NEW DRAWINGS

"FASHION DISTRICT" charcoal drawing, 28.5 x 21.75 inches

"Rue de Rivoli, Paris", charcoal drawing, 23.75 x 35.75 inches

For a long time, I have been contemplating how I can put the figure into my regular gallery work. I've made several awkward attempts in the past, but I wasn't satisfied and rarely exhibited those pieces. I had been able to draw and paint the figure quite competently, but only by itself, never in one of my landscapes. I think that one of the most difficult things for an artist to do is marry these two worlds of landscape and figure. The figure can look out of place, or the landscape can look like an afterthought.

Knowing that the figure in my landscapes isn't one of my personal strengths in painting, I decided to do my homework with a fully worked out preliminary drawing. I don't know why I've felt so timid, lazy, or rushed to attempt this in the past, because I really like these two new drawings.

The first one, "Fashion District", is located in downtown Los Angeles on Broadway. I shot numerous rolls of film of people walking by. I got in a couple yelling matches (and nearly a fist-fight) with people who REALLY didn't want their picture taken. I understand how intrusive this method of photography can be, but anything for my art, right? I'm not sure if these two girls thought they were getting out of my shot, perhaps they didn't notice me. Their faces seemed somehow in thought and slightly self-conscious. I found their clothes interesting, their attempt to dress as much alike as possible, the same kind of over-stuffed coats with fur hoods, similar earrings, and they were each walking with their left hand inside their sleeves.

The second one, "Rue de Rivoli, Paris", is of course from my vacation a couple months ago. After seeing the Louvre, I felt quite compelled to paint the figure. Almost no great artist in the museums I saw completely ignored the figure. And I knew that I would need a new challenge for my work when I got home. The time I spent on the drawing was more focused on the landscape than the girl in the foreground, but she is certainly the star of the show. I shot some photos early one Sunday morning, Parisians sleep in quite late, so I had to walk 4 blocks to find a place that was open and had coffee. As I shot pictures all along the way, I fell in love with the patterns in the street, the gray landscape, and all of the Parisian buildings. It felt like the perfect moment when she walked into the scene, especially since there were so few other people and only one car.

I have already mapped out a couple of large canvases for Paris landscapes. So my next step is to paint something based on these drawings. Painting the figure, I would prefer to be less impressionistic, more layering and glazing like the old masters. In the end, I'm sure it will be a combination. But these two new images have been haunting my mind, they resonated with me somehow. I'm very inspired to paint them.

Fog Train

This painting is "Fog Train", it is 12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas. I usually don't choose frames like this, but I fell in love with this one. I felt that the frame echos the train tracks, and the black against the grey/tonal palette of the piece makes for a striking presentation.

Last week, I went landscape painting around town with William Wray ( http://williamwray.blogspot.com/ ). We got alot of work done, I'll have to post my recent stuff soon.

805 FREEWAY

This is another little 8 x 10 inch painting that I did "plein-air", on location with Aron Wiesenfeld ( http://aronwiesenfeld.com/ ). We were on a grassy hill overlooking the 805 freeway, with some industrial warehouses below us and Tijuana off in the distance.

LA BRIDGES (After the gallery opening... back to work)

This is a piece I did completely "plein-air" or on location over a period of 2 days. I't called "La Loma Bridge", 8x10 inches, oil on canvas. It's up in Pasadena, close to the Art Center where I went to college. I painted it with my friend Bill Wray a while back, but I never got a chance to post it here on my blog...

With my vacation, plus getting ready for last week's Timmons Gallery show, I don't have any new paintings finished so I'm posting this one too. I did it for my June show at Tirage, it's called "LOS ANGELES VIADUCT", 16x20 inches, oil on canvas. The location is along the Los Angeles River, looking down from Elysian Park. I've seen some of the old 1920's watercolorists paint this view, like Emil Kosa Jr.

My show at Timmons went well on Saturday. We had an excellent turn out, the place was packed. I saw some old familiar faces that I hadn't seen in a long time too. Glad I could finally do a big San Diego show. Dan McCaw was last month's Timmons show, I really admire his work and there was some beautiful stuff. The gallery space in Rancho Santa Fe is brand new and shows off the artwork nicely, but they just moved from Solana Beach, so not everyone knows about the new location. The new Timmons Gallery will be a real gem to collectors when they get in there, alot of great art by various artists is available. My work will be hanging for a month, along with Aron Wiesenfeld's.

