Breakfast with Tiffany

 

Breakfast with a friend.  A simple pleasure taken from us during 2020.  I am grateful to our scientists and our country for providing us with vaccinations and treatments to protect us against this virus.

City Patterns, Juried into the CWA National Exhibit, 1/11/20 - 2/22/20, Harrington Gallery, Pleasanton, CA.

This scene was originally intriguing to me because of the overall pattern of dark, organic shapes juxtaposed against the light-colored man-made buildings and streets.  Other patterns emerged, too, that were of interest in their own right--the pattern of the facades seen from a side view, the pattern of the movement of the people and vehicles.  This painting is a happy one for me--the figure is leaving a downhill journey and heading uphill into a colorful, lively street.  28" by 20"

Juried into the Valley Art Gallery

 Half Dome from Glacier Point, 9.5" by 12.5"

 Mt. Diablo Valley, 14.5: by 21.5"

Sonoma Valley Vineyard, 11 by 15.5"

Barcelona Moon

Based on a photo taken several years ago in Spain.  29" by 21".

Jan's Flower Pot

Jan has a terrific view of Mt. Diablo from her deck, and invited me to paint it.   The gorgeous patterns made by this plant on her patio table were equally paintable.

Gifts from Lake Tahoe

These paintings are of beautiful Lake Tahoe, based on views from the Northeast side of the Lake.  Water, land, mountains, trees, rocks, and ever-changing skies.  Lake Tahoe has it all.

12" x 31"

12" x 16"

12" x 31"

Wellspring

Wellspring is a painting of rapidly moving water about to flow under the bridge at the foot of Vernal Falls in Yosemite.  "Wellspring" refers to "the source," as water is the source of life and passes through this cycle every year.  My family and I have visited Yosemite every Spring for the past 30 years or so and Yosemite has always been a wellspring for us, a source of renewal and inspiration.

Over the Mountain

Over the Mountain was painted en plein air on several early mornings.  The focus was on the beauty of majestic Mount Diablo, rising above the colorful hills and milky fog in a scene that was as transient as it was inspiring.

Yellow Taxi

The yellow taxi and colorful city street were the focus.  This was also an experiment with reflections, lost and found edges and a narrow, vertical format.

John Salminen's Inspiring Workshop

In February 2017, I had the wonderful opportunity to take John Salminen's workshop on Painting the Urban Landscape and to meet him and his wife, Kathy.  He generously shared his insights on many aspects of art and watercolor painting, as did Kathy, an accomplished artist in her own right.  Everyone in the class completed a successful painting on a full-sized sheet of watercolor paper!  This is mine (with guidance and new techniques learned from both John and Kathy).  Thank you, John and Kathy, for an amazing and inspiring week of instruction.

La Maison à Nice, France, 30" x 22".  Based on a photo I took when I was there several years ago.

Window on Another Time--China Camp

This is a lovely place with a real sense of history.  You can feel the presence of the fishermen and their families who made this their home so many years ago.  The fog, the movement of the waves, the damp mornings, still remain the same.  (21.5" by 27.5")

Spring Rain on Mount Diablo

Juried into the "Slopes of Diablo 2015" show in the Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek, by juror Randall Sexton.  13.5" x 20.5" Exhibition Dates:  May 9th - June 13, 2015, 1660 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, Walnut Creek, CA 94598.

This painting was done almost completely en plein air near the Northgate High School in Walnut Creek.  "Natural substances, obeying their own laws, create beautiful things."  This is a statement made by Cheng-Khee Chee in a class I took from him many years ago.  When painting in watercolor, I try to remember this statement and try to place the paint and water on the surface of the paper in such a way that they can move freely to create beautiful things.  The rocks, land, water, trees, and clouds were the inspiration.  They were also natural substances obeying their own laws and creating beautiful things.

Poppies of Home

Painted en plein air near a Sonoma winery.  10" x 14.5"  

Mount Diablo--Many Paths to the Top

Beautiful Mount Diablo--always majestic, always changing, always inspiring--painted on a very hot Summer day.  12.5 by 16.5

Morning Messengers

Painted early this year as Spring blossoms were beginning to appear and the birds were making graceful loops through the valley.

Tranquillity in Blue

This painting was done en plein air over a number of early December mornings.  The view was so gorgeous and peaceful and amazing that the painting almost painted itself.  15 x 28.5

Blackbird Ballad

Pam and I painted in the East Bay wetlands.  She faced one direction, and I faced another.  There were at times 10-20 blackbirds resting in the reeds.  They almost looked like notes on a sheet of music.  This painting was recently sold through the Valley Art Gallery.  10 X 14

Deer Visitors

This painting began as an abstract design with sumi ink on damp crinkled masa paper.   The hills and mountains emerged as colors were added.  The deer just seemed to fit in at the end.  This is another painting based on memories of Yosemite.  20" x 27"

Foliage and Flora

This painting, done using the Crinkle Technique, was based on memories of Yosemite Falls.  Our family has gone to Yosemite at least once or twice a year over the past 25 years or so.  From many different viewpoints in the Valley the majestic Falls can be seen through the foliage.  18-1/2" x 20".

Mount Diablo in January

The Jade Fon Plein Air Painters usually paint near my home in Walnut Creek in January.  This painting was done then and is now on exhibit at the Valley Art Gallery.  10" by 14"

Evening at Ghirardelli's

10" x 14"

Spring on Mt. Diablo

This is one of my favorite places to paint Mt. Diablo--from the Northgate Valley.
14" x 20"

Upper Yosemite Falls

Done using the "Crinkle Technique" described below, after a trip to Yosemite with friends.  19.5" by 28"

Yosemite Meadow   

This painting was done using the "Crinkle Technique" that I learned in a workshop taught by Cheng-Khee Chee.  Rice paper (Masa paper) is crumbled, placed in water, opened up, and then paint is applied with diluted sumi ink.  Watercolor paint is added as the ink is drying.  The subject was from memory--based on a time our family went hiking around Mirror Lake in Yosemite and it seemed like the deer were following us.  A photo reference was used to add the deer.  15" by 23"