Danville Plein Aire

8x10" oil on canvas  "Waterfront St. Cottage"

This little cottage is located at 212 Front St. in Danville, CA.  It is currently a massage business.  This little cottage sits there with the creek behind it in a row of other old cottages.  They are original dating back to the 1800's.  Sitting there on the water front, the street was named Waterfront St. and the community of Danville was later built up around these cottages.  Years later the name of the street was shortened to Front St.

This piece was painted for the historic Danville Building show celebrating the 150th birthday of Danville.  It is currently being exhibited in the Pioneer Gallery on Hartz. Blvd. in Danville, CA.  I sold this piece before I even had a chance to deliver it to the gallery along with the eucalyptus painting done at Wood Ranch, posted earlier.  The collector was nice enough to allow me to exhibit the 2 works in the show and then deliver them to her after the show closes in about 6 weeks.

I started this piece at the location, and finished it later sitting outdoors at the Pacific Fine Arts Festival last weekend.  The time of day was later afternoon and the warm golden sun was brilliant as it dappled across the roof and kissed the tips of the lavender plant out front.

The Pride Of Danville

18x24" oil on canvas, "The Pride of Danville"

This painting was done for a show celebrating 150 years of Danville, CA history.  The show opens Oct. 3rd at the Pioneer Gallery in Danville on Hartz Blvd.  Saturday night from 5 to 8PM is reception for the show. This 350 year old California live oak stands on Diablo Rd. and serves as the community tree.  They light it every Christmas season.  The citizens post birthday wishes on it.  It truly is the pride of Danville.

There are over 150 buildings on the historical register for Danville.  Because they didn't want every artist painting the same building, a lottery was held assigning various buildings to different artists.  Not being a painter of architectural structures, I tried to beg out of the show once I found out that I wasn't even going to get to pick out my subject matter.  Low and behold I ended up with the community tree! 

This was a scene that I viewed one evening in July when California was having those horrible fires all over the state.  Because of all of the smoke in the air we had the most dramatic sunsets.  The minute I turned off the freeway and on to Diablo Blvd. I knew I had to paint that sky!  Having no camera with me, this scene was painted from my memory of that evening. Gone are the fires and along with it the glorious sunset where the hills appeared to be on fire that night behind the old oak.

Come by and see the show, it really is great.  522 Hartz Blvd., Danville, CA.