Nova Scotia scene

                               
                                                      6"x8" Oil on board
                                                            Sold

Boats were high up on this beach in Nova Scotia and I had taken a lot of photos, I had my pochade box, a small board, and a beautiful day, so I did this quick oil sketch.  Nova Scotia has many very paintable maritime locations and multihued fishing boats everywhere.  Marine Artist paradise!  I hope to go there again, someday.                                Mike

Cliff at Leffingwell

                                                   9'X12' Oil on linen                                      
                                                   Sold
                                                                                                       

This is painted from a beach in Cambria, Ca.  I have shown the setting from a different viewpoint in previous posts.   On this day, I was painting with the local group on a beautiful Wednesday morning.  We meet in the morning, paint till around noon, then have lunch and very kind critiques, which are helpful without being too disheartening.  Since everyone in the group is a fairly decent artist, it's no big deal.  I remember I had a great turkey on french roll sandwich that day.Great day!    Mike

Gull cottage sketch

                                                  12"x16" Oil on linen
                                                       Sold


Some months back, I posted a larger painting of this subject.  I like this small sketch better.  It's an old farmhouse with a water tower perched on the edge of a bluff overlooking the Pacific.   Now it is a gift shop.  Every artist who sees it wants to paint it, and many do.  The only problem is that morning light leaves everything you see in deep shadow, and much of it's appeal is gone.   Bacause of that, I come back in late afternoon, and still have to manipulate the light a bit' to get the feeling I want.   Still fun!     Mike

Bayshore

                                                            18"x24" Oil on linen
                                                                  Sold

I've painted this California scene quite a few times.  Clouds darkened the hills on this day and the contrast caught my attention.  I did a small sketch and then painted this larger work in my studio from the sketch.  If I remember correctly, I was alone that day, but a couple of watercolorists who were strangers to me, joined up and painted along side.  Plein air painters meet a lot of nice people.       Mike

Barbados beach scene

                                                        6"x 8"  Oil on board

                                                              Sold

I was on a Caribbean cruise some years ago, and this scene was on the left as we entered a harbor in Barbados.   I took a quick photo, and later painted this little sketch while sitting on the top deck with my pochade box.  I don't do many small paintings like this any more.  I like using my old french easel, and doing 8"x 10" minimum size work.  In the field, I usually go no larger than 14"x 18".  In my studio, I do anything up to 30"x 36".  Maybe I'll start doing small pastels, when I travel.       Mike

Survivor

                                                     11"x14" Oil on linen panel
                                                           Sold


This painting was actually titled "At the Fuel Dock", I believe, but when I finished it and leaned it against my french easel, a gust of wind picked it up and blew it off the end of the wharf.  There was only one boat on that side, and when I raced over to see if it was floating-----it had landed, paint side up, on the aft deck of the boat.  I climbed down, retrieved it totally undamaged, and one of the people watching the incident offered to buy it.  Happy ending!   I have had a few similar experiences I will tell you about some time in the future.        Mike

Cambria beach vista

                                                   12"x16" Oil on linen panel
                                                            Sold


Considering I lived in a beach side community for a great portion of my life, I have not painted many empty beach vistas.  I've painted people on beaches, boats on beaches, umbrellas on beaches,etc.   This, I believe may be the only one of it's kind.  Probably a good thing.  If I were doing this again, I'd make changes. I was with my friend Anita that day, and she did a much better painting.        Mike

Gray day at Peggy's cove

                                                  8"x10"Oil on linen panel
                                                    Click here to buy painting

 Some blogs back, I talked about doing another "gray" painting, and one of my photos of Nova Scotia caught my attention, again.   The shacks on the water are typical of that region and, on that particular day, seemed to be deserted.  The dramatic starkness of the scene came across beautifully in the camera shot; I'm not sure my painting  captures it as well.  In any event, I did get away from the bright, color filled work that I normally do.  Hope you like it a little.    Mike

Peggy's cove in winter

                                                        16"x20" Oil on linen
                                                             Sold

Peggy's cove is probably the most photographed and painted spot in Nova Scotia.  I painted there a few years ago and also took many photos.  This was painted from one of the photos, but I decided to make  it snow a lot more with my brush.  I have seen many other photos in magazines and calendars from this viewpoint, and the house on top has changed colors several times.  It must be interesting to the occupants to know how famous their property has become.        Mike

Boats at Rocky Neck

                                                    8"x10" Oil on linen panel
                                                 Click here to buy this painting
A painting from a photo I took a while back in Massachusetts.  Rocky Neck is near Gloucester and is a wonderful place to find New England type fishing boats, boatyards, etc.  On this occasion, I was out painting with Anita Hampton, a well known California artist, and an old friend. We painted all over the Cape Ann area, produced several "keepers", and had a great time.  You have one ,too.      Mike

