Old favorite

                                             16X20" Oil on linen
                                              Sold
You've seen this building in previous paintings I've posted.   It is a favorite subject for local painters of the California coastal scene.  It was an old yellow when I first saw it ( I went a little crazy with the yellow in my painting), then .over the years, it aged to a warm ivory, then gray.   Although it has now been abandoned, it has been repainted a light blue gray, and hopefully will remain a Morro bay landmark for many years.   Next time I'm there I am going to try it again in it's new makeup.   OK! OK!    I went more than a little crazy with the yellow in this painting!                             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

Tom's House

                                  
                                                  8"x10" Oil on linen panel
                                               Click here to bid on this painting

Met a gentleman named Tom at a local art show, talked art for a while, he said he thought his old house would make a good subject for an artist, and I took him at his word.   Did this small oil painting a few days later.  Weather in NC has been really nice.   Not like last years seemingly endless snows,which tend to keep me studio bound, as I noted several times in this blog.  I'm still looking forward to spring.  I don't know if it's the cold dry air or the constant hand washing, but in winter I always seem to get painful cracks at the ends of  my fingers alongside the nails.  They vanish in warmer weather, thank heaven.  Yea!   Warmer weather!   Mike

More talk

Small things seem to pop up every day just enough to keep me away from my easel.  Much of it is pleasurable, of course, like interaction with friends.  Much of it is the vicissitudes  (I'm going to risk not stopping to grab the dictionary on that one) of daily living.  Once I actually pick up the brush, I don't want to stop, so I usually don't pick it up unless I know I will have time to paint.  For those of you who do paint every day, I extend my congratulations----and envy.   Today I had to run to the post office, then the library.   For me that meant the whole day.  I have a couple of friends who could do that, accomplish a dozen other chores, get home and paint one or more fine paintings before dinner.   They're starting to get on my nerves.    Mike

Another mistake

                                                      9"x12" Oil on linen
                                                        Discarded
Many years back I visited Europe, painted a little, took lots of pictures.   This small painting was from one of them.   I was much taken with this view of the old bridge over the Neckar river at Heidleberg, Germany ( hope the spell checker is working!).   In fact, I was much taken, as I guess most are, with Heidleberg.  What a beautiful city!   Back to the painting.  I painted essentially what I thought I saw of the scene, but was bothered by the conflict between the central subject matter and the ruins of the castle up on the hill.  My eye kept jumping back and forth.  I played with, softened, and actually considered omitting the ruins.  But then, it wouldn't have been Heidleberg.   Finally,I gave up, cropped it to make a small vertical, which I now hate, and wonder why I wasn't smart enough to realize in advance my design was bad.  One more avoidable mistake!                                            Mike

The old McCall Place

                                              16"x20" Oil on linen panel
                                                   Sold
I previously showed a smaller version of this scene.   It's one of my favorite subjects.  The Cambria group likes to paint there for many reasons, it's picturesque, the owners are very nice people who welcome artists,  there are shady spots to have our lunch/critique, and occasionally we can get free persimmons.  This particular work was purchased by a local restaurant owner who also owns a painting of her eye catching cliff top establishment I did years before.    Looking back on my art life is mostly fun.    Mike

Just thinking

In this blog, I have mentioned several times that I didn't always take photos of my work in years past.   I have posted over a hundred photos so far, and my remaining supply is getting low.  When past photos are finally exhausted, I will have to decide whether to paint more (work!!!) to sustain this blog as an art site, make it more talk than art (easier-but what makes my talk worth typing?) or just hang it up and quit. I see other blogs where the blogger provides demos, painting tips, news of workshops they give or attend, and other really interesting material.  I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate their efforts, but I don't see me emulating them.  I'll just wait until later to decide.               Mike   

Another Gull Cottage view

                                                   9"x12" Oil on linen
                                                       Sold

This is,as the title indicates, another view of a subject I have featured twice in my blog.  It was originally an old farm house with a water tank, overlooking the Pacific ocean in Cayucos, Ca.  It then became a gift shop for many years and a favorite of mine, which I usually painted from across the cove from where it is located.  Recently it was sold, closed, and repainted a blue green color.  I don't know what is going to happen to it,now, but I hope it will somehow remain.  Erosion is eating away at the cliff holding it though,and I have doubts.   Mike

Super bowl Sunday

I will probably watch the super bowl today.  I don't usually paint much on Sunday anyway, so no big deal.  I used to be a loyal LA Ram's fan for many years, but now I have lost much of my love for the game.  I'm an old grouch, I know, but I don't like the celebrations (showboating we used to call it) and the overall "everybody look at me" slant of today's game.  And I remember the time when there actually was sportsmanship.  I remember when home team coaches and players actually motioned for their fans to quiet down so the opponents could hear the quarterback's cadence.  No more!   Occasionally my spirit is renewed.  I loved the softball incident not too long ago where the young lady hit a home run, hurt her ankle and couldn't circle the bases, then was carried around them by the opposing team players.  Oh well, enough talk.    Have a nice day.        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

Just talk

I'm visiting with an old friend today.  Not an artist, for a change.  Well, not a painter,at least.  This friend is a  mathematician -of all things and if it weren't for "The Big Bang" sitcom, I'd say a one of a kind individual.  He is a challenge to converse with, I always feel a little as if his every question puts my intellect on the line ( and I'm sure I fail most of the time).  Fortunately he is kind, funny, and stimulating to be around.  He is interested in about every thing and has a knack of seeing everything a little aslant from we ordinary minds.  I won't give his name and embarrass him.  Just picture a nice Sheldon.           Mike