Meanwhile, I've got time to chew my fingernails, hoping sales go well. San Diego has a large number of wealthy people with large new stucco mansions, who desperately need art whether they know it or not. A variety of folks, from old money to the "nouveau reich" (especially from real-estate). Lots of empty wall space, or decorative mirrors and furniture store bought art. Typically, not often the creative or meaningful sense of decorating their homes by surrounding themselves with inspiring objects, yet there's certainly alot of money spent on fashionable decor and home improvement. I wonder if San Diego knows about it's reputation for being a "cultural wasteland"? I don't mean to be too critical or down on San Diegans, because I truly love it here, but it is certainly more of a sports-culture or beach-culture by reputation. For example, what often happens if I meet someone and in conversation tell them that I'm a painter, their first reaction is to say, "Oh! I really need my kitchen painted!" And I'll correct them and say, "Sorry, what I mean is that I'm an artist..." Then they get a generally confused look on their face. In contrast, with Los Angeles or New York, there's a sense of reverence for artists and all the arts. They've experienced the feeling and wonderment of great museums, they appreciate that beauty of the arts, which is the highest expression of the human experience. Discovered a deep feeling within them, having been inspired by creative works. Moved to find meaning in their lives. But then again, if their only exposure to it was some commercial gallery in La Jolla with sub-standard and mass-produced art, or modernist museums that leave them feeling excluded and confused, I can see why it doesn't whet their appetite. Understandably, San Diegans might make the mistake of thinking that all art is "stuck-up" and miss out. Hopefully, as people patronize galleries like Timmons, they can discover for themselves what could be some of the most enriching and meaningful stuff in their lives.

TIMMONS GALLERY SHOW, opens 10/21/2006

My first big San Diego show opens this Saturday, October 21st, from 6pm to 9pm at the Timmons Gallery in Rancho Santa Fe. Everyone is invited, I'll have approximately 30 new artworks exhibited there. Please join us!

Timmons Gallery
16091 San Dieguito Road
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

www.timmonsgalleries.com
(858)756-8488

I'm honored to be exhibiting along with my very good friend, Aron Wiesenfeld, one of the most talented painters I've ever known. We're sharing a full page ad in this month's issue of American Art Collector (seen above) compliments of the Timmons Gallery.

Bridge Lights

Well, I've been back home from Europe for a little over a week now. I finished up this nocturnal painting that I started before I left, "Bridge Lights", it is 24x24 inches. The location is along the LA river.

Europe was fantastic. I bought so many art books that when I was coming home, the airline almost wouldn't let me check my luggage because of the weight... and that's AFTER I shipped the heavy ones home. I saw just about every major art museum in London and Paris. Taking it all in was rather like drinking out of a fire hose. I was really struck by the Bonnard paintings at the d'Orsay Museum, that use of color and his whimsical treatment of subjects. Millet, Manet, and Monet all really struck a cord. And I loved seeing all of Delacroix's major works at the Louvre, they had a powerful presence. As did the Hubert Robert paintings. I was also surprised to find that the TATE had an entire wing of the museum dedicated to J.M.W. Turner.

This is me in front of one of Monet's murals in Paris...

I'm always attempting to successfully photograph a nocturne... this is "The Nag's Head" in London...

My wife Holly at the Tuilleries...
Holly and I outside the Louvre in Paris...

I can really only begin to express how overwhealmingly wonderful it all was. I shot approximately 1800 pictures in all, I have fantastic refrence for my March show at Tirage. I was impressed at London's immaculate cleanliness, orderliness, and polite manners (especially in contrast to the Parisians). And Paris has got to be the most picturesque city in the world, plus they win when it comes to their vast art collections. I hope someday to be able to make an extended stay and work there. I did little more than a handful of sketches because I was so busy seeing everything. And we walked so much that we had giant blisters on our feet. Not the most restful vacation, but certainly the best one I've been on.

Torrey Pines

This new painting is called "Torrey Pines", it is oil on canvas, 20x24 inches. This is a favorite spot of mine, very close to where I live in San Diego. I frequent Torrey Pines State Beach as often as I can, mostly just to walk and enjoy the sound of the pounding surf. I painted this for my Timmons Gallery exhibition in Rancho Santa Fe in October.

I will be going on vacation on Tuesday, so this will be my last post until September 23rd. I've been burning the candle at both ends for months now, so I'm in dire need of a get-away. Fortunately I've had some decent sales since my June show, so I'm taking my wife to London and Paris for about 3 weeks. Yes, I'll be bringing my sketchbook and my camera. Hopefully I'll return with lots of ideas and inspiration for new works. Can't wait to see the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate, the Louvre, and the De'Orsay Museum. And I just booked our dinner cruise on the Seine... I'm sooo looking forward to some French cuisine.

La Paloma Theater

This one is fresh off the easel, it's called "La Paloma Theater". Oil on canvas, 24x36 inches. The building is located on the Pacific Coast Highway here in San Diego. I believe the specific area is actually called Encinitas. Anyway, the day I drove by it for the first time, it struck me as something that I simply had to paint. The marquee had some other movie title on it, but I replaced it with "Some Like It Hot", a Marilyn Monroe movie that took place here in San Diego. Yes, the pigeons are eating popcorn.

