Working with Color

Dreaming of Rain

2012-02-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

Storm Set, 2012. watercolor on paper. 6 x 9 1/2

A new watercolor.

New Stuff

2012-01-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

Stepping Back, 2012. oil on panel 8 x 7

I'm Working, working, working...

lots to share, so check back again soon.

My motto for 2012

2012-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Quiet Down, 2012. oil on panel 10 x 10

Just shut up & paint!

this weekend

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Evening Swoon, 2011. oil on linen 16 x 24

The reception for my show is tomorrow night!

Join us if you can

6 - 9 PM

Elliott Fouts Gallery

4749 J Street

Sacramento, California

Exhibition Announcement

2011-10-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Home, 2011. oil on canvas. 50 x 60

I'm happy to announce that my work will be featured at the Elliott Fouts Gallery , in an exhibition called 'Home' from November 3rd to December 3rd. I have twenty new paintings in the show.

The reception for will be November 12th from 6 - 9 PM.

Stretch Run

2011-10-20T22:31:00.001-07:00

Good Night (river wide), 2011. oil on panel. 7 x 8. Sold

I'm in the last days of prep work for my show at the Elliott Fouts Gallery.

Things for this show for whatever reason came late. I finished the last painting today!

I'm really excited by all the new work.

Upcoming

2011-10-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

Going Down, 2011. oil on panel. 8 x 7. sold

A new small painting for my show at Elliott Fouts Gallery in November!

more information to follow...

In the flow

2011-09-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

Crossing, 2011. oil on canvas 36 x 30

a very new painting.

Things are starting to come along nicely.

enjoy.

I believe

2011-09-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Summer Spread, 2011. oil on panel 10 x 16

Recently, I ran across an interview where the interviewer asked this standard question, "How exactly do you want people engage your work?"

What I found interesting was Emily Auchincloss' response. She answered, "I'd like them to suspend their disbelief. I'm starting to feel that we (our society) live in a constant state of disbelief...I think that's really sad. I sure don't want to live like that. I'm a believer."

I couldn't agree more.

stretched out

2011-09-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

Deep & Wide, 2011. oil on canvas 17 x 60. Sold

a new painting.

I'm working hard and the paintings are going in some surprising directions.

Things are starting to get interesting.

Stick around.

Time

2011-08-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Rolling Across, 2011. charcoal & pencil on paper 22 x 30

I changed this drawing substantially in the process of working on it during the last four or five months, sometimes the answers to the visual problems do not reveal themselves quickly.

working away

2011-07-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Racing Down Again, 2010.

oil on panel

10 x 10

I'm busily working away on new work for the fall season.

Stay tuned.

Newbie

2011-07-18T12:01:00.001-07:00

Full, 2011. oil on canvas 30 x 40. sold

A new medium sized painting.

Running

2011-07-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

Last Light, 2011. oil on paper. 12 x 12

"In the moments you feel really afraid of something, run right into it. When I have, I've learned the most about myself and had the greatest satisfaction."

-Brit Marling

New painting

2011-06-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Illuminated, 2011. oil on paper. 16 x 16

A new paintings I just delivered to the Elliott Fouts Gallery.

It will be part their July show, Where We Live, a group landscape show held at the gallery every year.

The work should be posted online by July 1st.

enjoy.

w/c

2011-06-13T07:18:00.001-07:00

Racing Down, 2011. watercolor on paper, 4 x 10. sold

A recent painting.

Tools of the trade

2011-05-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

My drawing supplies.

Aside from the more normal supplies, I use some unusual tools to move and remove the charcoal and pencil from the paper including sandpaper and razor blades.

I can be pretty rough on my drawings.

a small one

2011-04-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

Distant Showers, 2011. pencil on paper 5 x 6

When I usually start a drawing I will begin with pencil and then move onto darker vine charcoal because I like to get as much contrast in my drawings as I can, but at this small scale I love the delicate nature of using only pencil and I can get enough contrast by building up layer upon layer of a soft graphite pencil.

b & w

2011-04-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Building Spring, 2011. charcoal on paper 22 x 30

a new drawing.

One way or the other

2011-03-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Buried, 2011. oil on paper 16 x 16

I found this quote somewhere, I adjusted it slightly to fit my situation.

