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

Wednesday 29th October 2008 - Melissa's

Another new model. I particularly liked the upsweep of her hair, it reminded me of an Edwardian lady. This is one of my favourite paintings I've done in a while.

Lady - 20 x 16" - oil on canvas- $1,175

Saturday 25th October 2008 - Osho

After 2 weeks of camping it was great to get back to my nice, comfy bed! Osho was the model and the last painting I did of her (in a blue hat) is one of the most popular paintings on my fineartamerica web page. I thought this one of her came out rather well.

Osho - 16 x 12" - oil on canvas panel - $750

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

Wendnesday 8th October 2008 - Melissa's group

A second week on this pose and I was glad to get it finished

Pigtails - 20 x 16" - oil on canvas - $1,175

Tuesday 7th October 2008 - Golden trees

Jane and I went plein aire painting near a friend's house in Valle Escondido as she had told us that the trees next to the pond were in full autumn colour. We ran out of time so this one is so far unfinished.

Valle Escondido - 20 x 20" - oil on canvas - unfinished

Thursday 2nd October 2008 - Ray's

Finally finished this one of the Grand Canyon after 3 sessions on it at Ray's class. I took this photo a while ago while travelling in Arizona. I think I'll start a smaller piece next time...

Grand Canyon - 24 x 30" - oil on canvas - $1,750

Wednesday 1st October 2008 - Melissa's

A new model this week and a great change to paint the different skin tones, lots of peach and pink with red hair. I'll finish this one off next week.

20 x 16" - oil on canvas - unfinished

Taos Fall Arts Festival

Not so much time for actually painting when Fall Arts comes around! Framing and picking things up and dropping paintings off and getting the house ready for the Open Studio Tour and then it was 4 openings in 2 nights, the Quickdraw TCA Fundraiser and a Sunday night gig as well as my studio being open to the public all day Saturday and Sunday.

I painted this portrait of Obama at the Quickdraw event, 40 or so local artists have a morning to create a piece of artwork and at 1PM we put down our brushes wherever we are in the piece and then it is auctioned off, still wet, for charity.

Obama - 20 x 20" - oil on canvas - SOLD

Wednesday 24th September 2008 - Melissa's

The second week of this pose with the lovely Nina. I did a little more work on the one I started last week and then did this smaller sketch from a different angle. A good day's work!



Longing - 16 x 20" - $975
Longing II - 12 x 16" - $575