Hibiscus

In keeping with my plan to get as much practice as I can with small sketches, I had a chance to do a couple while on Spring Break in Florida. Warm weather and tropical locations are my best inspiration. Oil, 8" x 6"

Small paintings

Kevin Macpherson is one of today's best know plein air painters. He's also a highly sought after instructor and author. I had the chance to meet him on my recent trip where he was the Special Guest of the Maui Plein AIr Invitational and along with Jean Stearn, director of the Irvine Museum, gave a lecture on plein air and his "Pond" series paintings. Over the course of five years he did one painting for everyday of the year of the pond next to his house.

In his books he recommends doing one hundred small quick paintings for practice, working daily for an hour and numbering them to track progress. I'm committing to trying this and just bought one hundred small canvas panels.

Here's a start. Though I admit I spent too much time one this, more like two hours instead of one. The challenge is working fast and knowing when to quit.

This is a view of the West Maui mountains done from photos I took while there. Oil, 8" x 10"

Puamana

This was done in a couple hours one morning at little Puamana Park looking North toward Lahaina. I'd like to re-do this as a larger studio painting. Oil, 9" x 12"

A cottage in paradise

I started a couple of paintings last week on Maui that I didn't have time to finish there. Yesterday I took a few hours to finish this one. This cottage is just South of Lahaina with a spectacular view West to Lanai. In the distance is the island of Molokai. Oil, 12" x 14"

Canoe

In Lahaina there is a small historical park just South of the harbor. They have replicas of some large, ocean-going Polynesian outrigger canoes and this small one on the beach. The group of plein air painters gathered here a couple of days ago and had a model posed with the canoe. I took picture of her to work up something at home, then I came back yesterday and did this painting. Oil, 16" x 10"

Live from Maui

I'm back on Maui attending the "Maui Plein Air Painters Invitational." I wasn't "invited," but came to watch, be inspired and paint every day. Everywhere you look here there's something just waiting to be painted. I went to Baldwin Beach on the North shore to do this one. Oil, 16" x 10"

Big Island Palms

One of my favorite artists to look to for inspiration is Hawaii painter Darrell Hill. His impressionistic landscapes are colorful and exciting. This scene is one he's painted several times. Working from a photo of the same location, I did this in my studio for practice.