Illusion

                                                      8"x10" Oil on linen
                                                   Click here to bid on this painting

When my friends look at this painting, they all think it's a middle eastern scene with a temple or mosque.  I understand.  Actually it's an "Old Navy" store in a themed shopping center in Los Osos California, where there are several buildings with similar domes.  I was with my Wednesday group and they were painting an interesting grouping of barns on a nearby hill, but I get a little weary of barns so I elected to do the store.  If no one exposes me, new viewers will be happy thinking it's a mysterious mosque.  Mums the word!     Mike

High noon

12"x16" Oil on linen panel

Sold

It was a bright hot day when I painted this scene.  I was with my slow to set up friend, and by the time I actually started painting it was probably around 11 am.  As most are, this farm is old, but unlike many, the structures are well maintained and ideal for plein air, with many potential  viewpoints and subjects.  The caretakers, who live in the house on the right, are very pleasant and accomodating, and always offer cool drinks, orange slices, etc.  Writing this,as usual, I think how lucky I am to be an artist.     Mike

Weather

Here it is, almost February.  My neighbors and I got together and bought a snow blower last November and it worked wonderfully.  Haven't had a bit of snow since.  I have intentionally avoided posting a picture every day, because I am nearing the end of my photo collection of sold works, and have been painting large stuff for my galleries for the last few weeks.  Today I am going to start a few small ones for this blog.  This spring I intend to do a lot more plein air work instead of working from slides in my studio.  In the past, almost all of my paintings were done on location, but east coast weather, both heat and cold, revealed me as a wimp, and I fell into the habit of slinking down to my comfortable studio to work.  This year will be different!        Mike   

White house, NC

                                                 9"x12"  Oil on canvas on wood
                                              Click here to bid on painting

I have some panels I made up a long time ago, where I glued canvas to a wood veneer backing.  I am waiting for an order of commercial panels to arrive, so I tried one for the first time in a while.  This is the resulting work.  It shows all right, I guess, but the back is just bare wood.   I sort of like the painting, though.  Ah well!  Perhaps someone else will, too.                           Mike

Thoughts

Yesterday I sat down in my studio and picked up one of my favorite books, New York Hispanic museum's Joaquin Sorolla Catalogue.  I intended to spend a few minutes getting inspired and then move to my easel and do some painting.  As has happened many times before, though, I got hooked on the book and never made it to my easel.  It's easy to do, especially with Sorolla.  My emotions were mixed afterwards.  When I see the paintings of a real artist, I realize how low a mark on the art scale my own work attains. On the other hand, I do have a lot of fun.  Tomorrow, a masterpiece!!!              Mike   

Boatyard in Oregon

                                                   12"x16" Oil on linen                                     
                                                      Sold


Another boatyard.  Painted this one on a trip up to Seattle.  One of the days when the weather was fairly nice,and although rain threatened, it held off.   I actually did two paintings that day, but one of them really was a clunker and I later scraped it off.  Later,in Seattle, I got to paint with some really good artists, one of whom was Ned Mueller, a master.  I've been really lucky to have traveled and met so many real talents.  Hope I can continue for a while.        Mike

More talk

I/m sitting here at my keyboard, talking to an artist friend who is interested in creating her own blog.  I've been painting so tomorrow I'll post another photo.  Healthy again with no sign of the cold.  Yeah!!!                       Mike

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

Nothing much

Today I am busy working on a large "gallery" painting.  It is cold outside so I am happy in my studio.  Have a nice day.      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

Old sycamore

                                                         9"x12" Oi; on linen
                                                            Sold
Painted this old tree on a Wednesday outing with my California group.  The only thing notable about it is that it is one of my very rare verticals.  I have always liked sycamores, because of their twisting branches, and the fact that they show up so white against backgrounds.  There are many of them in the central coast area where I usually do my plein air work and their white accents frequently spice up a landscape.      Mike

Blog talk

I am still not over the demon cold I have.  I intended to paint like crazy this week to catch up, but I still feel like the bottom of a bird cage.  Hope everyone else is OK.  Hopefully I will soon be back on a normal basis, soon.    Mike  

Old church on bridge st.

                                              9"x12" Oil on linen
                                                Sold

Another small painting done with my Cal.Wednesday group.  This is an old church in Cambria that has changed functions over the years, from a church to a hostel and, I believe, back to a church at the present time.  It is a local landmark in any event and has been painted many, many times.  I remember this as a beautiful crisp sunny morning, as most are in Cambria, and a wonderful morning of painting.  Ah!  Memories!    Mike

Dirk's barn

                                                        16"x20" Oil on linen
                                                                Sold

A while back, I think I mentioned that my first lessons were with an old gentleman named Dirk Smit, who passed away about twenty years ago or so.  Dirk is fairly well remembered as a Chicago and Indiana painter.  I owned several of his works over the years; he was, and is, one of my inspirations.  The scene above was one of his favorite subjects, I have seen at least five or six variations.  One day we painted in his studio, and I did this from one of his sketches.  Memories!        Mike

Hope!!!

I believe this time I'm may be really getting over the COLD I've been trying to survive.  I've gone at least 20 minutes without coughing.  If tomorrow I feel halfway decent, I will start my regular post with photos, again.  I hadn't had a cold in several years, I'd forgotten how miserable they are.  Ogden Nash, the famous humorist poet wrote a wonderful poem about the "common " cold.  If you get a chance you should read it.  It's hilarious.                                        Mike

ACK!!!

Yesterday ACK! I thought I was ACK! over my cold ACK!  I was wrong.  No painting for a while ACK! ACK!    Hope you are all well.    Mike