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| "CB Gold" 10x20 oil on panel SOLD available through the Oh Be Joyful Gallery 970-349-5936 |
I did a similar painting to this one on location in Crested Butte back in 2021. I tried it again in the studio from the reference photos I took. It's a good example of the difference between being out in the environment of nature or a cozy studio in the middle of winter.. You decide..
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| Washington Gulch Wildflowers SOLD painted on location in 2021 |
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| "Free Range" 24x36 oil on canvas, framed SOLD Available through the Oh Be Joyful Gallery 970-349-5936 |
I've spent a lot of time over the years painting in and around Crested Butte Colorado for the.Oh Be Joyful Gallery. There is unlimited inspiration everywhere you look there! I love the open pasture land where the Herefords graze under majestic mountains as you come into CB. This painting is available at the Oh Be Joyful gallery now. Hope you can stop by and visit if you are in the area! They represent some of the best artists working in the field today. Check out the website HERE
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| Lighthouse Beach 12x16 oil on panel SOLD |
Fort Worden State Park is a favorite painting location for painters in the PNW. Plein Air Washington Artists will be gathering there on July 22nd for one of many paintouts being organized for the 2024 summer season. Come out and paint or just hang out and watch the artists. For more info about PAWA visit the website HERE
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| "Pike Place Public Market" 48x48 acrylic on canvas SOLD Available through Alki Arts 206-295-5115 |
This is the first acrylic painting I have done for a long time. It was fun experimenting with a new medium! I will probably be using it as a base for future oil paintings that are done on larger canvases.
I hope you can stop by at Alki Arts for the opening reception. More info on the website HERE
Showing with me will be Northwest favorite artists Brooke Borcherding, Layne Cook and.Arlon Rosenoff.
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| "Pergola" 16x20 oil on canvas SOLD Available through Alki Arts 206-295-5115 |
Another in the Seattle City series of paintings that will be on exhibition for the month of June at Alki Arts in West Seattle. I'll be there for the opening on Sunday, June 2nd from 5-7pm. Hope to see ya there!!
For more info go to the Alki Arts website HERE
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| "Salt Air" 12x9 oil on panel SOLD |
My goal when painting outside is to authentically capture the feel of a place and how I felt being there. Sometimes I am successful, most times not but the lure of achieving that mysterious amalgamation of craft and essence of place keeps me trying and makes me the artist I am.
I think I came close with this painting but not until I brought it back to the studio, put away all the reference and went back into the wet paint with just the memory of the sights and sounds, the smell of the salt air, the scream of the gulls, alone on a secluded beach down the Seven Sisters road.
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| "Backyard Rhodies" 6x12, oil on panel, plein air SOLD |
I stepped out on the back deck to paint these wild rhododendron blossoms over the weekend. It was an overcast day and the local color of the flowers seemed to be glowing from inside. Couldn't' resist!
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| outside our window |
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| "Crossing Pike" 20x16 oil on canvas $1200 Available through Alki Arts 206-295-5115 |
One more reminder. "City Life" a group exhibition of Seattle city paintings will open at Alki Arts June 2nd from 5-7pm. I will be there along with Brooke Borcherding, Arlon Rosenoff and Layne Cook.
For more info visit the Alki Arts website HERE. or call Diane at 206-295-5115 for purchasing information.
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| "UW Cherry Bomb" 20x16 oil on canvas SOLD Available through Alki Arts 206-295-5115 |
I caught the last of the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington during my two day city immersion tour. It is a beautiful campus this time of year! This painting will be a part of the upcoming City Life exhibition at Alki Arts in West Seattle the month of June. Opening reception June 2nd 5-7pm. Hope to see you there!!
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| Sketching at the UW |
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| "Market Morning" 16x20 oil on canvas SOLD Available through Alki Arts 206-295-5115 |
I recently spent a night in Seattle. I got a room at the iconic Pioneer Square Hotel which is now owned by Best Western. The goal was to get some early morning and late evening reference photos and sketches for an upcoming exhibition at Alki Arts. Sort of a two day immersion in the city. I had a blast! I downloaded the Lime Bike app and used a scooter to get around. Amazingly I did not fall over or crash into anyone. Aside from a few start up problems it was easier than I thought and kind of addicting. I recommend Lime over the others until you get used to using these apps.
