Saturday, October 25, 2014

October Vines, 14 x 14 Plein Air Watercolor

October Vines, 14 x14 Plein Air Watercolor



The old vines on Piner Road in Sonoma have so much character.
These vines were just starting to change color in early October.
This was painted the same day as Bob's GranFondo bicycle event and just before the Riverbend painting of the Russian River posted in the most recent blog entry.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Riverbend, 11 x 14 Plein Air Watercolor

"Riverbend" 11 x 14 , plein air watercolor painted near Duncan's Mills along the Russian River.

Bob did Levi's GranFondo bicycle event in October and I was lucky enough to go to Duncan's Mills to the Christopher Queen Galleries. Contemporary painters and wonderful watercolors upstairs by Percy Grey and Lorenzo Latimer were inspiration for this piece. It was sunny along the coast, our best weather in Northern California is September and October. It was a such  pleasure to see green trees and flowing water.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Artists accepted to the California Watercolor 45th National Exhibit

 CWA web site October 15th  Number 48!
Thanks to Juror Eric Wiegardt  for accepting my painting.
It's a great honor to be in this exhibit with such accomplished northern California Artists as Joe Santos,  Nt Near, David Broad, Jane Hoffstetter, Iretta Hunter, Charotte Huntley, Qian Gao, Sally Cataldo, Sal Valencia and Myrna Wacknov.

45th National Accepted Artists 2014

Artists & Images

1 Abraham, Patricia Hiding Places IV
2 Adkison, Melissa Fuschia 2
3 Arkhipau, Genady Wcop 85
4 Armitage, Ruth Beneath the Surface
5 Athanas, Denise Moonlight Nocturne III
6 Bailey,  Sally Bills Puzzled
7 Baker, Sally A Rose is a ...
8 Barron Leopardo, Joyce Turning the Corner
9 Becker, Marnie Silent Partner
10 Blake, Mary Sand Pond Ripples
11 Bortnick, Eugene Pike Place Musicians
12 Bowler, Pattie Silly Faces
13 Brayton, Francesca Crystal Cove Hill
14 Broad, David Monterey
15 Brown, Niz Peaches and Cream
16 Byrne, Kathy Glass Floats
17 Caldwell, Nancy Monarch Madness
18 Cataldo, Sally Stillife and Landscape
19 Chang, Angela Wiredsouth Gate Market
20 Cheney-Parr, Leslie Wepham 4 Crests
21 Crookston, Nancy Portrait of Margaret
22 Curiel, Taryn Walking Through the City
23 Daily-Birnbaum, Elaine Deliberations
24 Dixon, Colleen Hoop Dancer II
25 Erfle, linda Persimmons at Sunrise
26 Friedland, Michael San Rafael Victorian
27 Gao, Qian Florence Market
28 Garner, Steve The Element of Chance
29 Grinstead, John Just Picked
30 Grudsky, Dmitry Street Musician
31 Harper, Susan Hope
32 Hill, Marilyn I thought it would be different
33 Hofstetter, Jane Night Passage
34 Hu, Xiao Xing Looking Attentively
35 Hunter, Iretta Up Beat Blues
36 Huntley, Charlotte Zzzits
37 James, John Starting Anew
38 Katsenelson, Naum Foggy Morning
39 Kempe, Barbara Macawcophony
40 Kingdon, Ona Coded Thoughts
41 Matthews, Sue Sea Skyscrapers
42 McCormack, Geoffrey Fresh Frozen Pacific
43 McIntyre, Robert Morning Mist
44 Near, Nancy Waiting in the Wings
45 Ng, Woon Lam Market Place
46 O'Connor, Birgit Rose Dream
47 Peterson, David Merchant and Main St.
48 Purcell, Robin After the Fire IV
49 Rogone, Anthony Forks and Spoons
50 Rouse, Charles Boat Yard Blues
51 Sakai, Kathy Urban Decay
52 Salvador, Andre What Color is your Blown Glass Ceiling
53 Santos, Joseph Drill Rig
54 Shoemaker, Doug San Diego Blue
55 Smith, Mark Pueblos Blancos
56 Sorrentino, Vita Dramaturg
57 St. Onge, Jan Indigo Village
58 Staub, Carol Rays Of Hope
59 Steinbach-Garcia, Teresa Wild Almonds
60 Stephens, Ron CTC Auto Ranch
61 Stermer-Cox, Margaret Just SayinV8b
62 Stone, Hazel Ditat Deus
63 Strier, Ellen Waiting in Malibu
64 Suz Chiang, Tan Relationship of City 8
65 Tang, Michael Mott Street New York City
66 Valencia, Salvador Race Day
67 Wacknov, Myrna Evolution
68 Walsh, Marilyn Store Window with Reflections
69 Walters, Steve The Wooden Prince
70 Wear, Marilyn Heading Downstream
71 Weckbach, Kevin Blue Pike and Red Glass
72 Williams, Erin Delicious Day
73 Wilson, Suzanne Farmers Market Radishes Leeks Chard
74 Wright, Val On Parade
75 Zymolka-Amrhein, Anita Working Upstream

Friday, October 10, 2014

Huddled Oaks, Plein Air Watercolor

Huddled Oaks 11 x 14 Plein Air Watercolor

This was painted as practice for the Sonoma Plein Air Event last month near Chalk Hill. I hardly ever paint under cold and foggy conditions, but felt like I needed to practice in case the weather was cloudy.. I was attracted to the shapes and subtle colors of the oaks, especially the one on the far right bravely reaching across the top of the ridge.
As we are in a terrible drought, I couldn't help wondering about the survival technique of taking root at the top and ?driest part of a ridge. This scene also made me wonder if the other side of the ridge was wetter. Another idea in the painting was how simple I could make the vineyard and still have it read. I didn't want detail in the vines distracting from the trees.

Huddled Oaks (Detail)

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Diablo Arts Magazine Cover and Walnut Creek Turns 100 Exhibit, Lesher Foundation Award



The neighboring city of Walnut Creek has a public arts program sponsored by the city and the Lesher Foundation. I was honored to be asked if my painting " Wild At Heart" could be used as the cover to promote the Walnut Creek Turns 100 Exhibit.


  























The  Bedford Gallery also chose to feature the uncropped version in the brochure for Walnut Creek turns 100.

At the reception I was happy to find out my painting won the Lesher Foundation Award.
On the following Monday I was invited to give a docent talk about my painting which was a great experience, I got to meet some very talented artists and address a lively group of about 40 docents..Thanks to Carrie Lederer and her staff for a wonderful, local experience! Because this exhibit is unjuried it is uneven, but there are some wonderful pieces included, you just have to find them.

Exhibition Details:
Walnut Creek Turns 100: Celebrating the City Through Art September 21 - November 16, 2014

Admission during Walnut Creek Turns 100 is free thanks to a generous grant from the Lesher Foundation