Girl Reading, Pacific Beach

"Girl Reading, Pacific Beach" 24 x 26 inches, oil on canvas

A while back, I posted my preliminary drawing for this painting. It's finally finished. The process involved a new method I'm using to help me include the figure within my new works.

But before I get into how I did the painting, let's talk about the why. Every painting of mine includes personal meaning, but I hope that the image resonates with the viewer in an archetypal way. I feel the purpose of my work is to depict my own story, but it's not necessarily important to understand in order to enjoy the work. When I was still a teenager, 18 years old, I moved out of my parent's house and lived close to this particular neighborhood in Pacific Beach. I spent most of my time in study, although I lived in the midst of a party town, and I somehow managed to stay out of trouble... honest! So this painting depicts the kind of ideal fantasy girl that I never met there at the time, a good girl engrossed in her studies.

As for how I did this painting, I was initially inspired when I was visiting the New York Public Library and viewed their WPA era murals... I wanted to do my own library painting. At first, my idea was to depict a girl sitting and reading under a tree, but as I went out in search of the perfect tree to use for my painting, I found this beautiful repetative long line of palms in the old Pacific Beach neighborhood. In this particular view, I liked how the long fence complemented those palms, as well as the long pose of the reclining figure I had in mind. These three elements somehow divided the piece into thirds. Then, I worked up a kind of classical composition creating a big triangle or pyramid as the overall center of the piece... do you see it?

As I transferred my drawing to canvas and began the painting, my friend, Aron Wiesenfeld, pointed out that the palms lining the background were a little too monotonous. I changed them in this final painting, so it does differ from my preliminary drawing.

Speaking of my pal Aron Wiesenfeld, I just got back from his opening exhibition at the Bakersfield Museum of Art... http://www.aronwiesenfeld.com/home.html

GIRL ON BRIDGE

"Girl on Bridge", 24 x 24 inches, oil on canvas.

I have been trying a different approach to my working methods. My next scheduled exhibition with K. Nathan Gallery will be late in the year, and I've been working on 10 pieces all at once. Every painting will include the figure. "Girl on Bridge" is the first one that I have finished.

Last year, I was out with two of my private students sketching on location by the beach close to Del Mar, and we found ourselves seeking shade from the sun under North Torrey Pines Bridge. I drew the old bridge there in my sketchbook from this angle. Later at the studio, in thinking how I might incorporate a figure, I doodled a girl sitting there on the bridge. I liked the graphic quality of the sketch. And I felt that the figure gave the image some tension. The more I thought about it, I felt that the underbelly of that bridge expressed a degree of psychological symbolism... the shadows of the unconscious under this massive structure.

"Coopriders, Looking In"

I have been invited to do a portrait commission for Patti and Coop Cooprider that will be part of an exhibition called "Movers and Shakers": Who's Who in the San Diego Visual Arts World.

The reception will be on Thursday Jan 21 from 6:30 to 8:30, and is organized by the San Diego Visual Arts Network. The exhibition will take place at Art Expressions Gallery: 2645 Financial Court, Suite C, San Diego, 92117

I have spent all of my efforts lately on finishing this piece in time for deadline, it has been nearly two months of continuous work. "Coopriders, Looking In" is a large 36 x 48 inches, oil on canvas. The Coopriders liked my self-portrait, "Looking Inward", and thought it would be interesting to use a similar theme for this portrait of them. We decided to use a gallery space as the setting stage, since collecting art is one of their favorite things.

Patti and Coop are very interesting folks, my wife Holly and I have enjoyed getting to know them in the process of this project. They are heavily involved in the San Diego art scene, and serve on the board of directors of numerous arts organizations. They are collectors of art as well as "doers," Patti also enjoys making art herself. From the work of a little known Italian artist, Diego, to the works of Chagall, Lipschitz, Miro, Picasso, Leger, and Calder among many others, Patti and her husband not only collect the works of great artists, but they live cozily with their pieces in their home to inspire them on a daily basis. For the past several years, Patti and her husband have focused on supporting San Diego artists, occasionally selling some of the work by European artists in order to purchase the work of artists in their own back yard.

I'm in a new book, "100 Artists of the West Coast II"

I finally got my copy of this new book I'm in, 100 Artists of the West Coast II by Tina Skinner
You can purchase your copy on Amazon through this link.

