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.

Busy Friday

"View From El Pintado"  30x48" oil on canvas

Today I am getting ready for a home show that I am having on the 17th and 18th of May.  I usually do this twice a year. Once in the spring and once near the holidays. Usually in November. Our local hills are rapidly turning gold and the green is getting more faint by the day until there will be no trace of the wet moist grass left.

I am posting one of my favorites, "View From El Pintado" which was painted at my favorite time of year.  Green and lush.  The oaks are just beginning to bud.  This is a large 30x48" oil on canvas studio piece.  I have a few pieces on the easel, but the business of art calls. Invitations, mailings, web site update and ugh!  My merchant account!!!!  The fees have increased over the last 18 months from free to $2.50 a month statement fee, to $2.50 statement fee plus $25.00 a month activity fee, (even if there is activity or even if there is no activity?)  Now, it has recently gone up to $2.50 plus $35.00!!!!!!  Time to get out of this account and check out another venue. All of this is very frustrating, and keeps me from the easel which is upsetting. I tend to stay up late and paint as it is too late to call the bank, clean the house, answer the phone, etc......  Nothing but silence and quiet painting time.  Nice.

Enjoy "View From El Pintado"  taken from a scene I hiked into up off 680 freeway in Danville, CA.  Just up above the El Pintado exit on the East side of the freeway. All private roads and homes up there, but artists are usually not kicked out.  I walked in and started sketching.  The people that did see me were happy to see what I was up to.

Have a great Friday!

California Spring

Here is a small 10x10" plein aire oil that I just finished.  It is still wet.  I hope to sell it this weekend in Walnut Creek!  With the way the economy is at the moment, I have tried to concentrate on having smaller more affordable pieces for sale.

Poppies!  There are everywhere right now.  I always have a lot of requests for poppies.  I have included them in many new works this spring to if you like poppies, come on down and see these new paintings.

I will be in the Pacific Fine Arts Festival in Walnut Creek, corner of Cypress and Locust St, Friday through Sunday, 10:00AM to 6:00PM  and 5:00Pm on Sunday.  My booth is outside Sherman Clay Piano Store on the corner and I have been there in that spot for 10 years now.

Mention this blog and receive 10% off the purchase of a painting.

Studio Sunday

It is very stormy today.  I have spent the entire day in the studio.  Working on a new piece of one of the local canyons and the oak trees and scrub oaks.  I spent a lot of my time last weekend driving and hiking around several of our local canyons.  The field work I gathered was enough to create many paintings.  My sketch book is filled with notes and sketches and I must have taken over 200 photos on both days that I was out!

I had a professor tell me once in art school that you have to paint your passion.  If you don't, and your heart is not in it, it will show in your work.  I certainly have a passion for the beautiful land around me, the mountain, the foothills and canyons, and all the wildflowers.  I love the green our hills turn in the winter and my favorite time is when the green is starting to change to gold.  The palatte of colors, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and greens.  California Gold is the color I call our golden hills in the summer time. Definitely  an inspiration.

Today I am posting a recent plein aire piece of a study of oak trees entitled "Oak Tree Study." It is an 8x10" oil on canvas.