View from Redwood House

Hillside houses and trees in the San Rafael Hills of Pasadena, California.

Pen and watercolor on Fabriano watercolor paper.

Abstracts Painting Project, Part 2

Here are some more abstract study sketches. The are done with Holbein acrylic on gesso'd watercolor paper and are 5" x 7" in size.

New Book Cover Painting

This is a painting I just completed for Many Moons Press about Charles Francis Saunders, a naturalist who spent a lot of time in the mountains of Southern California.

Some New Watercolors

Here are some recent paintings. The top two are of the Vista del Arroyo as seen from the roof.

Below that is a reworked sketch of the City Hall in Santa Barbara.

Lastly, a mid-century modern house in Pasadena.

Sketchbook Update

Here are two recent sketchbook entries: the top image is of a night concert at Azusa Pacific University; the bottom one is a scene of a house covered hillside in Pasadena. These were done in an Aquabee Sketchbook.

Abstract Paintings Project, Part 1

I am producing a number of large abstract paintings for a mid-century house in Pasadena. I will be documenting the process here. This is the first step: exploring various compositions and color combinations in a series of small studies. I am using acrylic paint applied to 5.5" x 7.5" gessoe'd watercolor paper. I don't have a preconceived idea in mind when I start each study, I just start painting. When the paint starts to look like something, I push it in that direction.

The final paintings will be done in acrylic on stretched canvas. The largest will be 60" x 80". I will be configuring my new studio to allow me to work in these new larger sizes.

I did a number of small studies last year, in fact, the top sketch was from that series. I have been taking some of the original ones and reworking them. I have many more directions to explore. 

Los Angeles Sketches

I frequently rework paintings, particularly ones I am not satisfied with. While I am pleased now, this collection of Los Angeles sketches was never quite right, and for a long time I wasn't sure why. I finally realized the colors were too strong. So the other night in my studio I started playing around with white paint. I lightened the sky with titanium white, and created a sense of atmosphere with varying degrees of wash over the background. In the process I smeared some of the details, which loosened the painting up, and gave it more energy.

While I am a fan of bold, bright colors, there is something to be said for muted and subdued tones, and trying to develop the look of faded colors on a hazy summer day, (or in the case of Dodger Stadium, a warm August night).