"I have two sons, a wife, and a mortgage. Knowing what I know, I must be insane....OR completely rational in my belief in my art."

you gotta believe.

back to it

2011-03-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Inundated, 2011. oil on panel 18 x 24

I tend to work in bunches, so when I started the year drawing, I knew it could last for a while. I ended up drawing for the better part of January and February! Not really what I had planned...but now paintings are starting to come along. Inundated is one of the first paintings to be completed this year. How could it be March already?

I'm looking forward to stretching my wings a bit on some larger works soon.

enjoy.

The Secret

2011-02-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

Fortress, 2011. charcoal on paper 11 x 25 sold

"My secret for success?"

"Well its not a secret that I have never hung out too much and I've worked very, very hard for thirty-five years. It's just a lot of hard work. That's my secret - it's a BIG secret."

-Joan Snyder b. 1940

new year...new drawings

2011-01-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

Western Rows, 2011. charcoal on paper, 22 x 30

I started out this new year with a series of drawings.

Here's the one of the first that I have finished.

It feels good to be back in the studio...

enjoy.

Putternig

2011-01-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

A Red End, 2010. oil on panel 10 x10

Happy New Year Everybody!

Right now I am puttering around the studio organizing everything that was left in piles in my work space in my flurry of activity at the end of the year. I always try and start the new year with clean studio.

It's not sexy, but it gives me time to think and plan out the new year.

2011 is going to be exciting!

Unsure

2010-12-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

Pink, 2010. oil on panel 10 x 10

I had an idea for a painting of a pink and purple sunset. This painting was the result. When I finished the painting I was unsure weather I had captured the feeling and color of what I had seen. I put it in my show at the Elliott Fouts Gallery anyways. All along, wondering if the painting was right.

Riding home from my studio last week I saw this sky....I had nailed color.

Vindication!

The Hangover

2010-12-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

Full Moon, 2010. oil on panel 15 x 17.

While I've gotten a few things done in the studio in the last couple of weeks, painting has come along very slowly. I always forget how hard I push to get ready for a show and how tired I am after I'm done.

I needed a short break!

So, after being sick for several weeks (which always seems to happen after a show), it's time to get back to the studio.

I can hardly wait.

Speaking about painting

2010-11-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

Roundabout, 2010. oil on canvas 52 x 64

"All my decisions are visual. I have ideas but...the paint speaks"

-Susan Frecon b. 1941

Done

2010-11-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

Racing Down, 2010. oil on panel. 14 x 18 sold

In what seemed like the busiest month of my life is now behind me. All the hard work has paid off. My show at Elliott Fouts Gallery is up for another couple of weeks, but the reception was great fun. Elliott, Michelle, & Cynthia did a fantastic job of presenting my work, as always it was a pleasure to work with them. They make the hard work worth it. The real bummer was that my wife was so sick that she could not make it to the party...a theme that has been repeated in our household for the last several weeks as this ugly cold bug has moved through our family.

As soon as I finished with the Elliott show reception, I had to finish organizing the Miniature show at First Street Gallery and prepare the space to hang over 180 works of art in the gallery. Everybody at FSG really worked hard to get everything ready for the reception last Friday. It was worth it as we had over 250 people at the reception! Sales were strong and everybody left happy, if not a little tired.

I'm ready for a short break....

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another Way

2010-11-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

Turning Towards, 2010. oil on canvas 42 x 42 sold

"Going Towards abstraction does not mean going away from representation. It is more like describing something real with means other than illustration."

- Ken Kewley

The 411

2010-11-06T15:00:00.001-07:00

The exhibition starts today.

The reception will be November 13th from 6 - 9 pm

If you live in the area, stop by and say hello. It should be a fun party.

The gallery also wrote a very nice article about my work on their blog. Check it out @ www.efgallery.blogspot.com

enjoy.

Show Catalog

2010-11-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am proud to announce the publication of a catalog of my work in conjunction with my exhibition at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento. The gallery really did a great job putting the catalog together. The thirty page soft cover book has twenty-eight color plates. If you are interested in one please contact the gallery for more information at efgallery@sbcglobal.net or 1.916.736.1429.

Oh so close...

2010-10-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

Nearly Over, 2010. oil on panel 10 x 10 sold

All the work is almost done. Just a couple of things left to do. We will pick up the cargo van tomorrow afternoon from the rental agency and then load/pack it up that night for the drive up to Sacramento Tuesday morning

If everything goes to plan Monday should be a fairly calm day.