My artwork is profiled in the book, including my painting "Looking Forward" 16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas (pictured above). This piece is depicted inside the book, as well as on the back cover of the dust jacket.

In the back of the book, all of the artists are pictured along with their web links. My self-portrait "Looking Inward", 36 x 48 inches, oil on canvas, is pictured there (but quite small) so I'm re-posting it here. This painting won the 2009 Urban Landscape Award at the California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition located at the Pasadena Museum of California Art...

Among other images included in the book is my painting, "The Los Angeles Sky", 20 x 20 inches, oil on canvas...

I feel fortunate to be accompanied in this publication along with a couple of old friends from my days at the Mendenhall Gallery. This piece is called "Vesper" oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches, by William Glen Crooks. Glen is another fellow San Diego painter, and was an early inspiration to my young career through his friendship. His sense of light is unmatched...

Glenn Ness (another old friend and former Mendenhall Gallery artist) is in the book. I used to exhibit with him at Sue Greenwood Fine Art as well. Glenn and I share a fascination for the urban landscape, plus an appreciation for the paintings of John Register. This piece is called "After the Lie", 12 x 18 inches, oil on canvas...

Torrey Pines Nocturne, PCH

"Torrey Pines Nocturne, PCH", 12” x 16” oil on canvas. I donated this new painting to an auction benefiting the San Diego Coast Keepers... http://oceangala.org/oceangala/auctions.html

The San Diego Coastkeeper protects the region's bays, beaches, watersheds, and ocean for the people and wildlife that depend on them. For the second straight year, the Ocean Gala will feature its signature Going Green Live Auction featuring eco-friendly items and outdoor experiences. The Going Green Live Auction will be conducted by professional auctioneers Charles Dreyer and Bill Menish, who have combined to raise tens of millions of dollars for local and national charities.

"Rail Bridge Over the 101 Freeway" and the RAY TURNER exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art

I have been drawn to painting bridges for over a dozen years, all throughout my career as an artist, even before I went to Art Center. This new piece is called "Rail Bridge Over the 101 Freeway", oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. And I think it's one of my favorites. The actual bridge can be seen while driving up the 101 freeway, between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. I was actually on my way up to visit my new San Luis Obispo gallery during the Labor Day weekend when I was inspired to do this particular piece. I'm now exhibiting work at the Just Looking Gallery on Higuera Street, be sure to check it out if you're in the area... http://www.justlookinggallery.com/

When I was a student at Art Center, as you may know, I was also working at the Mendenhall Gallery in Pasadena. I got to work closely with some great painters who exhibited there, like Richard Bunkall, Sally Storch, R. Kenton Nelson, Raimonds Staprans, Mark Ryden, and many others. I moonlighted as a studio assistant to some of the artists, including Ray Turner, who is having a show right now at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Be sure to check it out before it closes on January 31, 2010. There is also an impressive Wayne Thiebaud show in the main gallery... http://www.pmcaonline.org/exhibits/_main/index.html

When I worked with Ray, I was fortunate enough to collect some of his original works. Since the current exhibition at the Pasadena Museum includes his portraits, I thought I'd share just a few of those originals that I have (above and below).

Ray Turner's new book that accompanies the exhibition includes a section dedicated to a handful of portraits he did of his friend "Joe". Ray used to paint Joe every day until Joe passed away. The above painting is one such piece from my collection, a small 4 x 5.5 inches.

This piece above is part of his series of portraits of horses and jockeys, done in the 1990's.

Ray is renowned for his monumental landscapes. Here's a Turner landscape hanging over the couch in my living room, I love the industrial image. Nobody can paint a sky like Ray Turner, they are incredible, smokey, hazy, moody... http://www.rayturnerart.com/

Liquor Store Nocturne, El Cajon Blvd.

"Liquor Store Nocturne, El Cajon Blvd." 18 x 18 inches, oil on canvas. This piece, as well as my other new figurative works, are available through K. Nathan Gallery in La Jolla. They have a wonderful selection of early California artists including Franz Bischoff, Edgar Payne, Alfred Mitchell, Maurice Braun, William Wendt, and all the other big names. I feel privileged to be exhibiting in such good company. In addition to these early California artists, K. Nathan handles the works of a select few living contemporary California painters such as myself, Robert Watts, Brian Blood, and Laurie Kersey... http://www.knathangallery.com/index.html My work will be on their website soon, and we're planning an exhibition for the spring of 2010.