"Market Morning" is a painting from some photos I took as vendors were setting up for the day at Pike Street Market. You can see this painting in person at Alki Arts in June as part of the City Life Exhibition. Opening with me will be painting buddy, Brooke Borcherding also Layne Cook and Arlon Rosenoff all long time artists represented by Alki Arts. Stop by for the opening June 2nd 5-7pm
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| "Occidental Afternoon" 18x20 oil on canvas SOLD Available through Alki Arts 206-295-5115 |
It's time to start posting a new series of Seattle city paintings created for an upcoming exhibition at Alki Arts called "City Life" I will be joining Brooke Borcherding, Arlon Rosenoff and Layne Cook for this group exhibition opening June 2nd 5-7pm. If you happen to be in Alki on that date stop by and say hi!
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| "River Walk" 11x14 oil on panel $800 |
It was a misty morning in LaConnor. I was attracted to and tried to paint the atmospheric distance of the land mass around and behind the Rainbow Bridge in this painting... with some success. Sometimes you have to settle for a good study. Every painting you do teaches you something.
When you are out painting it is a bonus if you can set up your gear in a spot where you can get two paintings with out moving by simply looking in the opposite direction. It works best on overcast days when you don't have glare issues on your panel. That was the case with this study. It was the first view from this spot and by the time I was done the sun appeared and I did a 180 for the second try. Take a look HERE
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| "Skagit Gold" 10x12 oil on panel $700 |
More daffodils from Skagit county!! This one painted along Calhoun Road. See it at the Front Street Gallery this month!!
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| "Sunshine with Coffee" 12x16 oil on panel SOLD |
A scene that would often seem ordinary can be transformed under the right light conditions. I'm always on the lookout for that! The sun suddenly streaming through the windows on a winter day at the Poulsbohemian Coffee Shop in Poulsbo made me double take and start slapping for my phone so I could take a photo before it changed. "Sunshine with Coffee" is the result. It sold recently at the Front Street Gallery where I am currently the featured artist. There will be a reception for the show, "Adventures in Paint" this Saturday, 5/11/24 during artwalk. Hope you can make it!!
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| "April Showers" 9x12 oil on panel Sold |
Most artists that paint outside around Kitsap, not to mention tourists from around the world will almost always make the trip to Skagit county during Tulip Festival when the spectacular flower fields come into bloom. We went a little early this year to beat the crowds and only had the daffodils to paint but Skagit at any time of year is always an inspiration for plein air painters. "April Showers" was one of the paintings I did during a two day Plein Air Washington Artists Pop-up paint out in early April.
Come to the Front Street Gallery in Poulsbo to see my Skagit paintings and more work from around the country during May's Featured Artist Exhibition, "Adventures in Paint" I will be there on Second Saturday Artwalk in Poulsbo. Hope to see you there!! =]
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| "Peninsula Drift" 8x16 oil on panel $800 |
One more plein air painting from Eglon Beach! Fun to see how every painting I do there even if it's from the same spot is a unique painting. I just keep going back! Here are a few past Eglon Beach paintings.
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| "LaConnor Boats" 8x16 oil on panel SOLD Available through the Scott Milo Gallery 360-293-6938 |
I spent a couple days in Skagit County in early April just as the daffodils were coming out. It was a Plein Air Washington Artists Pop-Up Paintout and we had a pretty good turnout! We gathered each day at the Seaside Gallery and then went out to paint. On the second day I set up on the canal side walkway to do this scene. It's not the first time I have painted this view of the canal. It just makes for a good composition and the red building adds nice color harmonies.
This painting will be on display at the Scott Milo Gallery for the Plein Air Washington yearly small works show called "Little Gems" If you are anywhere near Anacortes stop by! The show opens August 2nd.
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| "Morning Mist" 15x30 oil on canvas SOLD |
You can see this painting in person at an upcoming group exhibition called "City Life" at the new Alki Arts venue in West Seattle. For more info on reception and event times and dates click HERE or give the gallery a call at 206-295-5115
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| "Bywater Bay" 8x16 oil on panel SOLD Available through the Scott Milo Gallery 360-293-6938 |
These days I am longing to get back outside to paint! I have been stuck in the studio painting for upcoming shows and preparing for workshops. All that is good stuff don't get me wrong but painting outside is what I love most!
