Remembering spring

                                                         8"x10" Oil on linen panel
                                                              Sold

I selected this this little painting of a fully leaved (Is that a word?) tree to renew my hope that winter is indeed over.  This past has been an unusually benign season.   I attribute this, as mentioned in a previous blog, to the purchase of a powerful snow blower my me and a couple of my neighbors.   As I have grown older, I am more and more inclined to paint in my comfortable studio than to saddle up and drag my gear outdoors.  Not this spring, I vow!   Today, I am heading out to catch some of the trees bursting with color in my  home town.                                                      Wish me luck!                                                                                Mike

Flatrock trees

                                            9"x12" Oil on linen panel

                                             Traded with another artist

When I first moved to NC, I leased a house that was surrounded by acres of land.   There were creeks, forests, and horse and cow populated fields.   When I got to know some local artists, I invited them to join me in painting on the property.  Later on, I was juried into and made a signature member of their Western NC Plein air Painters group. The little work above was done on one of our outings.  It was a crisp autumn day, and the jumble of trees attracted my interest.   I no longer live there , but it was sure nice to have a large, isolated piece of property to walk around and paint on.   Never end a sentence with a preposition!

Later I'll show a photo of some of us out on location.                     Mike

Asilomar afternoon

                                                    12"x16" Oil on linen
                                                      Sold
This is a park area near Pacific Grove, Ca.  It is a beautiful meeting place with condos, assembly rooms,ete, so it is also a nice place for art workshops.  Deer will frequently walk along side without fear, raccoons pop up near you, and the ocean is there with all it's attractions.  Quite a place to visit.  The shack in the distance was not very interesting, but I liked the shadow area in the foreground.  Enjoyed my visit a lot.       Mike

Trees on hill

                                                        8"x10" Oil on canvas
                                                    Click here to buy this painting

A setting a few miles from my home in NC.  Most of the time the ground is pretty green around here, but there is some yellow clay occasionally, and I imported a lot more than was actually there for this painting.  Looking at it now, it looks somewhat empty, I'm going to start putting figures in more of my work   I've watched so much football lately, my first thought was --cheerleaders.   No, I don't think that would work. I'm thinking-------                              Mike

Stonybrook Autumn

                                                            14"x18" Oil on linen panel
                                                                    SOLD


Painted en plein air on a large estate near Hendersonville, NC.   Autumn colors were particularly bright that year, and knowing full well that winter cold was not far away, I took advantage of a beautiful crisp day,  went out and just had a lot of fun.  This year, the foliage is not nearly as colorful, but my french easel is full of cadmiums, and I think I will still have a lot of fun.           Mike. 

Carolina Setting

                                                   8"x10" Oil on linen panel
                                           Click here to bid on painting
This is a scene from around my area, but with a higher elevation than my home town.  It's much cooler, and the leaves have already started to change.   I rushed autumn a little more by removing most of the leaves from the mid ground trees and enhancing the colors of those in the background.  I will be painting outside a lot now, since the heat and humidity eased.   I really enjoy this time of year, and try to do a lot of small plein air sketches to convert into larger works in my studio later, when winter makes it's appearance.       Mike

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