University of Redlands Clocktower – Daily Painting
“Clocktower at Sunset -(University of Redlands)” – 11 x 15 watercolor
Here’s another of my University of Redlands series – the chapel clocktower at sunset, framed by a Chinese silk tree (I think) and a deodar fir tree. In the late afternoon the light made the facade of the tower just glow. I pushed the colors, of course, but that’s the fun of painting.
University of Redlands Sunset – Daily Painting
“Sunset on the Quad” – (University of Redlands) 5 x 7 oil
SOLD
This is one of the paintings I did last weekend en plein air at University of Redlands, about halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. It was painted in the last 20 minutes of light of the day, when the colors are most intense and represents a view of the Administration Building from the viewpoint of the quad. Only a handful of painters were left at this time, but the colors were worth waiting for.
Painting at that speed means giving up actual detail for suggestion of detail, which is different kind of challenge and one that I enjoy.
This is one of the pieces that will be in the U. Redlands show, along with two other plein air paintings and a big bunch of other regional and desert scenes, some of which have already been posted here.
Temple of Love – Huntington Gardens – plein air
“Temple of Love” – 8 x 10 – oil
SOLD – but I have other Huntington paintings.
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This little painting was painted plein air style at Huntington Gardens early one morning. The sun was climbing rapidly so I concentrated on painting the “temple of love” first, while the light bounced warmly inside the classical structure. Then, I worked on the foreground and background trees and finally the grass, which didn’t change appreciably. I don’t know the species of the large tree but it is not a weeping willow. I’d say it looks like it’s in the juniper family, and although I looked for a plant marker I didn’t find one. Maybe some horticultural expert who knows the Huntington plants can enlighten me? There is such a plant as a Tolleson’s weeping juniper, but it supposedly only grows to 30 feet and this one was much larger.
Anyway, back to the plein air part. I’ve been using a glass palette these past few weeks and although I’m a little concerned about its fragility in the field, I really like the ability to clean it quickly with a glass scraper and have a fresh area to mix in. I use a Masterson’s box to transport my palette and to keep it airtight between painting sessions, so the paint does stay fairly moist.
I think I have just outted myself as both a plant geek and a paint geek. Sad, isn’t it? (grin)
Call of the Desert – Pinyon Crest
“Call of the Desert” – 12 x 16 – oil on canvas
SOLD
This new painting – of an Inland Empire desert scene – will be one that I’ll display at the Redlands Centennial Plein Air show and sale this Saturday at the University of Redlands. It depicts a typical byway on the road to Idyllwild – up highway 74 – in a little community called Pinyon Crest. If you live in that area you know just the kind of terrain I’m talking about. Very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. The sale includes not only paintings of the University of Redlands and the city of Redlands but also scenes of the surrounding Inland Empire area – including San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
Last Saturday’s paintout was a great deal of fun. I got three paintings done that day – two 8 x 10 sized ones of campus buildings, and one small 5 x 7 painting, done feverishly at sunset – showing a long view of the quad with students lounging on the grass. Surprisingly, it was not windy on Saturday and the weather was in the low 80s, quite mild. There’s another paintout tomorrow but I don’t think I’ll be going – too much wind on the freeways bouncing around big 18 wheelers.
A fall garden, plein air
Fall Garden – 9 x 12 – oil on board
A little plein air painting at Huntington Gardens – in a fall mood. In the foreground: mexican bush sage, backed up by red amaranthus. The green clump was another sage but I don’t know the name of the plant with the yellow foliage. I’ll try to ID it on my next trip. The day was gray and overcast but it made the colors “pop” in comparison.
Tonight I had the great delight of watching watercolorist Fealing Lin paint a demo. Last month I saw her paint a landscape – this month, at a different art group meeting, she did a fantastic loose portrait. Seeing her use of color and wet-into-wet techniques was inspiring and made me want to reach for my palette.
Desert Morning – Daily Painting
Desert Morning 5″ x 7″ oil
My thanks to those of you who have sent such thoughtful emails recently – either asking questions about my painting practice or what it’s like to be a full-time painter juggling family responsibilities: your questions have given me the opportunity to reflect on what I’m doing, and your supportive thoughts are appreciated more than you know.
