Santa Cruz Apartments

Santa Cruz Apartments

original oil painting, 12x12, SOLD

 Viewpoints Gallery, Sept 2-27

 

These colorful apartments are off of 41st Avenue in Santa Cruz. They have an ocean view and are steps from the surf spot called the Hook - so they are popular with surfers.  I loved the turquoise color of the apartments against the vibrant colorful flowers.

Peggi Kroll Roberts' workshop

Lesson: Limited Strokes

from Peggi Kroll Roberts' workshop

I just completed a three day workshop with Peggi Kroll Roberts.  My favorite lesson was "limited strokes." Each artist was asked to complete a painting in 20 brushstrokes.  It forced me to keep big areas of shadow and light together, so that each area read as a big block of value.  It also forced me to use a lot of paint on the brush.  For example, to cover the whole background with the same color of paint - in one brushstroke - I had to REALLY load up the paint on my brush.
  

I highly recommend Peggi's workshops.  She's an excellent teacher and extremely knowledgeable about figures and still life painting.

Martin's Beach, Half Moon Bay

Martin's Beach, Half Moon Bay

original oil painting, 11x14, $400
Viewpoints Gallery

 

I've been lucky enough to paint at Martin's Beach in Half Moon Bay recently.  One of the dramatic rock formations looks like a shark's fin.  If you walk around the cliffs on the beach you will see this view at low tide.
 

I tried to get the range of colors in the sand in this painting.  When the sand is wet, it has purple and blue tones and gets darker.  The color of the sand is much lighter and warmer  when it's dry.  Also you can see the tide pool on the right with the dark rocks that trap some of the water which reflects in the sunlight.

Beach Volleyball 4

Beach Volleyball 4

orginal oil painting, 6x6 SOLD

Viewpoints Gallery

Summer is here, everyone was in Santa Cruz last weekend.  Beach Volleyball 4 is part of the Hello Summer show at Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos.

California and Polk, San Francisco

California and Polk, San Francisco

original oil painting, 11x14

Viewpoints Gallery
SOLD

I started this painting about a year ago for a show in San Francisco.  I was intimidated by the complex composition, so I set it aside.  I picked it up again a couple of weeks ago.  The wide asphalt street, the grooves for the cable cars and magenta building on the right were challenges . . . but I finished and I really like the painting.

It's on display at Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos.

Surfboards for Sale, Santa Cruz

Surfboards for Sale, Santa Cruz

original oil painting, 11x14

Viewpoints Gallery
SOLD

I was walking along West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz and noticed this little beach cottage with surfboards for sale in front of the house. I liked the color and composition of the surfboards in contrast with the small house.

The painting is in a show at Viewpoints Gallery called "Hello Summer" through the end of May.

Chestnut St, San Francisco

Chestnut St, San Francisco

original oil painting 20x20

Viewpoints Gallery
SOLD

I painted recently in San Francisco on the corner of Hyde and Chestnut Streets.  I have painted at this corner before and decided to paint the view looking down Chestnut Street.  The Bay Bridge is in the distance where it crosses Yerba Buena Island.  Across the bay are the hills of Oakland and Berkeley.

The dark shadows in the foreground draw your attention to the San Francisco Bay and the hills in the background.  I tried a different color palette for the hills, viridian green and ultramarine blue.  It does a nice job of pushing the hills back.