2018 Open Studio

Spring Cranes at the Stockton Art League

I am now a member of the Stockton (CA) Art League.  They have invited me to join and show my embellished paper cranes.  So naturally I had to build a new display stand for them!  A friend helped me drill the holes in a chair leg and attach it to a stand.  I put dowels through the holes, painted it, and VOILA!  A new stand to show off my new Spring collection.  They have it in the window at the gallery just in time for Chinese New Year!


Below are some close up photos.

     

Painting my new display stand

Haggin Museum Visit

I had the opportunity to visit the Haggin Museum in Stockton, CA yesterday.  The museum has been newly renovated and is just beautiful!  Here are some photos I took of some of the rooms and a couple of my favorite paintings... so many from which to choose!  

The blue wall is spectacular!  It really shows off these beautiful paintings.

Here is the painting on the left on the blue wall above.  "Banks of the Saone, near Chatillon"  about 1901  by Jan Monchablon  French, 1854 - 1904
That pink skirt just plain sparkles and draws attention!

Another of my favorites is by George Inness 1825 - 1894 
called "Old Homestead"  c. 1877


If you get a chance to go to this museum, I highly recommend it!
First Saturdays in each month are free admission too!

I am warming up my paint brushes!

 

Sand Dunes and Eucalyptus     6" x 6"  oil on panel

Returned recently from a fun time painting in the Carmel (CA) area.  I hiked down through the sand dunes at the end of Ocean Ave. in Carmel to make this painting.  The ice plant is a nice contrast with its red color against the green eucalyptus trees.

You can bid on it in the Daily Paintworks auction 

Here is the scene I painted from in Carmel.

Finished Commission Painting

"Cornflower Field"  30" x 40"  oil ~  on the easel

After working on my commissioned painting most of the afternoon, I feel like it is finished.  But I will let it rest tonight and look at it again with fresh eyes in the morning.  If you compare it to the last post, you will see that I decided I did not like the two mounds of hay and thought it would look better with just one.  So I painted the left one out, added more of the walnut orchard and gave the viewer a peek into the distant hills.  I completely re-worked the barn and I am so much happier with it it.  It matches so many barns I see here in the Central Valley of California.  I worked on the trees to the right and the foreground as well.  Lots of other small changes as well.  

Now to sign it and let the paint rest and dry.

Day 4 work on my commission

I had a great time in Monterey this past weekend visiting artist's studios in the Monterey County Open Studio Tour.  Some very good artists and fun to see their studios.

I really enjoyed Annette Corcoran's studio.  She creates some of the most spectacular porcelain tea pots.  She is 87 years old and quite a lady.  She has been doing these ceramic pieces for 30 years and has many of her pieces in museums.  I recommend looking her up on the internet!

Today I had time to work on my commission painting again.  Made lots of changes and I am very happy with them.  New sky, pushed the distant mountains back some, reworked some of the trees, and worked a little more here and there.  Tomorrow I will be working on the foreground and the trees on the right and perhaps a few more changes.

Keep checking my blog to see how it is coming along!

Angel Trumpets Painting

My painting "Angle Trumpets" is now up for auction on Daily Paintworks.
You can bid on it here:
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/753140

Angel Trumpets   oil   12" x 9"

These are the most beautiful flowers!  I love the way the light hits and shines through the flowers!