This old Liquor Store on El Cajon Boulevard has been a spot that I have long admired for a potential painting, so I have visited it a few times to get the perfect lighting I wanted for the painting. Early one evening when I stopped by, I found this gentleman stepping outside for a smoke.

LONDON HOTEL ROOM and California Art Club Newsletter article: An Interview With Tony Peters on Edward Hopper

This new painting is called "London Hotel Room", 11 x 16 inches, oil on canvas. A couple of years ago, my wife Holly and I went to Europe, I did this painting from a snapshot taken of her in our room... we were jet-lagged on the first morning and woke up a little too early, plus we were excited to see the National Gallery.

This is the first time that I've included Holly in one of my paintings (although I have tried to paint her before). She's a nervous model, so I had to catch her by surprise when I snapped the pic.

Also, I have an article in the California Art Club's newsletter for summer, 2009. It's called ... "The Artist As Critic, Art That Inspires" and it's titled "An Interview With Tony Peters on Edward Hopper". Written by Miriam Noske, I'm really proud of how it turned out. It is an articulate dialogue about my award winning self-portrait "Looking Inward", comparing it to an Edward Hopper painting called "Office In a Small City". You can read all three pages on my website... http://www.tonypetersart.com/enlarge/ca/1/

GIRL ON BIKE, PACIFIC BEACH

In my continued effort to include figures in several of my new paintings, this is "Girl On Bike, Pacific Beach", 18 x 20.5 inches, oil on canvas. I used to live in Pacific Beach when I was a teenager, before I left for Art Center. To this day, I don't know how I managed to live there and yet stay out of trouble (PB is quite the party town). I always liked the old houses around there, so I thought I'd use it as a location for this idea I've had for a painting of a girl on a bike. She's talking on her cell phone, headed to the beach.

Viaduct Bridge

"Viaduct Bridge", 18 x 18 inches, oil on canvas. This is another spot along the LA River, when I started this painting, I considered adding all of the graffiti that was on the bridge... it had quite a bit. But I liked it better in this "cleaned up" version.

Drawing of a Girl Reading

This is my new drawing, "Girl Reading" 22 x 26 inches, pencil on white Strathmore paper. The photo of my drawing turned out a little bluish. *sorry* This is a preliminary study for a seperate painting I have started. As I began collecting reference around town for my own "library painting", I decided to go with the repetative pattern of the palm trees and the fence in the background. The neighborhood houses in the background are in Pacific Beach, an area here in San Diego where I used to live before I moved to Pasadena for school. Currently I'm doing a handful of summer paintings that take place in beach neighborhoods, if you scroll down a few posts, you'll see my painting of "Blue House in Encinitas". And I'll post my other new beach neighborhood paintings as I finish them too.

I was initially inspired to do my "library painting" when I saw some old WPA murals at the New York Public Library. They were painted in the late 1930's by Edward Laning (pics below).

The walls in the McGraw Rotunda of the New York Public Library are decorated with large paintings depicting the evolution of the printed word. In particular, I liked these two different paintings of people sitting under a tree and reading a book. And I do love to read myself.

Ralph Hulett

Ever since I was a teenager, my dad has had a carpet cleaning franchise in San Diego. I worked nearly every weekend with him from the time I was 14 years old, and sometimes I would get to see some interesting homes when doing the carpets. One such occasion, we were doing some work for a lady whose downstairs had flooded from a plumbing accident... she had the most wonderful collection of California watercolors. We rescued her paintings from any damage, and repaired her downstairs flood. My dad and I obtained a few paintings in exchange for some of the work we did there, Dad got a Whitaker and a nice painting of the San Diego Mission. I got to keep this particular Ralph Hulett watercolor pictured above. It's signed in the lower left corner, but no other information can be seen without removing the frame to examine the backing. I just call my Hulett watercolor "Desert Scene With Camels and Figures", 22 x 30 inches.

