used my Lukas watercolor travel palette and arches 300 pound watercolor paper.

Choppy Waters

I was sitting on a nice cliff painting on Pam's birthday. I painted what was below me. Rocks and surf.

Sign of Weather

We stopped for Pam to stretch on the way back and I painted a 3 by 5 inch image of these cows at rest. My Mom always told me that cows laying down foretold rain. Point Reyes is where we were. It was my birthday too. Anyway I worked on a larger piece this weekend and came of with this painting from that 3 by 5 inch inspiration.

Eye Twinkle

I'm still working on this one. I lost that loose quality in trying to get a likeness. I think the next painting should have a time limit because I really do like that look. I have worked on this model in graphite, pastel and watercolor.

Half Moon Bay Vessels 1

This painting depicts a body of water in Half Moon Bay, California. I worked from a photo rather than on site. During the recent visit I painted most in watercolor. My normal medium...actually I enjoy them all. I miss my pastels so that will be the next phase.