Sunrise Walk 3

Happy New year all. I'm cooking tomorrow's meal and painting.

Sunrise Walk 1

The sky in the morning can humble you.

Sunrise Walk 4

The sky before sunrise on a random daily walk.

September Marina Vibe

The bones of this painting were done in ink on site. Color and various media were added later.

Marina Hillside

I painted this piece during my recent stay in Northern California. I frequently "turn around" and paint something other than the ocean.

Bay Bridge Vantage Point

This birthday season we did a lot of local parks with different views of the Bay Bridge in California. Years ago I would never have tried the bridge because I found it intimidating. As I have grown older, painting is more about joy and fun and not selling. As I post paintings from this visit. You will notice that I used tempra paint and paint sticks in some on the many paintings that I managed this visit.

Night Flight 2

This was inspired by the sketches that were posted previously. I am in the process of evaluating what I currently have in storage. I have a lot of old sketchbooks that I have completed. Maybe I can explore them again with fresh eyes and different skills. Some of them were completed in 2009-2010. IMHO my people sketches were much better.

Point Reyes Layers

This was also inspired by the same set of plein air sketches I spoke about in my most recent post. Below are the sketches completed on site.

I recently purchased a set of oil pastels made by Caran D'ache. I think the next paintings will be with this medium. I will keep you posted.

Night Flight

I always go back to revisit old plein air paintings for additional inspiration. We made a visit to the Point Reyes National Seashore a couple of years back. I remember this visit because I sketched in the car to avoid snakes. Long story short, I encountered two snakes in one day at this location a few years back and it still haunted me. I sectioned off a number of squares on a page of mixed media Canson paper and completed about 5 little plein air sketches. I pulled that page out recently and did some pastels. I will try and post the sketches later. Of course I took liberties with the time of day or night.

Rebirth

On our way to and from Lee Vining, California and the Eastern sierra we drove through many areas that had been hit by wildfire's. These areas were going through what appeared to be regrowth. I tried to capture that in this image.

Red Houses

One of the many scenes from my morning walks in Austin.

Frate Barker Spring Flowers

I walk in this area for some of my morning walks. This year the flowers didn't disappoint. Their presence even made driving on MOPAC more tolerable. The photo that inspired this piece was taken early morning on my phone.

Sunlit House

The spring flowers this year were breathtaking. This painting is my attempt at blue bonnets and blackeyed susans. I did a series of value studies and generateed the paintngs from the value studies. This is a patch of flowers in South Austin.

Trees, Rocks and Water

I have had the pleasure and honor to visit the Eastern Sierra twice. This painting was inspired by an image taken during my first trip.

Albany Bug Cove

I follow painting groups online and that is how I found this fine painting spot. I was attracted to the atmosphere which for me is the fog. Depicting fog for me is a fun atruggle.

Serene Beauty

This year we visited the Eastern Sierra. It was the second time for me. I skectched from the car and onsite. To say the least I was in awe and inspired the entire time. The beauty of this area has to be experienced. We visited Lake Lundy etc. I did this pastel on site.

Lake Cleone Morning Mist

When last in Fort Bragg, California we visited one of my favorite morning spots. The morning mist and colors were beautiful. I did some small value sketches on pastel paper. I later added pastel. I used that painting as inspiration for this piece.

Beginning Dahlia

Painting these dahlias have become a ritual.

The Patch

The plein air sketch that inspired this pastel was done on the Point Reyes National Seashore. I have since completed paintings in pastel, watercolor and oil. I find plein air sketches far more useful than just using a photo. Its almost as if the sketch done on site etches the scene in your brain. That is what it does for me at least.

Lakeside Shadows 1

This painting is part of the Eastern Sierra series that I'm currently working on. The photo that inspired this piece was taken on my birthday in 2019. The trip that keeps giving. Hopefully we can get back this year for more inspiration.