"Winter Bliss" © 16 x 20 NFS

I chose this painting today because it is now 100 degrees outside and our air conditioning just died a sudden death. What timing! Anyway, this painting made me feel a little cooler. This scene is from Twin Lakes, CA and was done from a photo I took when Frank and I went up there on a business trip. Twin Lakes is a special place for us because that is where we got married eight years ago. We were married in July of 2001 and since then we like to go up there as much as we can on our anniversary. We won't make it up there this year, unfortunately. I am so in love with the beautiful Sierras and always feel blissful when are there.

"A Stop Along Highway 1" © 16 x 20

I was attracted to this scene along the Pacific Coast Highway because of all of the colors I saw in the cliffs and in the ocean. The ocean was showing its array of colors, ranging from greens, to blues, to violets. Also, I liked the atmospheric perspective. Atmospheric perspective is the way things in the background appear grayer, cooler and paler as they recede. There is nothing like the ocean to soothe the soul!

"Painting En Plein Air" © 9 x 12

In our last blog, we featured a painting of the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena and that reminded me of this painting that I did last Fall. There were several artists painting in the area that day and I was having trouble finding a spot to paint where I wouldn't be blocking someone's view or wouldn't have someone else in my view. Since the light was quickly changing and I was getting tired trying to find a spot to paint, I decided to paint this scene and include the artist. I am happy with this painting because it is much more interesting with the figure in it. The artist who was "in my way" turned out to be the central focus of the painting!

This painting is currently being exhibited at "The Old Mill" in San Marino (1120 Old Mill Road). The Old Mill ("El Molino Viejo") is a charming historical building and is the gallery of the California Art Club.

"Memories of the Arroyo" © 16 x 20

This painting is called "Memories of the Arroyo" because Frank and I have many fond memories of this location. For many years we’ve enjoyed painting in the Arroyo Seco area with our artist friends and participated in several of the California Art Club’s paintouts followed by an art sale held at the Casa de Arroyo. A portion of the proceeds always went to the renovation and preservation of the Arroyo Seco so we feel a part of its beauty. For several years, it was a "tradition" for us to go to the Arroyo and paint on New Year's Day when it was quiet and the weather was ‘picture perfect.’ I can’t count the number of times we have painted the Colorado Street Bridge and its ‘sister’ bridges further downstream and the paintings always get sold to locals who live near the Arroyo. This painting is my most recent one of the bridge. No "takers" yet, but I have only shown it a couple of times.

"After the Rain" © 24 x 30 Sold

Those of you who live in Southern California know what the "June gloom" is but for those who don't, it is the overcast mornings we have during the month of June. The gloominess usually "burns off" by 11:00 a.m. to reveal a nice sunny afternoon. Anyway, the June gloom we are experiencing right now reminded me of a painting I did last year of a scene in Bishop, California. It had just rained and the sun was just trying to peek out afterward. The mountains in the background were still misty but the sun was shining in the foreground. This was my attempt to capture that mood but some of nature's light effects are elusive when it comes to painting. I guess I got close.

While I was in the studio painting this scene, one of our patrons stopped by, spotted the half-finished painting on my easel and said she wanted to buy it when it was done. I wish I could sell all of my paintings that way!

"Summer's Gold" © 6 x 8 Sold

Our posting of last week prompted me to look back at some of my paintings of coastal scenes. I'm not sure anymore where this scene was from but I think it was somewhere on the Malibu coast. The obvious reason for this painting was the "glow" of the sunset and the reflections on the water. I sold this one almost immediately after it was painted. As I recall, the paint was still wet when I sold it to a lady who had lived in Southern California for several years. In a matter of days, she was going to move back east and wanted a little painting of the coast as a remembrance. Currently, I am painting a series of paintings from our recent trip to Visalia but as soon as I am done with the series, I might paint some more coastal scenes. I love the challenge of painting the different moods of the ocean.

"A Stop Along PCH" © 16 x 20

Saturday evening, we attended the opening reception of the "On Location in Malibu" exhibit at the Weisman Museum at Pepperdine University. This painting of Frank's is part of the exhibit. The show is a collection of paintings by Artist Members of the California Art Club and all the paintings are from the Malibu area. It is a fabulous exhibit and we encourage you to see it before it ends on August 9th. It is a collection of marvelous paintings by some of the best artists in Southern California. We had a wonderful time at the reception and it was very well attended. It was fun to visit with some of our artist friends and to enjoy the beautiful weather and atmosphere of the Southern California coast. I love the "glow" that Frank captured in this painting which is typical of the beautiful light conditions in Malibu.