Less is More

Honored to see my painting "The Bridge and the Train" on the full color post card advertisement for the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association's "Less is More" Exhibit. It's sure to be an extraordinary show at the Randy Higbee Gallery! Here are the details:

Randy Higbee Gallery
102 Kalmus
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Artists' Reception: Saturday, May 21,2011 4:00pm-8:00pm
Exhibition Dates: May 21, 2011 through June 4, 2011

SOCALPAPA "Paints the Parks"

Juried Art Show, Exhibit and Sale May 20-22, 2011
Irvine Ranch Historic Park 13042 Old Myford Road in Irvine (Irvine Blvd. and Jamboree)
Gala Reception: Friday 6:00pm-tickets available
Art Exhibit and Sale: Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm
For information call 714-832-6299

Here are my two of my recent plein air paintings and accepted entries into the show: "Begonia Park/Newport Harbor" (11"h by 14"w) This quiet little park is tucked away behind the harbor in a beautiful residential area, and overlooks the balboa peninsula.
"Caspers Wilderness Park" (11"h by 14"w) This regional park is a stunning 8,000 acre protected wilderness preserve found along highway 74, inland of San Juan Capistrano. The light hitting this "Old Corral and wind mill" in the early afternoon was fun to paint among the Native Live Oak and California Sycamore!

Live Drawing Sessions at Prior Studios

Wednesday evenings 6pm-9pm we host an uninstructed "live drawing session" for artists of all abilities. The cost is $10. Our studio is located at 2539 State Street in Carlsbad. It sits behind the "Trade Center" buildings at 2551 State Street, so enter the parking lot at the south end of these buildings. We are a few blocks north of Grand Avenue, and just south of Laguna Drive. (Shown here is a photo of a clothed model which we try to include around once a month.) For the most part, artists use charcoal but are welcome to use their choice of medium. The first people to reserve their spot get to use one of the work benches we have at the studio. Otherwise, please bring a portable easel.

Eggstraordinary

Here's a recent still life I've been working on, "Eggstraordinary". I had been looking for eggplant locally (to paint of course) and have not been able to find it. (I guess it's not in season?) Luckily, I came across a box of lovely eggplant at the San Clemente Farmers Market on Sunday when I was hosting the gallery there. I could hardly wait to get back to my studio to paint it! I had this beautiful orange silk handy to wrap it with in this cute little dish that my friend accidentally left at my house months ago!
Now, I better cook something with eggplant in it pretty quick!

What is a Kaffir boom?

This lovely tree caught my eye months ago (before it even had these glorious red blooms) sitting at the corner of Laguna Drive and State Street, right across from the studio space I share in Carlsbad. It overlooks the Buena Vista Lagoon and the light on it (in the morning shown here) or in the afternoon is stunning. My attempt to capture it was a wonderful experience for me, then my search for it's name was a real challenge. (you wouldn't believe how many "flowering trees, specifically "RED flowering trees" there are!) Well, finally I decided that this must be the "Kaffir boom" also called a "Coral Tree" or "Flame Tree". I found that it originated in South Africa, but also grows along coastal areas. We're sure enjoying it here in Carlsbad!

"Overlooking the Buena Vista Lagoon"

Cocktail Hour 6" by 6"

Here are two of my recent "rainy day" paintings. (I've noticed that it's healthier to spend time painting this kind of set up than it is to consume it -and this kind of activity sure doesn't have the side effects one suffers the "next day" either!) "Gin and Tonic for Two" will be displayed and offered for sale at the Randy Higbee Gallery for his "6" Squared Exhibit".
102 Kalmus Dr
Costa Mesa, CA 9262A
Gala Artists' Reception will be held Saturday, April 16th. 5:00pm-9:00pm
The show will run through May 6th.

http://www.randyhigbeegallery.com/Randy_Higbee_Gallery/EVENTS.html

Contact me for "Tequila and Lime"

Both paintings will be framed in similar "premium" Randy Higbee "water guilded silver box" frames and will look great together in your kitchen or family room!

Southbound Getaway

Lately, trying to stretch, I've been painting larger studies outside. Here is one of my most recent, "Southbound Getaway" 11"h x 14"w on a canvas panel. In the past, it has been so easy to "see" the whole composition on a small panel (6" x 8" or even an 8" x 10"), that it was "more comfortable" for me to paint "smaller". However, when I would bring the painting back to my studio to create a "larger piece", this would sometimes pose a problem for me since much of the "loose brushwork" and "passion" of a quickly done plein air painting is lost on a bigger canvas. Thanks to my good friend and studio partner, Scott W. Prior, (who has been challenging me to "paint bigger") I feel like I've finally figured it out: If I use a BIGGER brush, and practice painting outside from life on bigger canvases, my translated strokes will be more "natural" and make the transition to "larger studio piece" more easily! For this particular plein air piece, I resisted the urge to grab my smaller brushes for ANY detail-and amazingly it seems to have worked!