"Eucalyptus, Heritage Park"

20x16" oil on canvas

Well I've got the saws out and I'm in frame production mode. I'm making frames for the upcoming "Tiny" show at the Studio Gallery. All work has to be less than 7x7 inches in size and less than $400. I'm building my usual natural wood floaters frames. So, this week I'm going back and forth from the easel to the saws.

As for painting, I'm working on 20x20 inch versions of some of the cityscapes from the 50/50 show. I've done about 8 of them so far and I feel pretty happy with the results. I'll post some photos soon.

The above painting is from the Burlingame Paint Out last week. 

"Railroad Crossing"

10x8" oil on canvas panel

I managed to paint four small paintings in Burlingame yesterday. The plein air event in Davis is tomorrow so I've been painting outdoors as much as possible. I started my first painting around 8am and finished my last just after 6pm. It was a long day but I had a good time experimenting with subject matter and composition. I posted all four paintings on facebook, if you're interested you can check them out here.

"Eucalyptus"

10x8" oil on canvas panel

I've doing quite a bit of plein air painting lately, with mixed results. Most plein air painters mention needing to paint from life in order to see subtle colors that don't show up in photos, but I'm finding it much harder to judge colors while outdoors. I think this painting of eucalyptus trees is a step in the right direction. I painted this while standing in the shade next to a dry creek bed. It was really hot today so it felt good to find a cool secluded spot to paint.

"El Camino Real at Dawn"

10x8" oil on canvas panel

This is a study I did for the Burlingame paint out. I figured most painters would focus on the train station area so I went for something a bit different. I used this study to help me paint on the day of the event since the dawn effect doesn't last very long.

"Morris Minor"

8x10" oil on canvas panel

click here for purchase info

I stumbled upon this very cool Morris Minor while walking around trying to find subject matter for the "Paint Burlingame" plein air event. This little English gem is parked in front of the Olde English Garage, probably waiting for a carburetor adjustment. Or perhaps it needs some electrical work. I owned a Jensen Healy back in high school and remember visiting this very garage on more than one occasion. 

"Eucalyptus Shadows"

20x20" oil on canvas

Here's another view taken while driving. The second in a series maybe. I haven't painted many eucalyptus trees which sort of surprises me since there are so many around here. The California Impressionists certainly painted their share. These particular trees are along the El Camino Real in Burlingame.