Linda Mar Waves 1

 In this 12x16” oil painting I focused on rendering the energy of the crashing wave and the tumultuous wavelets in the foreground. I placed a cumulus cloud above the mountain in the background to add more interest and tell a story about how the climate affects the oceans waves. The wisps of black clouds and the atmosphere of the setting sun indicate the time of day and the weather preceding the crashing waves which tend to be larger in the Fall.

Prospect Park

 

In this watercolor I tried to take advantage of the white areas of the paper to showcase the mid-day light illuminating the autumn leaves, the shadows cast by the trees, and the blinding light reflecting off of the lake.

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.

Half Moon Bay Harbor 2

 This another small oil painting in my series of Half Moon Bay harbor. Darker values than the previous HMB painting suggest the light effects in the early evening.

Half Moon Bay Harbor

 Here is a small oil painting of Half Moon Bay harbor where I first applied paint with a palette knife to cover the board. Then I used a soft brush and knife to create the effects of motion.

Filoli Spring Tulips

 Spent a wonderful Spring afternoon at Filoli taking in all the amazing tulips.  Here is a watercolor of one of the areas towards the back of the garden.

Sunset and Surfer

 

I’ve been meaning to paint this scene based on a photo I took a couple years ago. Well, I finally got around to it and here it is. I made liberal use of the palette knife to apply the color which gave the waves some additional texture and a more dramatic effect in the clouds.

Theodor Herzl

Here is a drawing of Theodor Herzl I copied from the cover of his book titled "A Jewish State"

Pacifica beach

A quick watercolor sketch of one of the beautiful beaches in Pacifica.  I always struggle with capturing the surf along the shore.  I tried a dry brush technique with the whites of the surf and used glazing for the sand.

 I finally tidied up the library so I could use the room as a studio to do some painting.  Here is an 8x10 seascape oil painting not far from our house. I limited my palette to essentially two colors using three paints - french ultramarine blue, burnt umber, and flake white.  I focused on values to capture the light reflecting off the ocean and the mist blanketing the hills and cliffs.