The hard work is finished, and now its a matter of keeping track of everything and getting it to where its suppose to go.

Easier said than done.

What's that funny smell?

2010-10-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Evening Highlights, 2010. oil on panel 8 x 10. sold

I'm in the last week of prepping everything for my show at

the Elliott Fouts Gallery. The finish line is in sight. Each day seems to fly by as I make sure everything is getting done and ready to go. Today was spent varnishing all the paintings (which is a protective coat that you apply to paintings after they have dried), while not particularly hard, takes quite a bit of time, smells awful and is tough on the body (bending over paintings that are lying on the ground.)

Each painting has to go through over ten steps to be ready to be shown in a gallery after it has been finished being painted. Multiply that by 34 and you get the picture.

Check lists are my friends.

By this time next week, I will be done. Don't call me for 48 hours after I deliver the works. I'll be in a coma.

Back at it

2010-10-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

Ripe, 2010. oil on panel 8 x 10 sold

It has been a week of prepping work and making frames, as the final push to get everything done continues....next week brings gilding and finishing the frames.

Everything is pretty much on schedule....

I hope.

The lost week

2010-10-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

T & B, 2010. oil on panel 12 x 12 sold

In the midst of getting ready for my show this last week....I got sick, not the best timing...but I keep telling myself that I still have plenty of time to finish everything.

I just now have one less week to do it in.

It's time to get busy.

Almost there

2010-09-25T14:55:00.001-07:00

Wandering, 2010. oil on panel 7 x 21

Things are coming together and I am almost done painting for my show at Elliott Fouts in November.

I'm planning to have thirty five paintings for the show. We'll see if I can get everything done.

Getting Closer

2010-09-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Golden, 2010. oil on panel 8 x 9

A smaller painting for my show at Elliott Fouts Gallery in November.

I'm in the stretch run, finishing up the last group of paintings for the show.

More infomation about the show in the coming weeks...

Inspiration

2010-09-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hot Afternoon, 2010. oil on panel 8 x 19.

I love the clouds that rise up in the heat of the afternoon over the San Joaquin Valley.

They are endlessly inspiring to me.

Making Headway

2010-09-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

Silence, 2010. oil on panel. 16 x 40, overall.

I have been working on some very large paintings for the last couple of weeks so progress has moved slowly in the studio. This painting is from earlier this summer and is a bit usual for me, it's a small triptych. The center panel a 16 inch square and the sides are each 16 x 12. I don't think I've done any multi-paneled painting in the last ten years.

These panels were put together originally in anticipation for a study for a very large corporate commission eighteen months ago that never materialized. So when the deal fell through the panels laid around my studio waiting to be taken apart again. All the while, the idea I had for the study stubbornly stayed with me. So I decided to paint the study anyway. Each panel will be framed separately, for those who interested in such details.

enjoy.

More Reds

2010-08-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

Scattered Reds, 2010. oil on linen 25 x 25.

A painting that I finished a couple of weeks ago.

Working Titles

2010-08-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Light's Last Glow, 2010. oil on panel 10 x 10 sold

A smaller painting for my show in November.

I'm still trying to come up with a title for the show.

How does Vistas & Horizons sound?

It may be in the running...

New Drawing

2010-08-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Busy Spring, 2010. charcoal on paper 27 x 28 1/2

Oh, how I love drawing...when I start I don't want to stop.

I just finished this one yesterday.

Still at it

2010-08-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Big Twists, 2010. oil on canvas 34 x 40

A new medium sized painting.

enjoy.

Time

2010-07-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

Sun-struck, 2010. oil on linen 26 x 26

I have been working hard on a new group of paintings. Things have been going well without too many bumps in the creative road. What makes the difference? It boils down to time. I have taken my time with this new group of paintings, trying not to rush to the easiest answer, but instead waiting and looking for the best way to finish the painting. It is not always easy to do since I tend to rush to finish a painting.

When I do wait, I can see the painting in its current state more clearly and know how I need to move forward to make it more effective. The discipline to take a painting off the easel when I don't have a clear way to move forward or to finish it, was a hard lesson learned, but worth it.

The Wall - An Update

2010-07-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

My studio on 07.17.10

Another look inside my studio.

A New Lovely

2010-07-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hopscotch Fields, 2010. oil on panel 22 x 32. sold

A new (still wet) painting.

enjoy.

