Fall Cove (sold to benefit Japan)

I was sick over the holiday weekend, and two things always happen when I paint while sick.  1.  I get tentative and fussy with the paint, and 2.  I'm never happy with what I do.   That means a lot of scraping off and re-doing sections until I get mad enough to put some paint down like I mean it.   It was a battle, but I'm finally okay with this one.  Contrary to popular belief, we do get a lovely change of seasons in San Diego!  You just have to pay attention.  6" X 8" oil/canvas panel.

After the Storm (sold)

La Playa Cove, with the last dark clouds moving out after the rains.  The focus is on relative values, and using them to portray the spectacular brightness of the sun and that reflection.  8" X 6" oil on canvas panel.

(Sold)

Sunrise 5

Last sunny sunrise for a while.  In fact, while I was painting this, the fog was already rising up over the point, overtaking the lighthouse (distance, at right) and the Visitor's Center (left).  The clear Santa Ana weather pattern is giving way to the usual foggy, misty morning.  6 X 8", oil/canvas panel.

Sunrise 4

This one almost got scraped off after the first session, but I went back again at sunrise a few days later, and it seemed to come together.  Now I really like it.  You just never know.  6 X 8", oil/canvas panel.

Cloudburst (sold)

Very fast sketch of some very fast moving dark clouds.  Before I finished painting, they were overhead and it was pouring.  Since this is the view out our window, I was indoors, nice and dry.  6 X 8" oil/canvas panel.

Sunrise 3

Shadows have beautiful color, and can say so much about the presence of things not seen.  Third in a series done at Fort Rosecrans, with the Cabrillo Monument Visitor Center in the background. 6 X 8", oil on canvas panel.

These small plein air paintings are done with my Guerrilla Painter Thumb-box which fits on the small rear rack of my road bike.  I ride out to wherever I paint on site, so keeping it small is helpful.  If I'm hiking or taking public transit, I use a larger EasyL setup with tripod.  There's something very enjoyable about keeping the setup so simple though, and people seem genuinely happy to see someone out there with a bike and a paint box.  Sometimes they stop and say so, which is very nice of them. Here's my setup--everything I need, box and all, fits into that canvas bag which I bungee onto the rack (where the box is sitting).

Sunrise 2

We've had beautiful sunny mornings lately, and the shadows are wonderful.  6" X 8" plein air, oil on canvas panel.

Sunrise (sold)

It says everything I wanted to say. 6" X 8" plein air, oil/canvas panel.  (sold)