El Matador Beach

Back in July I painted Matador Beach, but I've never really been happy with the painting. I like the people in the surf, but that was about it. So I decided to go back with the now totally dry painting and see how it feels to paint over and hopefully improve it. It's from a higher vantage point and I went for different color. It was an interesting struggle, very confusing at first but slowly things started to click into place and then it was fun. I like it better than before, but I want to go back again a little earlier in the day and give it a little more paint.

La Jolla

I went out today with my mom to do some plein air painting in La Jolla since I'm down here for Christmas. It was a grey, cloudy day, but a great spot to paint. This is the view up the hill a bit above Scripps pier. Oil on canvas, 11 by 30.

PCH

I went to Corral Canyon Road with Mr. Kilduff today and painted the afternoon light and view looking north up Pacific Coast Highway. This piece could use a little fine tuning, but I am actually really happy with it overall! oil on canvas, 24 by 36

brünnhilde

There was a paint-out, technically a paint-in (which is good because it was pouring rain all day), down in Costa Mesa today and the whole California Art Club was invited. It was in a huge warehouse that is normally a gallery and framer. There were four areas set up with models in costumes themed from Wagner's Ring series opera, and from what I understand it was an event done in partnership with the LA Opera which is performing the ring cycle in 2010. I carpooled with John Kilduff and when we got there the place was ridiculously crowded! easels everywhere! I managed to find a spot in front of Brünnhilde and went at it. It looks everything and nothing like what I saw! I wanted to make something bolder than what was just in front of me so I made the model more iconic, like my sloppy version of Aristide Maillol! ahahaha!! She is much thicker in my painting because I wanted to portray her as a warrior. It was done on two separate 16 by 20 canvas panels because I didn't have a long canvas. It's kind of a mess, but it's all about trying to make the most of a themed model workshop with many things beyond the artist's control

el greco

I've always been a fan of el Greco, his painting is so unique and modern for it's time, it's like he was from the future! Here's a couple work in progress shots of my re-do of his painting "The Baptism of Christ". I started it a couple weeks ago and consciously worked on it very aggressively with the intention of stopping before I felt myself getting "tight". I wanted the first attack to be very rough and expressive and free. Then last night I took it to the Hive to paint during the downtown LA Artwalk, this time looking forward to defining the imagery more. I'm really having a fun time with this one! oil on canvas, 48 by 30

Kronos

I had fun on Let's Paint TV today. I recommend playing this show in the background and then doing all the things you've been procrastinating on all at once. Multi-task. And here's the drawing I did during the show, it's Saturn, or Kronos separating the heavens from the earth

painting workshop

My mom is, as the French would say, an "amateur" of painting. She hosted a painting workshop by the artist Carolyn Anderson and I was happy to attend! I felt our teaching philosophies are in total alignment and I had a great time listening, learning, and painting. These are my favorite images from the class. Two paintings from life, a Sorolla master copy and a painting from a photograph taken by Carolyn Anderson. The painting of the girl with the multi-colored scarf was the last one I did at the workshop... when I was doing it I thought it was the worst of all the paintings I did over the weekend, but looking at it now I like it the most! AHHAAHHAHA!!