Looking Ahead

2010-07-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

Afterburn, 2010. oil on panel 10 x 8. sold

New Work.

It may be only the beginning of July, but my mind is already on my fall and winter exhibition schedule. Its going to be an exciting season!

Stay tuned as I post new works for my upcoming shows.

The fourth painting

2010-06-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

San Joaquin Spring, 2010. oil on panel 12 x 10

The last painting I just delivered for Where We Live at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in July.

It should be a great show.

One more

2010-06-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Layers, 2010. oil on canvas 24 x 27 sold

Here's another painting for the Where We Live group show at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in July.

enjoy.

the news

2010-06-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Evening's Last, 2010. oil on canvas 24 x 26. sold

I'm happy to announce that Evening's Last is in the July issue of American Art Collector as part of a feature on the group show, Where We Live at the Elliott Fouts Gallery

The reception is on July 10th, 2010, from 6 to 9 PM

Stop by and say hello.

All new, all the time...

2010-06-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

River Evening, 2010. oil on panel, 7 x 8. sold

Here is one of my newest pieces.

Work is starting to come along nicely.

I hope to keep up the momentum.

The Wall

2010-05-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

My studio wall on May 27th, 2010.

Here's a peak inside my studio...with twenty or so paintings in various states of finish.

enjoy.

Beautiful Spring

2010-05-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Clouds & Wheat, 2010. oil on panel. 8 x 10

We have been having the most wonderful spring days, the clouds have been incredible, the temperatures have been cool and the sunrises & sunsets have been amazing.

Its inspiring.

Its my kind of weather.

enjoy.

Check it out!

2010-05-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Quiet Exit, 2010. oil on panel 13 x 15 sold

I am very happy to announce that my web site has been completely updated and redesigned. A big thank you goes out to Paul Anderson, my web site dude, who worked very hard to get everything done.

Check it out!

www.johnkarlclaes.com

2010-05-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

Sienna Sunset, 2010. oil on panel. 7 x 8 sold

This is a small picture from earlier this year.

I started painting in earnest about two weeks ago after weeks of prepping canvases. The paint is being flung, and it is already interesting how this work is feeling different. It started with a series of small sketches based on a drive down I-5 this past spring, and I'm twelve paintings in.

I am starting to see the framework for this body of work and I'm struggling with how to put this new body of work into words. It seems like linear thoughts are elusive. The ideas I have of my work are visual which I can not describe it verbally or in written form before I actually do the get them on canvas.

So, stay tuned for more. The show has begun.

Fresh

2010-04-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

Redset, 2010. oil on paper 19 x 26. sold

Brand new work.

Prep Time

2010-04-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Last Moments, 2010. 6 x 9. oil on panel

This is a little painting that I finished recently. I'm in the midst prepping around forty panels and canvases...So paintings are coming along slowly. New paintings will be coming soon. I have tons of work to get going on...I'm very excited!

The Bank Job, part IV... the process

2010-03-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

Big Red, 2010. oil on canvas. 40 x 60. sold

This is the last painting for the bank. I took a whole series of pictures while I was working on this painting and I thought that everybody would enjoy seeing the process of how the painting took shape.

drawing the composition

laying in the first layer of color

putting in a little red...

refining and adding to the sky

working on the fields

further refining of sky and fields

done.

The Bank Job, part III

2010-03-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

Warm Twilight, 2009. oil on panel 24 x 24. sold

Here is the third painting for Yosemite Farm Credit.

enjoy.

Patience...

2010-03-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

Big Turns, 2010. oil on canvas 44 x 54 sold

Sometimes they work out better the second time around....you gotta have patience.

2010-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Evening Clearing, 2010. oil on panel 22 x 28

Another recent painting.

Working on it

2010-02-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

Hopeful, 2009. oil on panel. 15 x 17. sold.

I'm working a big commission so other paintings are coming along slowly.

I have several paintings that I think that are mostly done that I will post soon. They are in my studio waiting for my final approval. I tend to have to let things sit there for a while so I can get some distance from them and see them for what they really are. Sometimes I'm so anxious to be done that I'm fooled into thinking that it may be the greatest painting ever when really its not.

I think I may become slightly delusional when I'm finishing work in my studio. Its all just part the painting process for me.

