Thursday 4th December 2008 - Ray's Class

A bit of an off day for me, maybe I'm coming down with something, feeling tired and sneezing a lot. Ray said getting me through this painting was like pulling teeth. I did enjoy the colours, though.

Near Mendocino, California - oil on canvas panel - 12 x 16" - $750

Tuesday 18th November 2008 - California Beach Sunrise

This was painted from one of my favourite California Coastline photos, I was looking forward to painting it. Did the most part in the gallery on Tuesday and finished it off on Thursday.

California Beach Sunrise - 12 x 16" - oil on canvas - $750

Thursday 6th November 2008 - more California!

Another California beach painting. I'm really enjoying painting these beach and ocean views, particularly all the greens and blues in the ocean, makes a great change from mountains and sagebrush.

California Coastline - 12 x 16 - oil on canvas - $750

Tuesday 4th November 2008 - California

Election Day and the unseasonably warm and sunny weather came to an end and it looked grim and rainy on the Plaza as I was on duty at the gallery, the few visitors coming in to get out of the rain. I really enjoyed painting this sunny beach scene from my trip to California, especially the blues and greens in the sea.

California Coastline - 12 x 16" - oil on canvas - $750

Thursday October 30th 2008 - Ray's

I brought one of my California photos to work from to today's group. This one is of a beach in Big Sur coming up to sunset.

Big Sur Sunset - 8 x 10" - oil on canvas panel - $295

Thursday 9th -23rd October - California!

After all the hard work of Fall Arts, when my good friend Heidi said she was taking a road trip out to California I asked if I could come too. She tied her sea kayak to the rood of the car and I brought my paints and my portfolio too on the off chance I found a gallery I liked out there.

In the end I only did this one painting and a few sketches, I found that without my usual routine of plenty of rest and good breakfast etc before I paint, I wasn't firing on all cylinders. Not to mention all the drinking we were doing down there at sea level!

The Beach at Carmel - 8 x 10" - oil on canvas panel - $395

Wednesday 23rd April 2008 - Ke'e Beach

This beach is on the Na'Pali Coast, the North side of Kauai. I had meant to stay for a sunset painting but I painted these 2 during the afternoon and was tired and hungry, too impatient to stay. if i have time I may go back for the sunset here before I leave as this is one of the few places where the sun sets over the water in driving distance from where I am staying.





Ke'e Beach 1 - 8 x 10" - oil on canvas - $295
Ke'e Beach 2 - 12 x 16" - oil on canvas - $575

Sunday 20th April 2008

After a night camping on the beach under a full moon, I painted this one in the morning. My second attempt at painting the ocean went all right. I was trying to capture the 'atmospheric perspective', the damp air making the further cliffs lighter and more blue. You don't often see this up in the mountains of New Mexico as the air is so dry.

Just as i was finishing this one off, the surfer came and stood right on the beach, watching the waves and creating exactly the right foreground detail.

Polihale Beach - 16 x 12" - oil on canvas - $575



Later that day I took a drive up Waimea Canyon and painted this one from the look out. The light changes all the time, which makes it a little challenging. It started to rain soon after I set up, so I was painting under an umbrella waiting for the rain to stop. As the tourists were laughing at me I replied that i had done crazier things to get a painting... but i couldn't think of any right now.





I was very happy with the effect of the light hitting the rain falling in the distance.




Waimea Canyon - 16 x 12" - oil on canvas - $575

Thursday 17th April 2008 - Kaua'i!

Here is my first Kaua'i painting, the Kilauea Lighthouse. This area is a bird sanctuary so there are lots of birds, particularly red footed boobies (great name!)



This was painted in the morning with a constant line of sightseers taking a look, taking photographs of me as well as the lighthouse. When they ask me to take photographs of them, rather than say 'please don't interrupt me, I'm painting!' I just show them my paint smeared hands and they find some one else.



Kilauea Lighthouse - 8 x 10" - oil on canvas - $295