Friday, March 28, 2014

BEACH BUNGALOWS FOREVER

Beach Bungalow for Water Lovers, 9 x 12 oil
As I write this, it's pouring down rain.  The bananas in my kitchen are mainland bananas.  The only thing to do is retreat to my studio.

I put lots of water toys in this yard.   See if you can find them all.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

BEACH BUNGALOW AND HAMMOCK

Beach Bungalow and Hammock, 9 x 12 oil
I could totally walk out this house and pick bananas, not to mention plunging into the water.  I think these people maybe should move the hammock off the pathway to the beach.  Just saying.




Monday, March 24, 2014

BEACH BUNGALOW AND TROPICAL GREENS

Beach Bungalow and Tropical Greens, 9 x 12 oil

I am smuggling bananas into my bungalow paintings.  There's nothing I love more than apple bananas.  Unless maybe raspberries.  Both fruits only available in certain times or places.  Surfing, anyone?

Saturday, March 22, 2014

KE'E BEACH WALK

Ke'e Beach Walk, 9 x 12 oil
Oregon spring rains are keeping me indoors, so I am revisiting Kauai in my studio.

On Ke'e beach, at the end of the road, huge trees overhang the sands.  After I lay out the trees, I see that we will need some figures to appreciate these beachside giants.

Friday, March 21, 2014

PAINTING LARGE

Aspen Light, 60 x 48 oil 
In the basement, there are two large canvases, that I bought in a crazy moment of wishing to paint larger.  After my summer of plein air painting, I have one image that I would like to paint really big.

My studio is in what the builders designed as a bedroom.  It has a closet, useful for storing stuff, and normal bedroom height ceilings.  This means that an easel mast can only go so high, and large paintings, even if they fit on the easel, won't fit in the room.  So this painting will have to be done hanging on the wall.

I wire the back of the canvas, and set up nails at different levels, about 3 inches apart.  This way, I can reach the top of the canvas, or the bottom of the canvas, but not both.  I will have to raise it up and down the nails when I want to reach other parts.  This, of course, means that the painting gets finished bottom to top, instead of my painting all over it.  No worries.  It works this way too.

When the painting is done, I realize that my studio is too small to give me enough room to photograph it.  I wait for a sunny day, sneak outside with my camera and painting, and quickly photograph before it clouds over again.

This is fun.  I think I'll do more of them.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

BANANAS AT THE FOOT OF TIKI

Bananas at the Foot of Tiki, 12 x 12 oil
A day in the studio, looking at blues and yellows.  Bananas are an iconic fruit for me. Tiki is looking toward Hawaii, where I'll be holding a class in August.  More info to come.