Several years passed and as you know, I went on to become an artist myself. Recently, I was flipping through the June 2009 issue of American Art Review with Eric Merrill and saw this amazing freeway painting (pictured above). I said to Eric, "Look at this painting, it's unbelievable! And I've never even heard of the guy!" Then I looked at the caption, it's called "Under the Overpass" 20 x 30 inches, oil on canvas, and was paintied by Ralph Hulett... the painting was to be on exhibit at the California Heritage Museum in Santa Monica until August 23, 2009 (yes, it closes this weekend). The exhibition is titled "California Regionalism, Oils on Canvas"... http://web.mac.com/calmuseum/iWeb/Site/Home.html

It took me a little bit to realize that the freeway (executed in thick oil) was painted by the same guy who executed my desert scene in watercolor. When I connected the dots, I made sure to check out the show. It was curated by Gordon McClelland and the show was quite impressive.

Before I even got to see the show, I started doing some research on Ralph Hulett. Turns out that he had been a student at Chouinard, the school that later ended up being dispursed to other LA area art schools like Art Center (where I went to college). He studied there under Millard Sheets and Phil Dike. Then in 1937, he became a background painter and animator at Walt Disney Studios, working on several films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Alice in Wonderland, and others.

Living in Los Angeles, he painted personal work with the same subject matter that I have found to be interesting in my own work... freeways, city streets, downtown LA, old neighborhoods, etc. Here's Hulett at his easel (pictured above). I find his technique to be quite exciting, his oil method used a lot of slashing palette knife action, lost and found edges, and thick buttery paint. His work has a genuine mid-century modern feel to it. This painting below is of an old house on Bunker Hill, an area of downtown LA that is now covered in high-rise office buildings...

Ralph Hulett's watercolor method is also quite impressive. I find his color choices to be quite pleasing. The watercolors always have a strong design and personal touch to them, they don't look like anybody else could have painted them. Hulett certainly maintained his own voice within his work.

This watercolor pictured above is called "The Open Gate", 22 x 30 inches. Courtesy of the Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery... http://www.bbhgallery.com/Hulett_Ralph.htm

Elysian Park View

"Elysian Park View" oil on canvas, 10 x 12 inches. I don't do allot of paintings this small, except for my plein-air work, but I thought I'd change my routine in the studio a bit for the summer. I put allot of heavy paint in areas of this little piece and did some all over glazing to harmonize the color. I really like how it turned out.

Elysian Park is both a park and an adjacent neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles. It encompasses Chavez Ravine where Dodger Stadium is located, and is mostly a hillside community that is also home to the Los Angeles Police Academy. The park itself is the second largest park in Los Angeles at 600 acres. It is also the city's oldest park, founded in 1886. I actually found an Emil Kosa Jr. watercolor image with this similar view to my piece, but painted back in the 1940's.

I have been up to this spot in Elysian Park to paint on location a few times, usually with a painting-pal. There's some strange folks hanging out around there... one time Bill Wray and I were up there painting, when a middle-aged latino gentleman wearing a mini-skirt and a tube-top shouted from accross the street to us, "Hey boys, you want to have some funnn?" Bill replied, "No thanks, that's not the kind of fun we're looking for, but that's a cute outfit you've got there!"

Blue House in Encinitas

This is "Blue House in Encinitas" 32 x 22 inches, oil on canvas. Encinitas is a coastal town that includes Leucadia and Cardiff-by-the-Sea in North County, San Diego. I've been driving the coast lately, covering Southern California all along the Pacific Coast Highway 1. I really liked this old house with a VW bus parked out front and the ocean off on the horizon. The place made me imagine that a beach philosipher might live there, or a surfing guru.

Arroyo Freeway Exit

"Arroyo Freeway Exit" is 12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas. I've painted another bridge on the 110 freeway before, the freeway itself is an historic engineering landmark between downtown LA and Pasadena. Constructed between 1938 and 1940, the parkway was designed for people to slowly drive along at 35mph and take in the view, considered to be leisurely and scenic. The old bridges on this stretch of road are amazing, I first saw them as I headed up to Pasadena to start college at the Art Center, they forever remained etched in my memory. This particular exit (31A) is for Orange Grove Avenue, early on a Sunday morning, a rare occasion without allot of other cars.