Morning Light on the Alpine Trail

Morning Light on the Alpine Trail

8x10 original oil painting

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Hiking the Dish (an old radio telescope) in the Stanford Hills is a popular way to exercise. There are amazing views of the Stanford Hills and the Bay.  From the highest points you can see all the way across the San Mateo bridge or into the City.

My painting shows a view along the Alpine trail, as you walk up through a grove of trees, with the Santa Cruz mountains in the background.  You can see part of an old fence that might have been used for the cattle grazing on the land. As you turn the corner and come out of the trees you start the steep climb to the Dish.

Rocks, Pebble Beach

Rocks, Pebble Beach

8x10 original oil painting

On Saturday I drove to Pebble Beach with a friend, Alice Weil, for a workshop at Brian Blood's studio.  After a night of freezing temperatures, the day was cold and sunny with some beautiful cloud formations.

The painting above is a study of the rocks and the ocean near Lover's Point. I completed the painting during a plein air workshop with Brian last summer.  The coastline in Pebble Beach is lined with dramatic cliffs.  The color of the ocean is almost unnatural looking with viridian greens and ultramarine blue. When painting the rocks I wanted to capture the reflection of the rocks in the ocean and the swirling motion of the water around the rocks.  

55 Ford T-bird

55 Ford T-bird

8x10 original oil painting

How quintessential California, a '55 Thunderbird cruising the 85 freeway with the top down on a sunny day in February.  The car was a beautiful sporty two-seat red convertible, so I had to take a few photos as it passed us on the freeway. Not only is the T-bird part of California lore, but also Madison Avenue, as the Thunderbird was the first car marketed as a personal luxury vehicle.

I used to avoid painting cars, even if they were in the scene I was painting, I would leave them out of my composition.  However, there's something romantic about old cars.  I've been looking at classic cars, like the VW van and Beetle and incorporating them into my work.  Painting cars is a challenge, but it's fun to paint the shiny chrome, the reflections and the bright colors.

Surfer Girls

Surfer Girls

8x10 original oil painting

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During a recent trip to Santa Cruz, I watched the local school kids compete in an Interscholastic Surfing Federation competition.  The boys were out in the water and the girls were on the beach, waiting for their heat. When the horn blared, signaling the end of the heat, the boys came in and the girls paddled out. It's great to see so many young girls surfing.

This painting makes me think of another surfer girl, my friend Alicia.  Alicia and I spent two years surfing together at Mondos in Ventura.  We went out a couple of times a week, encouraged each other and learned to surf.

During the winter when the waves got big and the ocean was a churning mess of white water, Alicia had a rule: three and out.  Paddle out, catch three waves and get out.  You'd be amazed at how much energy and strength it takes to paddle out through the white water and stay in position to catch a wave without getting swept down the coast with the current.  My admiration and respect goes out to all surfer girls.

Low Tide, Capitola

Low Tide, Capitola

8x10 original oil painting

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On Saturday, while Craig was surfing, I walked down the stairs to the beach. As I walked around the cliffs, I could see Capitola and the pier in the distance.  It was a clear bright day, at low tide with the kelp beds exposed in the foreground.  I took a photo and worked from the photo in my studio to create this painting.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

8x10 original oil painting
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The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is located on the ocean with views of Monterey Bay.

A couple of years ago I painted plein air at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with a friend, Kathy Ellis. It was a beautiful sunny fall day, and all of the rides were closed.  We were the only two people around, except for a few staff members.  It was a challenging place to paint with all of the bright colors and architectural structures.

I've wanted to paint the Boardwalk again.  My painting shows a busy day at the park with the entrance to the world famous Giant Dipper roller coaster in the background.

Sailing on the Bay

Sailing on the Bay

8x10 original oil painting

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Race organizers recently announced that the 34th America's Cup race will be held in San Francisco in 2013.  The race will feature multi-hulled, swift catamarans in a shorter race format.  Sailing events will begin in 2012 and the finals will be held in late 2013.

Pier 27 along a stretch of the bay waterfront will be the hub of the America's Cup activity.

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison's BMW Oracle Racing team won the previous America's Cup in 2010 on behalf of San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club, and got to choose the location, timing and types of boats for the next race.

So in the spirit of sailing, I've painted a small sailboat against the sparkling blue background of the bay.