This very small painting was done quite quickly a few days ago as an exercise in establishing a scene economically with the use of color, value and shape.
This weekend (Sat., October 20) I’m going to be doing a plein air paintout at the University of Redlands, as part of their centennial celebration. On Saturday the 27th of October we’ll be showing and selling our work. If you’re in the area, please stop by and say hi (either on the painting day or the showing day.)
Malibu Magic – Daily Painting
Malibu Magic – 16 x 20 oil on canvas – Available
This is another seascape which was painted for the Descanso show.
I’m starting to unwind, now after all the activity and energy of the month. Tomorrow might actually be the first day that I’ll choose to “sleep in” which means a little later than 7 am (unless Foggy the cat wakes me up – which she is accustomed to doing.)
I heard some pretty good quotes about art over the weekend. Frank Webb is quite the storyteller and I’ve observed that people who demonstrate watercolor have a repertoire of good stories and quotes to share while they’re waiting for washes to dry. I haven’t seen that many oil painters demonstrate but so far I haven’t noticed as much raconteurship.
Robert Henri: Every person should be the master of such as he has. (In other words if you’re a carpenter, be the best carpenter you can be. Likewise a clerk, a plumber, or an artist.)
Andrew Loomis: Every piece of the painting should look like it’s been painted.
O’Hara: One should not gossip in paint (meaning, to paint meaningless strokes, or to “chatter.”
Maurice Grosser on “painting in public.”: A painting becomes a work of art when it gets sold and can have a life of its own other than your studio.
Frank Webb: The secret of a happy life is to really ENJOY ‘Plan B.’
White Lilies
“White Lilies” – 5 x 7 oil on canvasboard
These are two of the blossoms in the beautiful bouquet my children sent me in celebration of some of my recent good news. I’m slowly catching up and getting back to ”normal.” This week I hope to get back in the routine of painting every day while getting some things framed for upcoming shows and taking care of other business details. Today I made time for two back-to-back art events. First, i saw watercolorist Frank Webb demonstrate at the National Watercolor Society annual demo series, which was terrific. I’ve long been an admirer of his work and enjoyed seeing him create in person. Then, I raced back to Pasadena to catch the very end of the California Art Club artist’s sale at Casita Del Arroyo. Most of the people were already packing up but I did get to see a little bit of what they were offering – very inspiring.
Sheltering Sycamore
“Sheltering Sycamore” 8 x 10 oil
SOLD
This is the last of my Descanso demonstration paintings, which I finished yesterday afternoon. It is a local painting of a clump of sycamore trees only a mile or so from our house at the edge of the Angeles National Forest. I have painted this cluster before – and they are beautiful in every season. Some autumns, the sycamores turn a range of colors from red orange to green gold to yellow. In other years the leaves simply turn a dusty brown and fade. I suppose that it depends upon what the weather is doing – or perhaps it’s a matter of drought and what kind of summer it was.
I will be at the gallery most of the day today, Thursday, and tomorrow a new group of painters will arrive. Then, it will be time to turn my attention back to some larger paintings and framing some of the juried works for upcoming shows.
High Desert Breeze –
“High Desert Breeze” – 8 x 10 oil on panel
On the road between Palm Springs and Idyllwild (highway 74) there’s a turnoff which leads to a beautiful high desert road where sagebrush, pine and cactus freely mingle. It is perhaps a transitional zone in the local ecology – no longer the hot barren desert but not yet the pine forest of the high mountains. I found the plant life and pastel colors – suggestive of heat – enjoyable to work with.
Throughout the area I saw small stakes with colored strips of plastic, which gave me the idea that the area was in the process of being developed. I think it’s important to document some of these wild spots before they are gone. If the California impressionists hadn’t painted the San Gabriel Valley in the early parts of the 20th century we’d never know that in the springtime fields of poppies and lupine sprawled across the area that is now is covered with houses and fast food places.
This is one of the jobs of an artist: not just to be a recording camera but to interpret what he or she sees in such a way as to preserve the sense of place and time which will never be the same again.
For those of you who are reading this blog for the first time, having visited me at Descanso, here’s how the painting turned out.