Oregon scene

                                      
                                                      20"x24" Oil on linen
                                                          Sold
Painted from a small sketch I did on the Oregon coast.  It was a misty, dreary, day, but I had an overhang over me and a really good subject in front of me, so I enjoyed it.  The small boat in front was one of several running back and forth, and my camera was handy for reference.  Turned out to be a nice day.       Mike

Boats at dock

                                                  9"x12" Oil on linen panel
                                                Click here to buy this painting
I have painted this small dock in Morro Bay many times, usually with my friend Anita Hampton.   I showed her in a group photo a while back, but I'd like to include another of her.   I always ask first, unfortunately, she doesn't answer her phone right now.  Probably out painting.   Anyway, this is a nice site, many boats, fairly predictable weather, and lots of places to get coffee or food.    Tomorrow I'm going out with NC friends to do some local autumn stuff.      Mike

Pt. Loma lighthouse

                                          14"x18" Oil on canvas                                         
                                             Sold
                                                                       
If you ever get to San Diego Ca. you should be sure to visit this historic location.  It is sited on a high hill overlooking the ocean, and looks the way a lighthouse should look.  I painted it on a beautiful blue day, but the wind was blowing off the ocean, as usual, and it was pretty chilly. I was with another artist and we were grateful for hot coffee and a sun warmed auto at breaktime.         Mike

Baywood

                                             16"x20" Oil on linen canvas
                                                    Sold
This is another Ca. painting, done a short distance from Morro Bay, the setting for most of my harbor scenes.   The water you see in the work is a tidal basin, and when the tide is out it's just marsh.   In the background is Morro Rock, around 800 ft, high, as I remember, (but don't bet on my memory!) standing alone in the real harbor, a couple of miles away.

Carmel beach

                                              9"x12" Oil on linen panel
                                                    SOLD                                            
                       

This is a painting of a scene near Carmel,Ca.   Carmel is a beautiful community in Central Ca. that was the location of the movie "Play Misty for Me" years ago and became more well known when Clint Eastwood became it's mayor a few years later.  The seascapes are wonderful in every direction,with interesting rocks, turquoise water patches, and great wave action.   I often muse that my own loved town of Cambria is remarkably like Carmel was many years ago.          Mike

Yacht club

                                             8"x10" Oil on linen panel
                                           (Click here to buy this painting)

Another quick sketch I painted in Rockport, Mass.   This is the small harbor and yacht club there.  As I mentioned earlier, this is one of my two favorite places to visit, and I think anyone who is able should try to get to see it.  Most famous American plein air artists  have painted there,  and when I look at so many spots I recognize from their works, I get really pumped up.  My other favorite spot, as I seem to talk about  endlessly, is California's Central Coast.      

Hazy morning at the harbor

                                             11"x14" Oil on linen board
                                                SOLD

The fog of the morning had started to disappear. but it still was a gray, hazy morning.  A cold morning.  I painted this with an old sweat sock over my painting hand and a cup of hot coffee in the other.  Started about 8am and finished about 10:30am.  Walked around looking for another viewpoint and around noon the sun really broke through and my friends and I had lunch.  That afternoon did another small one which I'll show some other day.  In case you're concerned, the sock was laundry clean when I started.           Mike      

Unknown harbor

                                             20"x30" Oil on linen
                                                     (NA)
This is sort of a composite work done from several photos and sketches of different locations.  I wanted to do something a little larger and looser than my usual work, and it was enjoyable.   I usually like to paint on location, but it's not always possible, due to weather, time constraints, or other factors, so I do try to take photographs if I can.   This painting is now owned by another fine artist, who has become a good friend, Jane Kirkpatrick, of South Carolina.  I intend to nag her to go plein air painting with me a lot.      Mike     

Top Cat

                                          14"x18" Oil on linen
                                                 SOLD


I haven't posted a boat painting in a while, so I thought I'd show one today.   This is my favorite harbor, again, Morro Bay CA.   The two boats were both visitors, and they made a nice composition and contrast, since I usually paint commercial fishing boats when I'm there.   If I remember correctly, I was with my artist friend, Anita Hampton, that day.   She is fun to paint with; she is a wonderful artist and laughs at everything I say.   Most of the time that's good!    I tried to post this yesterday and it would not work. No text.  Crazy!  Mike    

Gull Cottage

                                                    20"x24" Oil on stretched linen
                                                                  SOLD


Almost everyone seeing this painting thinks the subject is a lighthouse.  Actually, it was an old farmhouse with an elevated  water tank above it, located in Cayucas, Cal.   It is now a well known gift shop called " Gull Cottage", and is a favorite painting spot.  I believe the ruins at the foot of the cliff are what remain of an early  experimental wave or tidal action power station.  At least, someone told me that, a while back.   Erosion is an enemy here, the owner showed me where she had lost some or her back yard.      Mike