The Bank job, part II

2010-01-30T08:50:00.001-08:00

Almost After, 2009. oil on panel. 24 x 24 sold

This is the second painting that I finished for the bank commission.

Titles are funny things. I purposely keep them ambiguous so people can fill in their own story. But sometimes this leads to awkward conversations....

The study for this painting (it had same title) was hanging in a gallery and after staring at the title card for several seconds, a woman turned to me and said, "I don't understand, almost after what?"

I frankly didn't know what to say. I fumbled around for some words, "Um, a lot of my paintings are of late evenings." She continued to look at me blankly, clearly not understanding. "It's almost after evening or twilight," I said implying that she could fill in the blank.

"I still don't understand. What does the title have to do with the painting?" she asked again.

Sometimes I'm not even sure why I try.

More Work...

2010-01-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

Intense Ending, 2010. oil on panel. 8 x 9 sold

Another smaller painting from the year's first batch.

starting again

2010-01-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

Last Bit, 2010. oil on panel 8 x 10

It has been my habit for the last several years to start off the new year will a series of smaller paintings. This year has been no different. Here is one of my first paintings of twenty-ten.

Enjoy.

The Bank Job, part I

2010-01-04T07:45:00.001-08:00

Resplendent, 2009. oil on canvas 40 x 50 sold

I have been working on a series of commissions for an agricultural farm credit bank for the last six months. This is the first of three paintings that I have finished, I have one more large painting be finished in the first quarter of the new year. I am honored to have my paintings in their work space.

They said they wanted agricultural paintings with Big intense color....and I said, "Um...I'm your man."

Enjoy.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T08:51:00.001-08:00

A New Day, 2009. oil on panel 20 x 24. sold

I'm excited by what the new year will bring...its going to be an interesting ride.

It's time to start getting some work done!

Playing around

2009-12-17T21:50:00.000-08:00

Springtime, 2009. oil on panel 6 x 8.

Trying new things is not always easy.... I think it is human nature to be lazy and not want to try to do something differently. In the studio it is equally true. As anyone grows as an artist, they can fall into only doing things a certain way, because frankly, it works. And this becomes a habit. I mean who want to risk making a bad painting? If I know a way of doing something well, why would I want to change?

I believe that without risk the work can began to lose its spark and become boring or worse, mechanical. The thrill of painting for me is not knowing how things will turn out. To this day, I'm still astonished when I finish a painting...how did I paint that?

It is so important to remember to try what may seem as strange or different, even if it fails. Sometimes it will work and that will lead to important breakthroughs. It all starts with being willing to play around in the studio and not worry about the immediate results.

I'm ready for 2010.

Mixing and Shaking

2009-12-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

A Brilliant End, 2009. oil on panel 5 3/4 x 9 3/4 sold

This is a small painting that I just finished and took to the holiday show at the Elliott Fouts Gallery.

This little study was, I hesitate to say, was almost effortless to paint. Everything went so smoothly. That doesn't happen often; maybe a hand full of times a year. Every decision I made was the correct one. There was very little correcting of the composition or color as I painted. Mix color. Put color down. Mix next color. Continue. I can remember as I was working on this piece, I began to actually shake, out of excitement or nervousness, I'm not sure which, I just knew I didn't want to screw it up.

Enjoy.

The post show lowdowns

2009-11-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

Monday Afternoon, 2009. oil on linen 14 x 20

Two shows. Two receptions. Six days.

Yup, it was a busy week! And I got sick in the middle of it. I lost my voice on Wednesday and still do not have it totally back. Despite not feeling great, things went generally well...

The reception at Elliott Fouts' was good, with little red dots appearing all evening long and the show continues to through the end of the month. The miniature show at FSG was a big success. I think we had over 250 people at the reception and sales were fairly strong.

Now I am scrambling to finish things up for a group show next month and also trying to wrap up a commission that's overdue.

Whew!

I'm gonna take some time off...Maybe in 2010.

The Big Night

2009-11-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

Jack's View, 2008. oil on panel 12 x 15 sold

Well, tomorrow is the reception at Elliott Fouts Gallery from 6 - 9 pm. I look forward to meeting many new people and seeing some old friends. It should be a fun night...but I always seem to have irrational fears going into these things, "Is anyone going to show up? What will I talk to people about? Will anything sell? How will I make a complete fool out of myself?" But generally things seem to go well at these events once I am there...someday maybe I can learn to relax in the days up to the reception...

