Tips for Collectors

Peoples’ Choices Some years back, I came on an idea to learn which of my paintings most attracted visitors. I give away a painting each year to one of my visitors, by collecting entry cards from visitors. When completing the drawing entry cards, visitors are also asked to identify their … Read More

What a great Open Studio Year! Many artists around the county reported good visitor rates and business success from the 2 weekends of exhibiting in their studios. This was one of my best open studios shows, in 20 years of participation. After two years of shut down, I so enjoyed … Read More

Two Weekends: October 2 & 3, October 16 & 17 As an artist, I welcome solitude to work on my paintings. As a human, I miss all the interaction that happens when I am able to meet art appreciators and other artists. This art tour has been happening for over … Read More

Looking for safe fun this Labor Day Weekend? Here’s an idea. Visit a Virtual Art Fair, by yourself or along with friends or family, “together” while apart. Kings Mountain Art Fair is one of the premier outdoor Art Fairs in the Western US. This volunteer run, not for profit event … Read More

I recently read my California Art Club Newsletter containing a tribute to Richard Schmid, who passed on earlier this year. He was a great artist who mentored many of today’s traditional painters. I watched him paint a portrait from life at one of the Plein Air conventions years ago. It … Read More

[Revised Jan, 2021] It is sometimes difficult to paint large paintings plein air. After all, when we set up our easels in the out of doors, factors like uneven ground, heaviness of large canvases and wind make the large painting effort problematic. Especially wind, which can come up at any … Read More

The California Art Club (CAC) is a fine organization which was founded in 1909 in Pasadena, California. The Club has as its focus representational art, and the CAC may be the most prestigious organization of its kind in California. While in person exhibits are problematic in this Covid era, they … Read More

“If there is a common theme relating to the perception of color harmony, I believe that nature holds the key.” – Michael Wilcox I continue to explore what has been written about color harmony and find ideas to share with you here on my blog.  “ Perception of color harmony … Read More

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