Revitalized copper-leaf and enamel bookcase.

This is a recent project where I took an old, inexpensive piece of furniture and transformed it into something unique. I find this kind of project very rewarding because it not only blends art with interior design, but it saves one more thing ending up in a landfill. This bookcase belonged to our daughters and held their books for years. It was pretty worn out.

Before

After

Before I applied the copper-leaf, I added an additional piece of wood and molding to the top to bulk it up a bit. Then I attached short legs to raise the whole case by about 2 inches. The bird and leaf pattern was painted at the end.

When we can extend the life of a piece of furniture for another generation, then we are truly "green" practitioners.

Between Two Worlds
28 x 40
oil on sized panel
2009-2010

Some paintings just take longer than others. I let this one sit for a few months until I felt ready to bring it on home, so to speak. I pushed hard to complete it this week and I'm pleased with the results.

This painting, with the fire on the horizon, is really about two things. First, we've had some devastating fires in California the past few years and I wanted to represent the beautiful, yet terrifying fire-skies in paint. Second, it's about the transitory state we're all in, perched between land and sky, watching and waiting.

The title comes from an exquisite early album by Patrick O'Hearn, whose music has been filling my studio and head for years.

Morning Storm Over Big Timber, Montana
18 x 24
oil on panel
2010

This is my first painting of this year. We were visiting our friends' ranch for a week and the first morning we awoke to this incoming storm at dawn. The colors were so vibrant you could drink them from the sky. I stood on the back porch to watch. A cool breeze carried a sweet morning essence across the ridge and far away I could hear the sibilant rhythms of water striking ground. It was truly a special moment, dare I say, sacred? Though I did take a few photos for reference, this painting is based mainly on memory.

I'm settling in nicely in my winter studio. It's very cozy, the cats like to sleep in here when I work and I can call out to April in the next room. I've got so much to work on I've decided to just plow through as much creative work as possible this winter. My friend Shawn gave me a small digital video camera for Christmas so there will be some interesting videos on this blog later on. But today I need to finish work on my class syllabus, classes start in less that two weeks.

Have a good week, back next weekend with another painting.

M is for Mockingbird

Oil on canvas with library catalog cards.
Sold

January is one of my favorite months. Quiet, sparse, and dark, it is a month of artistic indulgence and introspect. The sky takes on an incredible topography with every storm rolling off the Pacific, inspiration for throwing some color on canvas. Groups of oily black ravens land on my lawn heralding the new year with agitated squawks and caws. My studio is cold this time of year so I'll hunker down in the back spare room of the house to work. Warm, southern exposure is everything in January. Here's to you, my fellow bloggers, designers, and artists- I feel it's going to be a very good year. Cheers.

Santa Cats!

Tangent

Haiku

Our cats are not quite in the holiday mood, but we're working on our little Scrooges. Could it be the Santa hat and beard making them so unhappy? Just wait until they find the little decorated Christmas tree in their litter box!

Have a happy and safe holiday everyone, and see you in the new year with fresh art!

Persimmon

We had a very wet week here in northern California and that always puts me in the mood for watercolor work. These little paintings are from my sketchbook and were done this weekend. Enjoy!

Hilltop near Farm Hill Road

Top of the trees.

Starling, darling...

My whistler in gold water...a study for color change for the larger oil version.

Tufted Puffin
6 x 8
oil on panel

When I was knee deep in my 50 birds last summer, my friend Shawn emailed me and requested that I paint a puffin. At the time I had not given any thought to painting these clown like birds, so I immediately responded that I thought puffins were "lame" and "the bottom feeders of the bird species" and would not waste my time painting one. I'm sure he was surprised by my rude response and nothing was ever mentioned about puffins again.

What Shawn didn't realize was he gave me the perfect idea for a gift for his 50th birthday which was celebrated in Monterey this weekend. For the past few weeks I've been working on the painting above in preparation for his birthday party, eager to hand it over to him. He was blown away by the gift as he thought for sure his good friend the artist dissed him in painting his favorite bird. Ha! Let it be known to the world that I am still full of surprises!

The tufted puffin can be found in Point Reyes National Seashore, which is very close to us, so they are a local bird. I like the expression on this one, with his "hair" combed back, he reminds me of an aging rock star...happy birthday, Shawn!