"Bywater Bay" was done earlier this year at a favorite location pretty near to home. At the end of Seven Sisters Road on the Olympic Peninsula is a protected bay with a long narrow land bridge to an Island that has homes only accessible by boat. The beach is nearly always deserted and a great place to paint!
This painting will be on display at the Scott Milo Gallery for the Plein Air Washington yearly small works show called "Little Gems" If you are anywhere near Anacortes stop by! The show opens August 2nd.
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| "Market Music" 20x20 oil on canvas SOLD |
With this post I would like to let you all know about an upcoming show at the new Alki Arts Gallery in West Seattle, Along with gallery artists Brook Borcherding, Layne Cook and Arlon Rosenoff I will be participating in an exhibition of recent Seattle city paintings.
This exhibition will hang through the month of June with an opening reception on June 2nd from 5-7pm. The artists will be there to greet visitors and talk about their inspiration for this show.
Also in June continuing the celebration of this event will be another gathering for the intimate concert series featuring Moon Girl on June 8th from 6-8pm
The artists will also be in attendance for West Seattle Artwalk on Thursday June 6th from 5-8pm
I hope to connect with you at one of these events in West Seattle! For more information on any of the paintings on display contact Diane at 206-295-5115 or email diane@alkiarts.com
Update on this painting: The Alki Arts event was fun as are all events with the fabulous Diane Venti at Alki Arts in West Seattle! We sold a lot of paintings however "Market Music" is still available and will be on display at the Alibi Room off Post Alley in the Pike Street Market by the gum wall through November.
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| "Let the Earth Rejoice" 11x14 oil on panel $500 |
Lots of exciting things happening these days keeping me from posting for awhile. First up and already on display at the Front Street Gallery in Poulsbo is the annual Ars Poetica exhibition. Ars Poetica has it's roots going way back to a Roman poet named Horace when he said "The making of a poem is like that of a painting" This exhibition will pair visual artists with poets. The art along with the poems will be dsiplayed on the featured art wall at Front Street Gallery through April with an artist and poet reading on April 21st at 2pm.
"Let the Earth Rejoice" is the painting that I created to go along with a poem that was posted online by the daughter of a friend that attends our church. I was impressed with her poem which expressed her love of what she sees and obviously really spends time thinking about in nature, then integrated that with a grateful love of the God who created the beauty we see coming up with this sweet poem.
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| "Riverbend Park" 16x16 oil on panel_ Sold |
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| "Old Time Jam at Riverbend Park" 12x9 plein air oil Sold |
I came across a great plein air opportunity while painting in Riverbend Park during the 11th Annual Plein Air Festival hosted by the Lighthouse Art Center in Tequesta Florida. I love painting these cabanas that provide shade and rain cover for the picnic areas at this park. I painted them last time I participated in this festival 5 years ago.
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| "Morning Walk at Riverbend Park" 12x9 oil on panel sold |
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| "Market Day" 14x11 oil on panel Sold |
Recently Ann and I attended the 11th Annual Plein Air Festival hosted by the Lighthouse Art Center in Tequesta Florida. It's been 5 years since I participated in "Lighthouse" and it was really cool to see how much bigger and better the organizers have made this event! Also a lot of fun to run into artist friends that you really don't get a chance to see much outside of these shows. I can see why many artists travel the circuit spending all summer at various plein air events around the country.
Usually at these competitions the "Quick Draw" as they call it, is near the end of the weeks programs. This time the first Sunday of the festival was the "Quick Draw" it actually worked pretty good as a way to get the artists submersed in the mindset of competition painting at one of the larger plein air festivals in the country. We all met at Harbourside Place in Tequesta, a large complex of shops and restaurants hosting a Market on Sundays for local vendors. The artists all got reacquainted with their "tribe" and set up wherever they thought would make the best composition for a painting.
I scoped out a scene the day before where I could locate my easel on a street corner with some attractive umbrellas surrounding an outdoor restaurant. I got there early to grab my spot as other artists with the same idea set up around me. The comradery of the artists made it a lot of fun as we laughed and told stories of all our travels.
We had two hours to complete a painting and the artists got serious when the horn sounded and the painting began. All was going pretty well until the sky started to turn dark and it looked like a squall was moving in....and boy did it! Artists started running for cover as the skies opened up! All part of the plein air experience! I was under a partial cover and was able to get my painting mostly done and over to a covered are for judging and sales. Whew! You never know what you will run into during these events!!
