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
Recently I have been cleaning out my paint tube drawer where I keep tubes of oil paint ready to be put out on my palette. I have several tubes that will no longer accept their caps, so the paint dries out! Here’s a tip: I have used the tip of … Read More
Often I choose to paint out in a new location, but with the quarantine in place, I have stayed home, choosing my subjects as the spring comes on. I planted a magnolia tree several years ago. It is the first large tree to bloom on our property in Soquel each … 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
Gallery A-04 – All of November With help from family and friends, I have just finished hanging a solo exhibition of my recent paintings at Gallery A-04 at the Capitola Mall. This collection includes recent work accomplished as plein air paintings (painted outdoors, on locations) along with a number of … Read More
Saturday and Sunday, October 12-13, 19-20, 11am-5pm. As I write this, I am preparing my studio walls with paintings for display in our county’s Open Studio Tour. I will have many of my paintings which I created in the past year. You will also be able to see my working … 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