From Carmel

I love painting in Michigan and I love painting in Hawaii, but California was really made for painters. With such variety of subjects from the mountains to the coast, golden hills, farms and cities. And the foliage: ancient, giant trees, palms, cactus, and wildflowers. Four days was hardly enough, but the Carmel Art Festival was a great experience. A perfect, little, picturesque town for plein air. I concentrated mainly on the coast and wished I had more time to explore inland.

The town is jammed with galleries. Many of the artists in the event were represented there. There are some galleries showing only 19th and 20th century California art. I saw my first Edgar Payne’s up close and personal. This 29" x 29" Sierra painting was amazing, and only $145,000.

Here’s a few of mine. Can’t wait to get back there.

California color, oil, 10" x 12"

China Cove morning, oil, 16" x 12"

Toward Pebble Beach from Carmel
oil, 9" x 12"

Leaving for Carmel

I'm happy to have been juried in to the Carmel Art Festival starting later this week in Carmel, California. Two days of plein air painting with a show to follow. I'm honored to be among some great artists: Randy Sexton, Kevin Courter, Brian Blood, Robin Purcell, Marc Dalessio, Thomas Kitts, and many more. I'll have a day of scouting and warm-up before the start. Haven't had a lot of chance to get out with the up and down thermometer we've had here in the midwest. And just as I leave the warmth is arriving.

Here's a studio painting just completed. Rocky coast, Maui, north shore, oil 12" x 18"

Almost Spring

Friday I drove to Water Street Gallery in Douglas, Michigan, to drop off paintings for their upcoming “Who’s That?” show of new-to-the-gallery artists. Paintings, sculpture, and glass work, opening reception Saturday, May 4, 6 to 8 pm. Come by if you are near.

On the way back I stopped off at the Indiana Dunes to scout sites and do a little painting.

Almost Spring, oil, 12" x 9"

Going large...

I'm happy to announce that I'm being represented by a new gallery, Water Street Gallery, in Douglas, Michigan. Beginning next week, I'll be a part of their “Who’s That?” show, an exhibit of new-to-the-gallery artists. I’ve painted in their summer plein air event for the past few years and after the last, they invited me to show this year.

This will be part of the show, it’s one of the largest paintings I’ve done. It’s a spot north of Manistee, Michigan, where I have plein air painted a couple of times. I worked from photos for this. The bluff was very overgrown with brush and saplings, so I simplified.

Opening reception: May 4, 6 - 8 pm
Water Street Gallery
98 Center Street
Douglas, MI

On a bluff above the lake, oil, 24" x 48"

Small works show

In my suburban Chicago town a call for entries went out from Art Post Gallery for a small paintings show. The gallery provided 6" x 6" stretched canvases to 81 artists with a month-plus window to return them ready-to-hang. The theme was “Botany magnified.” Being that I love everything tropical, I decided I’d paint a Bird of Paradise on my trip to Hawaii. But, we had quite a bit of rain while there and, for some reason, until the last day I didn’t come across any blooming. So back in the studio I did this last week from photos in time to turn in for next weeks show.

Tropical bird, oil, 6" x 6"

A few from Hawaii...

We had our family spring-break on Kauai this year. Always more rain there than the other islands, but we hit an unusually rainy week. We still managed some sun and fun, and I did a few paintings. Then I had three days by myself on Maui to paint and visit Village Galleries where I am represented.

Toward Kilauea, oil, 12" x 9"

Three palms, oil, 16" x 12"

Beach morning, oil, 12" x 9"

Heading South

A small studio piece, warming up for my upcoming trip to Hawaii. Two stops, Kauai and Maui, panels and paints are packed. Should be able to deliver some new work to Village Galleries too.

Longboards, oil,
16" x 11"