Indian Paintbrush (i)

Indian Paintbrush (i)
Oil on Canvas Panel
5x7"

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I'm back! we went to Bishop at the weekend to climb - and the wildflowers have just gone...wild! I've never seen so many flowers in the desert, it was amazing. I've taken loads of pictures, and have lots of inspiration for semi-abstract paintings of wildflowers. I actually wanted more than anything to get some good shots of Sky Rock, but it wasn't to be. I'm going to have to hike up there with my paints and canvas, and do the painting I want on the spot. It won't be easy...it's a steep hike and then to access the actual rock with the petroglyphs on it, you have to climb up a slab, and then mantel up a flying saucer type rock to get a decent perspective. Hmm, maybe if I pack very light and small I can manage it - it's definately worth it.

I first saw these beautiful wild flowers in Canada when I first set out on my travels a few years ago. I'm a big fan of red, and I literally stopped in my tracks at the sight of these. I was hiking in to a climb in a rocky stream bed near Canmore, and there were several little clumps of Indian paintbrush dotted amongst the greenery. If I didn't know then what complementary colours where, that would have been the lesson right there....

Sky Rock Petroglyphs

Sky Rock (i)
Oil Canvas Panel
4x8"

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Sky Rock is an amazing example of ancient Native American Petroglyphs, located in the tablelands of Bishop, California. Sky Rock is huge, and really difficult to photograph well. Photographer Galen Rowell took a famous picture of Sky Rock at sunset, which was the inspiration for me to find it for myself. I'll be back in Bishop this weekend, so I'll make more sketches from different angles.

Violas (ii)

Violas (ii)
Oil on Canvas Panel
4x8" Signed Original

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I'm having a really hard time getting the violet colour to look convincing - it's such a vibrant hue, especially with the light coming through the thin petals...oh well, keep trying! I like the rhythms which are coming out of these studies though - it seems the faster I paint the better they are!

Violas (i)

Violas (i)
Oil on Canvas Panel
5x6" Signed Original

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Yesterday we went to a nursery in Gardnerville to buy potting soil, and came away with flowers and a plant pot with a Buddha on it...couldn't resist! Turns out I was jumping the gun weatherwise a bit - it was 78 degrees yesterday, so I was feeling all optimistic about planting outdoors - today we have 50 mph winds. So these little Violas have to stay inside for a while, which is OK because I can paint them now!

Conch Shell

Conch Shell
Oil on Canvas Panel
5x6" Signed Original

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This is inspired by a really beautiful seashell I have in the studio. My mother-in-law Cindy loves shells, and has an impressive collection adorning her home in Pennsylvannia. Taylor brought this one back for me last Christmas, and I've had it sitting amongst my white 'props' in the studio for a while. I really like the spiny form, and once I placed it on white paper and shone a spotlight on it...wow.

I did a series of seashells for my first 'painting a day' works - which began as an idea for a Christmas present for Cindy - and then evolved into the daily painting practice I have now. I've never been particularly motivated to work at a small scale, my natural scale is much, much bigger. What I was trying to do for Cindy was create something she'd relate to, at a size that I could either easily ship or carry on whilst flying. After I'd done a few of these as test pieces, I found some other artists on the internet doing a 'painting a day'. I read about their motivations, careers, and practices - and it seemed like a challenge which would help structure my painting time. I'm so glad I started now, I really feel like it's helped me learn a lot about painting.

Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic

Balsamic Vinegar & Garlic
Oil on Canvas Panel
12x6" Signed Original.

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Here is today's 'Painting a Day', an Italian theme! I love garlic, and use it in copious amounts in my cooking. I liked the juxtaposition of shapes in this composition, and enjoyed the challenge of differentiating between the textures of the glass bottle and the garlic cloves.

More Tangerines!

Tangerine Bowl (ii)
10x7" Oil on Gesso Panel, Signed Original.

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This is today's painting a day - yes more tangerines! I'm just really attracted to the orange colour. I'm playing with loosening up my brushstrokes, so I wanted a subject with simple forms and bold colours. The shadows really were those colours too - reflected from the fruit!