Tips for Collectors

Being safe in this pandemic has meant painting around my home or seeking out places where I can keep distance from others. My friend Richard and his wife Gay have an amazing estate with gardens, lily ponds, and Koi. Last week he offered a small group painting event on his … Read More

I have recently been perusing a book on color theory. It’s called Perfect Color Choices for the Artist, written by Michael Wilcox. There are many different theories about color harmony, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It appears “perfect” is a relative term. One system that I … Read More

Preparing to paint plein air requires some forethought and action. I need to have canvas, easel, and all my brushes and tools packed up to carry with me. Once on location, I need to evaluate the scene from various angles, to determine just what I want to paint, and how … Read More

Spattering is a term which means spraying small droplets of paint onto the canvas. Spatter techniques in oil paintings can be applied to create a sense of mist, fog, ocean spray, or random wildflowers. I first became familiar with the use of spatter years ago with watercolor paint and nowadays … Read More

When I harvested a black walnut tree in Massachusetts to have a memory of my childhood home, I had no idea of the adventure ahead. Now I have a stack of rough sawn boards here in Soquel. I decided to make some frames for my paintings, but little did I … Read More

If you have purchased a painting from me, you may notice that their are several notations on the back side. These include notes about the painting, dates, signatures, and anything else an artist chooses to put there. They become part of the provenance of the painting, which is the record … Read More

In this post, I want to share some words about the types of canvases available for paintings, as well as about framing. I’ll try to answer of few of the questions that seem of interest to my studio visitors. People have been creating art by painting for thousands of years. … Read More

All the rains of winter have given way for  a spectacular spring wildflower bloom as the sunshine warms the land.  Poppies on the hills in So CA. My garden was also in bloom with drifts of calla lilies, forget-me-nots , rosemary and clematis. On our return trip from San Diego … Read More

Lunasea Gallery in Pescadero is now representing my paintings and prints. Stop in and say hi to Janice in this great weekend adventure village. Look for my paintings in the upstairs gallery space. Lunasea is located at 290 Stage Rd in Pescadero CA , a small village a few miles … Read More

Many of my paintings are on exhibit and/or for sale in a number of places this winter. I’ll mention 5 places in this posting. Art, Love, and Wine, Wargin Wines, 11 Hanger Way, Watsonville, through March 22. Open Saturdays and Sundays 12-5 PM. This is a Central Coast Plein Air … Read More

Just two miles from my Soquel studio is the site for the Capitola Art & Wine Festival.   Come to sample artists’ work and wines from area vineyards! This is two days of fun right by the beach. Easy shuttle service from the Capitola Mall lots on 41st Avenue. The … Read More

Labor Day Weekend Saturday, Sunday, Monday September 1, 2, & 3 Three day art fair in the redwoods! This year again, I was fortunate to be juried in to participate in this wonderful venue offering art and music amongst the redwoods atop the ridge above Woodside, California. I’ll be exhibiting … Read More