Poli Street at Sunset, Ventura

Poli Street at Sunset

original oil painting, 10x8

$225

I have several shows coming up soon. In April, I will be part of a group show called "City Streets" at Studio Gallery in San Francisco.  This summer I'm in a show in Ventura called "Staycation" and Friday my Santa Cruz paintings will be hanging at the Plantation Cafe in Menlo Park.  Check my website for details.

The painting above shows a street scene in Ventura, looking north on Live Oak Drive at the corner of Poli Street.  The focal point of the composition is a 1920s spanish style house that has two bronze monkeys on either side of the front entry.  Although you can't see the bronze monkeys in the painting, I believe they were original to the house and they're pretty cool.  The palm trees on the right side add a nice vertical element to the composition.  Like a lot of people who did not grow up in California, I am always fascinated by palm trees. 

I'm trying to push my colors and values a little bit.  Sunset is the perfect time to see the biggest difference in values, so I'm trying to convey the warmth of the light with some pinks and oranges in the street and the darkness of the shadows with a mixture of ultramarine blue and cadmium red light.

Faria Beach, Ventura

Faria Beach, Ventura

original oil painting 11x14

SOLD

We had some beautiful warm days last week, which made me think of the beach in California.  The painting above is Faria Beach in Ventura.  It shows the beach in the fall, at low tide with small waves.  The surf spot is called Mondos and it's a VERY popular surf spot for beginners.  Craig and I use to tandem surf at Mondos about fifteen years ago.  It was so much fun.

Although painting the ocean can be a study in blue, there are beautiful color variations in the sand and the water.  From a purplish color in the wet areas of the sand to warmer orange-brown tones in the totally dry sand.  Where the waves have formed, you can see a combination of ultramarine blue, viridian green and transparent red oxide.  The blue color in the wave is the reflection from the sky, the viridian is the color of the cast shadow under the lip of the wave and the transparent red oxide is the sand that is churned up in the water.  There are a lot of subtle colors and reflections from the sky and buildings on the water that create an interesting challenge for a painting.

Kalorama Street, Ventura

Kalorama Street, Ventura

original oil painting, 24x30

SOLD

The opening reception for my show at the Buenaventura Gallery was a lot of fun. We had about 200 people come through the gallery that night.  I want to thank everyone who came by to say hello and show their support. I'm also grateful for all the help from the staff and volunteers. I'm very proud of my new paintings and I think the show looks really nice in the solo room at the Buenaventura Gallery.  

The painting of Kalorama Street is in the show. We use to live in the Sea View condos off of Kalorama Street in Ventura.  I always thought the street was unique and interesting, it has Mexican Fan Palms growing out of the street. At some point the city must have widened the street and paved around the palm trees. There's an ocean view at the end of the street, a mixture of houses, churches and apartments. It has a Southern California feel to it - wide street, lots of palms trees, a fog bank and warm sunlight, colorful plants and a 1960s style apartment building.

Poli Street, Ventura

Poli St, Ventura
Original oil painting, 8x10

SOLD

I'm posting a preview of my paintings for my upcoming show at the Buenaventura Gallery in Ventura.  This painting is a scene of Poli Street, between Lincoln Drive and North Pacific Ave.  It's a picturesque part of Poli Street that was developed in the 1920s with Spanish style architecture.  Craig and I use to live about a block away on Encinal Way.

The repetitive style of architecture gives the painting a sense of rhythm. I also wanted to create a sense of depth with the dark tree shadows in the foreground and  the lighter foliage in the background.