"Iceberg Roses" ©

A good friend of mine, Marian Fortunati just posted on her blog, is this really white? Marians Blog

At the same time I was working amongst the white petals of these Iceberg Roses, wondering about how it happens that often our worlds collide.  White is very interesting, in that "white" is almost never white, since it is influenced by everything around it, including the source of light.  I needed one more flower painting for an upcoming exhibit and now I just have to bring this one home after a day or two of tweaking.  Iceberg Roses are common in my canyon, as they can take the heat, are resistant to disease and bugs.  We do have a couple of deer that seem to think the roses resemble Haagen-Daz Ice cream.

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 16"

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"Antiques" ©

One of the many advantages of belonging to an art club is the opportunity to exhibit in many different types of shows.  I almost always paint landscapes, as you know.  The California Art Club is offering an exhibit soon of still life paintings and so I was pushed into leaving my comfort zone of trees and mountains and delve into flowers.  It took me a couple of days to find my way in the petals and I'll keep at it till it feels right.  

Oil on Canvas,  16" X 20"

p.s.  This Sunday, July 29th, 4pm - 6pm, if your in the Pasadena area, stop by Gales Restaurant and say Hi!  Belinda Del Pesco and I are showing about 45 paintings.  Gale will have wine and appetizers for everyone.  

"Turp Can" ©

A few weeks ago I "won" some classes with David Gallup. David currently has an exhibit of his paintings exploring the Channel Islands at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum on the Pepperdine Campus in Malibu. Artists today are so very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from current master painters. This week the class painted this turp can, last week a shark's head. Yep, a real shark.

Oil on Panel, 12" X 9"

"Still Life" study ©

When you surrender to an instructor and paint exactly as directed with all of your heart the painting created is a complete stranger to you. I had the pleasure of working with C.W. Mundy recently at the Scottsdale Artists' School, thanks to the generosity of P. Riggs. C.W. freely passed out nuggets of painting truths for us to chew on all week. Here are a few: The difference between a “scene painting” and a powerful painting is the resolve of the piece – darkest dark and lightest light in the centrality of focus. A quality artist is an excellent director. A series of mediocre decisions creates a mediocre painting. If there is a problem in a painting, it's usually with the values. The two most important things I learned is to keep my values closer together, say 3 -7, rather then 1 - 10 and that "I" am the director and can paint in what ever way my passion leads me.

Oil on Panel, 16" X 20"

"Glorious Roses" ©

Today was the ninth day since I lifted a paint brush. Bronchitis struck with fury, knocking me flat. Boy, did I learn a lot. Days are not short at all, I just pack to much into each and every one. You can be off line for a week and nothing horrible happens. And finally I learned what it's like to be sick and will have more compassion and understanding.

In a couple of weeks I'll be participating in a Rose only show at Descanso Gardens. So a nice way to get the brush moving without too much thought was to play in the petals.

I am still off, and from the amount of effort it took to paint today, I know it will be a few more days till I am "me" again.

Oil on canvas, 24" X 20"

"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"

"Big Sky" ©

I need 5 more large paintings for the June shows and today I decided to paint in the clouds of the "Big Sky". Surely the morning light will show me more to tweak, as usual, but this is where the painting is at 10pm.

Oil on Canvas, 24" X 20"

"Rose" ©

Another day, another rose. Today I wanted to continue exploring the curves and lines of the rose. I experimented with a different technique then yesterday, which helped me from becoming lost in the luxurious petals.

Oil on Canvas Board, 8" X 8"

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"Sunday Rose" ©

Intimacy with a rose is a lovely way to spend a Sunday. I explored each petal, curve and edge of this beauty. The color changes as the curves flow within the rose were a challenge and pleasure to work with. All the while I was chewing on the thought that I should be outside pruning, maybe tomorrow.

Oil on Canvas Board, 8” X 8”

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