La Jolla Cove

This is my newest painting, "La Jolla Cove". It is 30x40 inches, oil on canvas. Right now I'm painting larger canvases of San Diego scenes for my October show at the Timmons Gallery. Historically, this scene has been painted many times at different angles by artists such as Edgar Payne, Maurice Braun, and several of the old "California Impressionists" back around early 20th century. Compositionally, I decided to focus more on the sky. Hopefully making my painting less typical of La Jolla Cove paintings I've seen. I used broader brushstrokes and very heavy paint than I usually do. I often like that kind of blobby paint in other's work, I don't know why I haven't done more of it myself. Perhaps it just takes time to work more confidently in "alla-prima". It makes for a more deeply felt piece in my opinion, because the artist is working faster and can maitain the initial thought that motivated him to do that particular painting.

SINGER BUILDING, PASADENA

I did this piece as a comission a while back. It was something like 20x30 inches, oil on canvas. The client's mother had worked in this building back in the day and he had a vintage photo of the building with the old Ford Model-T parked out front. The place had since been painted a different color, but was otherwise still there. I went and shot photos of the place and used a combination of my shots and his photo to do this painting.

At the time, I was working in a small spare bedroom in my Glendale apartment. My progress in my work had slowed to a pathetic crawl. The heat would get so bad in that apartment that I would spend my days lying in my underwear on the couch with a fan blowing, attempting to keep cool. It never worked. Thank God for air-conditioning in my new place. Being comfortable while I work is far more important than I had ever realized... I guess I'm kind of a baby. To paint, I need to be cool and not too warm, well fed, well rested, free of interuptions, a clear head, and to top it all off I need to feel inspired. Usually I can work myself into inspiration, but inspiration must be coaxed. If all these prerequisites aren't in place, I won't get anything done. If I worked at an office or worked doing manual labor, I wouldn't need to be inspired. I could just show up and grunt through it. But painting is a spiritual act. When there's no inspiration, the painting won't be any good. But working through the difficult times is imparative, it's the only way to come out on the other side. I really feel like I'm currently doing some of the best work I've ever done. It's taken years to build momentum. I feel continually anxious to see my own future paintings.

LAKE HODGES

"Lake Hodges" is 18x36 inches, oil on canvas. After spending weeks on the "Muffler Monument" painting that's posted below, I wanted to paint something that would give me some instant gratification. I just finished this "Lake Hodges" painting, it moved at lightening speed. It's got some thick impastos on there, I think I used $30 worth of white paint. Lots of palette knife at the lay in stage and broad brush strokes kept me from getting too fussy with the details, just looking at the big picture. I had fun with this one.

Muffler Monument (painting)

Finally I'm back on line. Turns out that my DSL modem was on the fritz, so I got a new one. If you recall, a while back I did a drawing of "Muffler Monument". It was a preliminary study for this painting.

"Muffler Monument" is 36x36 inches, oil on canvas, a fairly large painting. I figured that since I'd done my homework with a nice finished drawing, that it would be easy-street in executing the painting. Unfortunately, it didn't move so quickly. I had started with an all burnt umber lay-in. It looked awesome, maybe I should have stopped there. Then I proceeded to apply color, that's when I got into trouble... I had to re-paint the sky at least three times. But they say that a good painting should show some struggle. I'm pleased with the finished painting, I'd better be for as long as it took. It will be in my October show at the Timmons Gallery in Rancho Santa Fe.

Coronado Bridge

This is another plein-air painting I did, it's called "Coronado Bridge". The size is 9x12 inches, oil on canvas. I enjoyed letting myself go a little bit in this one, the drawing is a bit quirky, and the paint rather thick in the sky. Perhaps I ought to let go a little more?

Believe it or not... this was another occasion that I was harassed by the cops when painting on location. My friend Aron and I were setting up our easels when a cop car pulled up. The officer had to run thru our drivers license numbers to see if we were terrorists or not. Fortunately, he let us go about our buisness. I always try hard to be nice to those jerks. I guess they need to fill out their stat sheets to account for their time not spent in the donut shop. Gotta look busy.

SOLEDAD LAGOON

This is a plein-air painting of "Soledad Lagoon", oil on canvas, 9x12 inches. I painted it on location, just off Carmel Valley Road by Torrey Pines. It was a nice cool evening and I was accompanied by my friend Aron Wiesenfeld... http://aronwiesenfeld.com/

The area has nice little trails and a parking lot for beach access. Earlier, when I was scouting around and looking for a place to paint, a park ranger approached me. I guess he had nothing better to do, so he started harassing me. Told me the area was off limits and it was a wildlife rehabilitation area (total BS, there was only a no parking sign). So when he gave me a ticket, I didn't have much to say. Later, when I went to court to fight the ticket, the judge threw out the case. Fortunately, as it turns out, the judge's mother was a painter too :-)

The Girl Next Door

Although I started this one nearly a year ago, I just recently finished it. At first, I wasn't all that pleased with it, untill last week when I re-worked it. I'm much more satisfied with it now, I even re-named it "The Girl Next Door". It is 18x24 inches, oil on canvas.

I've been a fan of Edward Hopper for a long time now. I have too many favorite painters to name, but he's certainly toward the top of my list. I had him in mind when I was working on this one, this neighborhood is just like the kind he would have painted back in the 1940's. It is located in the old University Heights area, just east of downtown San Diego.