I doubt it.

Hope

2009-11-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

Hope, 2009. oil on canvas 36 x 46. sold

This is a painting from my show in Sacramento. I had a very hard time photographing it because the camera could not read the green. I'm not sure why, but maybe it was because I used an unusual blue in the green. I can't remember which Gamblin blue it was, but it was not one of the blues that I use a lot. Strange.

The painting is part of a continuing series of paintings called Hope. I enjoy when landscape painting can tell a larger story than of just the land. I don't know if it's important to the viewer, but when a visual idea connects with me on a deeper level I believe I make stronger paintings.

Done and Gone

2009-11-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

Sunburned, 2009. oil on panel 12 x 10

Everything is done and gone...The paintings are up at The Elliott Fouts Gallery for my show in November. The reception is November 14th from 6-9 pm.

It should be fun.

I steal ideas from three year olds

2009-10-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Elliott's Stormy Evening, 2009. oil on panel 8 x 10

My kids often want to paint in my studio with me. So they will sit on the floor using their watercolors while I work at my easel. They will comment on my work, and I will talk to them about their paintings.

I don't always get a lot of work done, they tend to ask me questions like ,

"Daddy, do you know how I mixed that color?"

"Dad, do you want to see what I have done to my painting?"

but none the less, I still enjoy my time with them.

The idea for this painting came from one of my three year old's paintings. He put a magenta/dark pink against the dark grey/black that I thought looked good together. So I thought I would give the combo a try....When he came back to my studio several days later and saw my painting, he said, "Same as my painting!"

The kid is too smart for his own good...I hope he doesn't tell everyone.

One of the BIG ones

2009-10-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Saturated, 2009. oil on canvas. 52 x 60. sold.

This is the biggest painting for my upcoming show at Elliott Fouts Gallery in November. Truth be told, I would consider this painting to be on the smaller side of my larger paintings, but still, I enjoy spreading my wings a bit and tackling a larger piece of canvas. You should have seen the piles of red paint on my palette for this one.

It sat in my studio for quite awhile unfinished. The start was strong, and I wanted to be sure that I didn't screw it up. I eventually worked up the nerve to dive in, and I'm quite pleased with the results.

The Home Stretch

2009-10-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

Overexposed, 2009. oil on panel 20 x 20. sold.

Just a few days of painting left for the show...I feel good about the pieces.

Now its time for framing and varnishing the work.

November is coming up fast!

Still working

2009-09-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Twos and Threes, 2009. oil on panel 18 x 20. sold.

I'm continuing to work hard for my show in November, and this is yet another piece for the show. Things are starting to come together and I still have couple of pieces that I want to do. We'll see if I can get everything done.

enjoy.

Remember it

2009-09-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

Stormy, 2009. oil on panel 16 x 16

"When I first met you I thought you were completely crazy and that you had no idea what you were talking about...but now (three years later) I think you may be on to something..."

-Lee Harris

I'll take it as a compliment.

An Update

2009-09-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Late Returns, 2009. oil on panel 22 x 26 sold

Another painting for the show.

Enjoy.

More Recent Stuff

2009-09-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Big Spring Floaters, 2009. oil on linen 32 x 36 sold

A medium sized painting that I just finished last week...

enjoy.

Getting Ready

2009-09-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Muddy Sunset, 2009. oil on canvas 10 x 16

I'm in the midst of getting ready for a show in Sacramento at the Elliott Fouts Gallery this November. The paint is flying and the ideas are flowing. It sould be a great show with all new paintings. Posting could become sporadic as deadlines approach.

We'll see....

enjoy

I want to think like that...

2009-08-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Warm Twilight, 2009. oil on panel 16 x 16. sold.

The other night I was waiting with my sons for a train to pass and my oldest said, "Maybe the train is so late because the train man wanted to see the beautiful sky." I could only answer, "Maybe so..." because the sky was indeed beautful...

Enjoy.

Blue Shy

2009-08-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

Skylight, 2008. oil on panel 6 x 6. sold.

I think I have posted this painting before, but I'm happy to post it again and announce that this painting has been chosen to be used for a book cover of the book, Blue Shy. (This is a play on the word sky, not a typo.) The book designer knew my work from one of my galleries and thought that my work would fit perfectly with the writing style of the book. I am very flattered. I knew nothing about image copyright when I started this whole process, and it's been a very interesting ride. It kind of strange to think that one of my paintings is going to be used on a book cover. The book is going to press this month.

