Santa Anita

This painting has been something I've been working on in the background for a while and now I'm really into it full swing. I think I'll get it done in a day or two... it's been a long time coming but I still think it has a spontaneous freshness to it that I strive to retain. I want the painting to feel "done" but I don't want to kill it in the process. Click here to see an old post for how the painting started and how it's come along...

a couple drawings

Here are two recent life drawings: one is old town Pasadena at sunup... at 6:30am there is an amazing sliver of sunlight that lasts for about 20 minutes and this drawing is a study for a painting I plan to make next week some time. The other is of a bar in Venice Beach called Brennan's Pub where they have turtle races on Thursdays. It was a fun place and if you ever go, make sure you DON'T POINT AT THE TURTLES! AHAAH!

back at the San Gabriel Mission

The weather was perfect today so I brought a canvas to the mission and started this painting. They closed at 4:30pm so it wasn't quite enough time to get it all done but if the weather is the same tomorrow, then I'll go back and finish it off. I had fun doing it and so far I like it...

UPDATE: Well, the weather was perfect so today, Tuesday the 24th, I finished the piece off. It's minor changes here and there but I feel it really "done" now. The lower picture is the finish... 24" by 32"

The Gold Medal Show

Next week is the 96th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art! I'm showing one of my favorite nudes, Lellani with Orange; the painting is for sale, I hope someone loves it enough to buy it! The reception is Saturday April 28th from 6pm to 9pm, tickets to the opening are $75 (call 626-583-9009 to purchase). All the information you need is on the California Art Club website: www.californiaartclub.org The show is up until May 20th.

I'm really excited about it, they always put on a great show. It's fun to be a part of the California Art Club... I feel that I stand out in a good way amongst all the other artists.

the Hive

In a follow up to the drawing I did last month at the Hive, Nathan again invited everyone to come and make art there on the second Thursdays for the Artwalk. So this is the painting of the place! I've written a lot about about this gallery so it might be fun for some of you to see. I set up my easel on the same spot and brought the mobile acrylic studio and had at it!

San Gabriel Mission

I'm doing paintings for an upcoming show at the Pasadena Museum of History. The theme of the show is paintings made in and around the San Gabriel Valley. We can enter three pieces and I have one done from Descanso Gardens, the Santa Anita Races in progress, and today I was at the San Gabriel Mission sketching in preparation for a painting I want to do there. It's an amazing structure and gardens... so much history and right in the middle of this very urban setting, rather like how I imagine the Alamo. So here's the sketch I did. I asked the people in the gift shop if painters are allowed to paint on location and they said "yes!" so I'm excited to get back next week and put some color on canvas.

Picasa

No, not Picasso! I've started a Picasa site in order for people to view my artworks in an album format. Folks who may be interested to buy my paintings will find this very helpful as you can browse various albums and see the paintings along with a brief description. I've just started it so I have only one album, but I will be adding more in the near future. I hope you enjoy this new feature! I will have a permanent link on the blog, or you can click here.