Escaping Light

This painting was started years ago and left in a pile of unfinished works. This year I finished it up with gel pens, etc. It's a painting of Northern California redwoods.

Mountains And Active Clouds

I was able to complete a ton of sketches during the ride up to the Eastern Sierra and while riding around it. I would work with cameras,foutain pens, markers, etc. to get the line work and values down. I added color later.

Eastern Sierra Grazing

We were sightseeing and came across this group of animals grazing on the side of the road. I never miss an opportunity to photograph livestock. The structure of the mountain was obviously the main draw for me as it was and continues to be a challenge to paint. This is a study in gouache for a larger piece. The photo was taken on my birthday in 2019.

Harvest Portrait

I have been a gardener for years. It's one of my solutions to high vegtable prices and its good to know what is in your food. The entire process from seed to fruit or vegetable is a miracle in many ways. One of the many benefits is the built in still life. I wanted the image to have a graphic feel to it.

Car Butt

Those of you that follow my social media know that I have been doing a series of abstract car paintings. They are abstract because I'm learning how to draw them. I've always had issues with perspective etc. due in large part to my relatively flat corneas. I saw this vehicle during one of my many walks around Richmond, California. I have also added some of the images to my Fine Art America website where one can order prints, t-shirts, etc.

Afternoon Crab Special

This is a plein air piece that I completed on my most recent trip to Fort Bragg, California. We were hanging out in the afternoon and these birds were hunting crab. Pam actually "rescued" one and threw it back into the ocean.

Sierra Cliffside and Sierra Slice

Another two paintings for the Eastern Sierra series. I'm working in different formats and mediums and it's fun. I took hundreds of photos and almost finished a complete sketchbook while there. I'm really looking forward to going back.

Died Lavender

Another in the kitchen counter series. I call this one died lavendar because I think these flowers weren painted this color by the florist. Do florists paint flowers?

Samuel P. Taylor Trees

Happy New Year Everyone. This is the companion piece to the last post of 2021.

Samuel P. Taylor Stream

Years ago we visited Samuel P. Taylor State Park during the salmon run. I was testing out new camera equipment and playing with the light. This image is mixed media. I started out with fountain pen lines, watercolor, gouache and finally Posca pens for highlights. I used the mixed media blue toned paper from Strathmore as the surface. The goal was to capture the feel of the wet cool air and the nuance of light on the landscape.

My Sierras

This is an image from my 2019 visit to the Eastern Sierra. I find mountain ranges similar to portrait work. This was done in gouache. Of course, numerous sketchbook studies preceded this painting. Some artists that I follow on Instagram capture this area far better than me.

Barton Springs Viewpoint

On occasion I walk around town and randomly sketch downtown views from the surrounding neighborhoods. This drawing was done while standing in the Green Mesquite restaurant parking lot. The initial drawing was rendered in ink on Strathmore Blue Toned paper. I finished up with markers and gouache.

From South Congress

This is from South Congress looking towards the Capitol. I just wanted to have fun with color and mediums. I used the blue toned paper and played with paint, markers, pens, watercolor etc.

Grill Fire Up

My stepfather Milton has been the subject of many of my paintings. He loved cooking for friends and family. This home made grill cooked up many meals for just us or a huge party of friends. He would start early, unlike me, and the best was the food first off the grill. He liked to have beer while cooking. So by the end of his cooking, he would have barbecue toast. Thats what my mom called it. It is my hope that you are happy and healthy as you read this. Its been a rough patch for all of us. We will get through this better as a world. Remember even if you are not present for the holidays you are always with family in your heart and mind.

Shrimp

A few years ago I joined a group of painters in the Rockport/Fulton area of the Texas coast. I spent the majority of my time painting the activity around the shrimp boats. Last year I revisited some of the video and sketches that I did there. This is a small gouache inspired by the imagery. As I remember it the person on the right was the oldest and the hardest worker.

Natural Abstraction

This is another Ben White sunrise image. I am enjoying this series. This is a gouache painting on blueish grey card stock. When I first opened this image up on my computer the first thought was God's natural abstraction. I of course took license with the colors I chose to use.

Busy Commute

This is what Bee Caves Road looks like early in the morning when its rainy and foggy. This scene makes me think of classical music because that is what I listen to in the car to avoid road rage. It also makes me feel cozy. I'm inspired by the morning sky and the effects of weather on the landscape. Gouache and grey card stock are what I'm using in this series.

Sunrise Impression

This is another sketch inspired by my morning commute to work. My goal was to keep the painting loose and abstract. I like how the lights reflect on the surface of the road. The sky drama is always a treat for the eyes.

Commute Beauty

One of the nice things about going in to work early is that you get to see the sun rise. Another advantage is less traffic. This is a little gouache study that I completed before the pastel version I posted on Instagram yesterday. It's a view of part of the Austin skyline as the city starts its day.

Snow Covered Bales

My workout partner shared a few pictures of his ranch in the snow. Of course being obsessed with hay bales I had to do this little painting. I liked the fence lines too. This is a little trading card image. I really like working small. Its a challenge to put in detail. My intent is to frame up a few of these little jewels for my gallery. They don't take up much space and I think they draw your attention.