I'll post the cover when I get permission form the designer. I've seen it and I'm quite pleased.

new studies

2009-08-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Study for "Grand Finale", 2009, oil on panel 14 1/2 x 18 1/8. sold.

A smallish study for a possible new large painting.

Enjoy.

Who said it?

2009-07-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Gathering Clouds, 2008. oil on canvas 21 x 40. sold.

"The Landscape here in the Central Valley lacks nothing, Except Glorification"

-Unknown

Again, for the first time...

2009-07-02T08:59:00.001-07:00

The Leading Edge, 2009. sold.

22 x 30

charcoal on paper

Behind, 2009.

oil on panel

22 x 26

A couple of new pieces.

Enjoy.

Ebb and Flow

2009-05-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

Busy Evening, 2009. oil on canvas 40 x 50

Here is my first larger work of the year. (I can hardly believe that it is May already.) I still seem spending most of my time prepping panels and canvases. I was really running low in my painting support inventory. I like to have a whole range of sizes available, so when I start a body of new work so I can paint in what ever size I wish. I don't work in standard sizes, so I prep a lot of different sizes, not just four or five different standard sizes. I like to have around fifty to sixty painting supports in my studio. I don't like to be limited when a new painting idea comes into my head. In between all this prepping I'm still getting a painting done here and there. It's not how I normally work, but it seems to be working for me right now.

I'm usually much more focused on getting the prep work done and back to painting all the time. This year it seems that I am doing both at the same time, it's not the most efficient way of working, but with no current deadlines I can work on paintings and drawings at a slower pace. I don't have to force anything. If I get stuck on an idea in a painting, I can take time to just look at it. I can spend some time prepping and looking at the painting while I'm doing other things around the studio. It helps to see the problems of the painting and (hopefully) make it a better painting out of it. It's just the ebb and flow of studio life.

Quote it

2009-04-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Another Study for Hope, 2009. oil on panel 10 x 12. sold.

"The more I see contemporary painting distrust feeling, the more feeling I put into my painting."

-Carl Plansky b.1951

Done and Undone

2009-04-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Unsettled Weather, 2009. oil on canvas, 24 x 28 sold

Here is painting that I thought was finished, and then I changed it suddenly at the very end. I don't know why paintings are like that some times, but they demand to be changed. I will think they are done and that the solution to the problem of the painting has been finalized, and I leave it on the easel for the night. Usually I am satisfied with what I have done when I leave, but when I come back I know immediately that something needs to be changed.

The tough part is that the changes have to be consistent with the original idea that I had for the painting or I will ruin it. This painting was rather quick to fix, but there have been times that it has taken me months to fix a painting depending on what the problem with the painting demands. It is all about making effective paintings.

Spring Days

2009-03-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

High Spring, 2009. charcoal on paper, 14 x 22

Another drawing from the current crop that

I have completed recently.

Enjoy.

I just can't stop

2009-03-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Slowly Moving Through, 2009. Charcoal on paper 31 x 32

I have been drawing nearly everyday for the last month or so. I really have to blame some friends for my situation. I did a drawing for them at the beginning of the year, and it has just opened the flood gates. I have done more drawing in the first quarter of this year than I have done in the last four years combined. I was working so hard on my paintings that I just didn't have time to to concentrate on anything else. It's interesting to see how my process has changed. A decade ago my paintings were very informed by my drawings, now my drawings are affected by my paintings. Each medium has its own unique aspects, but I am finding they are become more intertwined as I develop as an artist.

Representational or Abstract ?

2009-02-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

Falling Over, 2008. oil on panel 8 x 7 sold

I have what feels like a war raging on inside of me. I happen to like a wide range of art. Is that so bad? There are some representational artists whose work I really admire, and then there are a whole mess of abstract artists whose work really speak to me. I think I tend to sway back and forth between the two in my work letting each tradition effect me more strongly at different times. But lately I have been looking at a lot of abstract work, and I know that it is only a matter of time before these paintings began to influence my work.

Stay turned....

