"Descanso Gardens Sycamore" ©

Today artists gathered in the Rose Garden of Descanso Gardens to celebrate the blooms. We exhibited painting of roses and painted, while visitors watched. It's always fun to field questions, especially from kids. I painted this little piece from under a willow tree.

Oil on Linen Panel, 8" X 10"

"Shades Of Roses" ©

This is the second painting for the Descanso Rose show. It's not my usual work, so it was fun, hard and I had to drudge up my experience from a workshop years ago that fortunately included painting roses. Learning is never wasted.

A note for painters: The key that I was after here was gathering the "light" by using series grays. Without the grays the light would be diluted, creating just a bright painting without any teeth. Because it's out of the box for me, it was a bit difficult, but I am sure that the same principle would work in a landscape. Once I have finished the few paintings that I have in process, I want to take a landscape and key the whole thing in grays first, then add the light and see if I can't create a more interesting landscape then my usual job. Usually I use a value range to gain depth and light, using grays will be very interesting. If this works and I can grasp the concept, my painting will hit a new level.

Oil on canvas, 24" x 20"

"Lazy Trail" ©

Today I had the pleasure of gallery sitting at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge. It would be a very long day except I bring my gear and paint. It's just great, good music, nice people and beautiful gardens all around. If you are ever in the area it's worth a visit.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Days End" ©

I can't get a good photo of this tonight, for you. There is shine on the brush strokes and the darks are not as dark as you see. I have decided that it's true enough to blog but once again I am reminded that I need to get better at photographing these pieces in the dark of night.

Most of this little painting was painted while I gallery sat at The Carriage House Gallery at Descanso Gardens today. Creating a view of miles of land on a very small panel always excites me. I am thankful for the blogging process, without it I would have never explored painting small.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

sold

"High Desert" ©

Today while gallery sitting at The Descanso Gardens, I painted the "High Desert". One visitor said, "you are painting and listening to glorious music, can you wish for anything more?" Sincerely, I answered, no. He went on to tell his grandchildren, see what she is doing, this lady is a famous artist! I was very careful not to blow his story by laughing. It was a wonderful day, made even better as I was able to write up two paintings by Belinda DelPesco (check out her blog listed to the right) for a gentleman that is moving from Virginia to sunny California. (I am using the term write up rather then sell because the paintings sold themselves. Exquisite!

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

Purchase from the artist

"Canyon Lands" ©

My last day of painting at the Descanso Gallery was spent in gallery 2 without a view of any sort. The posted sign at the garden entry gate announced that the artists would be painting at the gallery, so my dancing brush painted 3 lines of canyon walls. From there I just let the color take over. I was thinking about driving early in the morning up in Utah on the road that stretches between Salina and Green River. It's one of the most glorious sights, watching the first rays of sunlight bounce off the steep canyon walls. Keeping the painting simple and fun allowed me to chat while the gallery guests seemed to enjoy the process.

Oil on Panel, 5" X 7"

"Autumn Evening" ©

Today painting in the Descano Gallery, I decided to play with the colors of early evening that we have been enjoying this lovely October. This was the last day to paint at the gallery, tomorrow we deflower the walls of the paintings that have lived there for a month. The sold works will be distributed to their new owners and the four of us can go back to our studios and paint BIG again! I have had an almost completed commission tugging at my heart and now I will be able to complete the final 2% and breath easier. It's a wonderful life.....

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Creekside" ©

Over the weekend I painted this piece at the Descanso Gardens Gallery. The show is almost over, only 4 more days, it's amazing how fast a month goes by. Our final reward came today when we saw the elusive Bobcat that lives within the garden. Two leaps and he was across the road and up in the "Y" of an old Oak tree. Truly a magnificent animal. With my heart rate excellerated I went back to my painting "Creekside".

Oil on Panel, 8" X 10"

"Big Sur" ©

During a conversation with a museum director, he told me that it takes 1,000 paintings to begin to understand the process, which was another reason to start this blog. This small painting is my 250th post, I am a quarter of the way.

The view is Highway 1, along the Big Sur coast. Today, in the Descanso Gallery I painted this piece with dark clouds brooding above and chilly air drifting in.

Oil on Panel, 8" X 10"

sold

"Tree Line" ©

Usually the "rule" is to avoid a line of trees, serving as a barrier to the rest of the painting. Once again the process of blogging is allowing me to experiment and paint a line of trees. This painting is another Descanso Gallery piece.

Oil on Canvas, 6" X 8"

"Lakeside Palms" ©

This little rough sketch of a painting was all about exploring. Painting in Gallery 2 of the Descanso Carriage House Gallery, I have the luxury of "noodling", a bit here, a bit there. Guests wander in and we talk about art, where they are traveling from and the grandchildren. My time to paint stops and starts at traffic light speed. This makes for an interesting time, but not always a successful painting. Tomorrow will be a new day and a new painting.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Yellow Clouds" ©

Is there anything more beautiful then puffy yellow clouds on a cerulean blue sky? This is the painting that I worked on Wednesday at the Carriage House Gallery. The highlight of my day was a visit from my high school art teacher. It's not often that you are able to let a teacher see how they personally effected your path. All teachers are treasures, for sure and mine is a spectacular diamond, still sparkling brighter then ever.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10'

"Mountains Of Blue" ©

Today, in my painting area of gallery 2 at Descanso Gardens I was considering what to paint. On my way to La Canada Flintridge, the mountains kept my attention with gorgeous shades of blue. And so this little landscape was born from memories of color in my mind.

A quick note, I shot the photo by laying the painting in the sun on the drive at the gallery. The sunlight sparkles on the brush strokes but I think the main idea is present.

Oil on panel, 5" X 7"

sold

"Cotton Candy Sky" ©

I painted this piece in the second room of the Descanso Gallery sitting in the dark corner. Making up for the lack of light I pushed the colors until this painting was singing, along with me.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

sold

"Hart Park" ©

Monday I played hooky from the Carriage House Gallery in Descanso Gardens to paint out. Six of us met in Hart Park to paint under the umbrella of the Santa Clarita Artist Association. We had a very nice day and six lovely little paintings were born that morning.

Oil on Panel, 8" X 10"

"California Colors" ©

Yesterday while captive within the Carriage House Gallery at Descanso Gardens I attempted to paint. It was a very different process then painting plein air or in the studio. You have the brush ready to make a move, not unlike a chess player, and the movement is put on hold to assist a gallery guest. Upon returning to the easel that move that seemed so emanate, evaporates and you begin again, only to repeat the process. Here is the surprise, the guests are so engaging and interested in the paintings that you are just pulled from the joy of painting to the joy of meeting new people. It's a wonderful life!

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Descanso Dreaming" ©

Yesterday, four artists installed (mostly) landscape paintings at the "Carriage House Gallery" within the Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, California. I was lucky to be one of the four. Part of the agreement with the gardens is that the artists will be at the gallery as much as humanly possible. Today, I hauled my painting gear up the hill with the intent to paint while talking with visitors. The small painting you are viewing is the product of a day of Descanso dreaming, in between customers.

I'll be there tomorrow too, from 10am - 4pm, come on over....

Oil on Raymar linen panel, 6" X 8"