Fountainebleau

 

I loved the cloud shapes above the horizon in the garden of Chateau de Fountainbleau. My rendering of clouds in watercolor needs some work but the more I practice the more confident I get with my skills.

Burgundian Village

 

We visited this quaint village nestled among the vineyards between Dijon and Beaune in the Burgundy region of France. This is the view from a small shop that specialized in jams made from local produce. The day we were there they were making strawberry jam and the whole store smelled like fresh sweet strawberries.

Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference 2024

 I want to thank all the teachers and organizers at the Wild Wonder Journaling Conference 2024. It was truly amazing! I learned something new that I can apply to nature journaling in all the sessions I was able to attend. And for the sessions I missed I can view the recordings at my leisure. Nature journaling is an important part of my life because it helps me disconnect from our digital world and reconnect with the natural world. I find myself slowing down, observing more, being present and taking time to appreciate and be thankful for the simple things in life. Here are a few photos from some of the interactive work I did in the sessions.

How to paint flowers quickly in watercolor 

How to quickly paint birds in the field

Using watercolor pencils

Finding math in nature

More watercolor pencils 

Observing the sky on a daily basis

Overlooking Swiss Alps from Gruyere

My wife and I recently enjoyed a trip to France and Switzerland. This was one of many captivating views of the Swiss Alps and verdant countryside from atop a beautiful hillside in Gruyere where we also dined on some delicious cheese fondue.  What struck me the most was the peaceful and varied green hued flowing shapes in the foreground against the dramatic towering yet muted dark and light grey values in the background.  It spoke to me of the coexistence of grandeur and pastoral beauty all wrapped into one mesmerizing experience.

 

Peonies

 My wife, Katya, brought home some beautiful Peonies and asked me to paint them.  How could I refuse :)

Linda Mar Beach

This is an oil painting I worked on en plain air during a very windy morning at Linda Mar Beach.  It plays with perspective and distorts space to invite the viewer to experience a broader expanse of the beach on a typical windy Spring day drawing their attention to the churned up waves. The warm hues on the hillside indicate Spring is still with us while the blue and turquoise ocean remind us of the cool Pacific Ocean. The clouds in the distance are a forewarning to the approaching afternoon fog.

Moored Offshore

 Here is a tiny 4 x 4 oil painting of a sailboat moored offshore somewhere off the Northern California coast.