A great day

2009-02-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

Turning Stormy, 2008. oil on canvas 50 x 56

I love this weather. We have had a rather dry winter so far, but the past few weeks or so have been stormy and cloudy. I like the rain, but I live for the breaks in the weather between systems when the air is crystal clear and the clouds are breathtaking.

Today was one of those days. I spent the day with my family on the central coast . We had a wonderful day together. The beach was quite nice and warm (at least for the winter) and the boys loved playing in the sand. I enjoyed the drive because the landscape and sky were stunning.

I can't wait to get back to my studio tomorrow.

A radical idea?

2009-02-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

A Falling Sky, 2009. oil on panel 7 x 8

"I want to paint or draw as though the camera had never been invented."

-Leon Kossoff (b. 1926)

What month is it?

2009-01-31T19:30:00.000-08:00

Summer's Last, 2008. oil on panel 7 x 8. sold

I have no idea where January went, but now it's gone. I have been prepping panels so I have gotten something done, but it's been mostly busy work around the studio. I thought that I would have gotten more paintings done by this point. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans....

My family has been hit by this horrible cold that has been going around, and that has slowed everybody in my tribe down for the past week and half, but we are on the mend. February will be more productive.

I can only hope.

Drawing again

2009-01-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

Strong Clouds, 2009. charcoal on paper 38 x 42. nfs

This is a drawing that I just finished last week. I have not done any large drawings in a number of years. I had almost forgotten how much I revel the immediateness and spontaneity afforded in drawing.

Maybe I should do some more drawings.

Enjoy.

Studio help

2009-01-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth's Morning, 2008. oil on panel, 7 x 8

My sister and her family visited for a short time over the holidays. We always have a great time together. We eat all of our meals as a family at my folks house and visit just as much as we can together. I usually don't get much work done when they are here, but this year I was on a deadline...so it was work, work, work. One morning after breakfast I was getting ready to head out to my studio and my two oldest nieces (they are both in their teens) asked if they could come out to the studio also, and I said, "Do you want to help?" They looked at me like I was half crazy (well, they actually think that I am completely crazy, but that's another post!) They agreed, and we headed out to the studio.

I set up a couple of field easels for them to work on. At this point they were looking a little confused, and asked "Are we actually going to paint?" I drew a horizon line on each painting. Satisfied with its placement, I asked the girls, "What's your favorite color?" I mixed each color to their satisfaction (and mine) and then handed them the brush. They painted skies their favorite color and then the ground their second favorite color. Since I was mixing the colors I could control the color interaction (I believe this is the most important thing about painting) and therefore control what was happening in the painting. As the paintings went on I made sure that each additional color worked with what was aready there and told them where to put each color I mixed, but the paintings were based on their orignial color ideas. In the end I did paint the trees and any other final touch ups that needed to be done.

They really turned out looking like my work. To be fair, I really controlled all the decisions, they just put the paint on the panel. It got me to thinking what makes my work look like my work. I have always known it was not my paint handling skills and that morning proved that, at least in the beginning stages, but it was my color sense that made the paintings feel like mine.

It was an interesting exercise.

You gotta feel it

2009-01-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

A Certain Light, 2008. oil on panel, 8 x 10. sold.

"Genuine art grows outward from the heart. Art inspired primarily by the intellect may induce awe, excitement , or even laughter, but never tears. There is no great art without tears."

- Russell Chatham (b. 1939)

Are you ready?

2009-01-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

Defiant Sky, 2008. oil on panel 8 x 7

It really doesn't feel like the new year. I signed a painting today 2008...oops. I pretty much worked through the holidays, except for the three days around Christmas when I had a really horrible head cold. I'm not complaining because I'd rather be busy than not in this business. I had a deadline that I was trying to make and didn't make it, I couldn't get my paintings to dry fast enough to ship them out. I felt like crap because of the head cold and not getting the painting done on time. It's times like these that make me feel like I'm being a bad professioanl artist.

That being said, I'm working a batch of small paintings to start off the year so expect new works soon.

Happy New Year everybody!

I'll get around to signing my paintings 2009 soon and then I'll feel better about everything.

Trying to get things done

2008-12-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

Spring Break, 2008. oil on panel. 10 x 11. sold.

Do you ever have one of those days when you don't get anything done that you thought you were going to get done? I have stacks of paintings that I need to finish before the end of next week and yesterday I couldn't seem to any work done. For some reason I really didn't mind...

It must be the Season.

Happy Holidays everybody!