Lillies at Dusk

 

Morning Heat

This painting had been sitting on the wall for years.  I had reached a point in the painting where I was unable to take the painting where I wanted it to go.  There were problems that I was not ready to solve.  Instead of pushing through, I decided to wait till my skill improved enough to complete the painting.

I reset the foreground in shape and tone.  I then proceeded to the middle ground and ultimately the hills in the background.

Although the hills in the background were a big improvement from what they had been, I was not satisfied.  I was shooting for a deep feeling of atmospheric perspective.

I began building the value differences in the foreground and middle ground to set the stage for the background.

The atmospheric perspective in the hills improved and helped emphasize the foreground.  I think it would have been better if the shadows in the hills were more purply.  

The finished painting 12x24

The value shot feels good.  

 The detail shot lets you see the painting's abstract nature and the relationships within the painting.

Blaze of Glory

The sunset was a blaze of neon like colors shifting behind the San Gabriel's in their final moments before they surrendered.  I did a quick underpainting in watercolor to accentuate the pure pigment of the pastels that I would lay down.

The challenge was to match the intensity of the color, to represent the cloud shapes, and to get the contrast right.

Done?

The signature is on the painting but I was not quite done.  I reworked the shapes of the clouds in the middle right hand side of the painting.

The parts of the puzzle.  The following pieces of the painting are included to show mark making, color relationships within the painting and to show the abstract nature within the painting.

  

The final result.  Mixed media watercolor and pastel measuring.19x27 

The value shot reveals the dramatic range of the contrast within the painting.  It feels fairly close to what I observed that evening.

 

Light Pepper 2

An amazing sunset filtered through my neighbors Pepper tree.  The beautiful backdrop of the sky at dusk contrasted with the interesting shape of the Pepper tree was what inspired me.

  

The challenge for me in this painting was how to communicate the shape and the detail of the pepper tree foliage.  The strands of leaves and their movement was something I sketched out the bunches of foliage a couple of times before starting the painting,

 

The value shot showing the contrast of the tree against the sunset.  It feels right.

The detail shot showing the mark making, abstraction, and the texture created by the board,  This was a whirlwind of a painting.  When they are fast like this was they almost always turn out how I envisioned them.  This is one of those paintings.

Late Afternoon Drama

 

Low Tide

Low Tide 12x24

From the wall of unresolved paintings to the easel for a shot at redemption.  My original attempt left me knowing this painting could be more.  Yet for some reason I had no idea what that was.  There are about 10 of these paintings.

The painting where I left it.

The painting reworked.  A subtle change in colors with a focus on trying to establish atmospheric perspective.
 

A further adjustment in values and adjustment in color.

The final result

The value shot.

The detail shot.

Sycamore Project

Sycamore trees have been a source of inspiration for me for many years.  Their shapes are so interesting.  The twists and turns they take defy reason.  The color of the bark.  The way they look throughout the seasons have made a deep impression on me.

I have driven miles to paint these trees.  The character that develops over time in Sycamore trees reminds me of the character you see in your grandparents.  Some of them seem super grumpy while others seem elegant.

My favorite places to paint Sycamore trees are: Chino Hills State Park, Dilly Park in Laguna Beach, and Irvine Park.