Calico Basin Landscape

"Calico Basin"

Redrock Canyon near Las Vegas Nevada

Soft pastel drawing at Calico Basin November 2018

Approximate size: 12" x 9"

Codornices Park

"Codornices Park" 

Across the street from the Rose Garden in Berkeley 2018

Soft pastel drawing in Berkeley

Approximate size: 12" x 9"

Barbara pastel portrait

 

"Barbara" 

Soft pastel drawing on sand paper pastel paper from drawing group in Berkeley
Trying to get a bit looser with my drawing.
Approximate size: 10" x 14"

"James" soft pastel drawing

"James"
Soft pastel drawing from drawing class in Berkeley
Approximate size: 10" x 14"

Pastel Drawing of Garlic

 

Still life drawing with soft pastels
"Organic Garlic" on square curved plate
Approximate size: 10" x 7"

Fresh Lemon on Plate Pastel Drawing

Soft pastel drawing of fresh lemon from my lemon tree.  Image size is approximately 10" x 7"

Fresh Lemon pastel drawing

Soft pastel drawing of a lemon from my lemon tree. Image size is a bit larger than 5" x 7"

May 2018

Wildcat Canyon view off of road - Small Oil Painting

Oil Painting done in February 9, 2018 of view toward Wildcat Canyon off of Bernhard Avenue in Contra Costa County near Richmond. I put the paint on a bit thicker than usual and had fun swirling it around with small bristle brushes.

Oil Painting on Art Spectrum Colorfix Suede - this is a primed pastel paper with a 300 lb watercolor paper backing.

Half Moon Bay #3 - Oil Painting

"Half Moon Bay" Oil Painting, 5" x 7"

Landscape painting from February 2018 of trees and edge of grassy area in Half Moon Bay.   I like using stiff bristle brushes that show the brush strokes. The darkesk shadows have a deep dark red - This pic doesn't show that so well. Oh well!

Oil Painting on Art Spectrum Colorfix Suede - this is a primed pastel paper with a 300 lb watercolor backing.

Pink Magnolias - Small Oil Painting

Still life painting from February 9, 2018 of Pink Magnolias in small light purple creamer/pitcher.
I used brighter colors then I usually do and included magenta and rose madder on my palette. I used a softer brush with a painting medium which makes some painting have a more transparent feel, like watercolors. I usually use stiffer bristle brushes that leave more paint texture.

Oil Painting on Art Spectrum Colorfix Suede - this is a primed pastel paper with a 300 lb watercolor backing.

Billie Holiday - Oil Painting

"Billie Holiday"  Oil Painting, 12"x12"

In 2012 I started a series I call "Remarkable Women" (dedicated to my daughter) and this painting is a continuation of that series. I used black and white photos for reference to paint this. Billie Holiday was such an innovative singer and came from a very rough childhood.

12' x 12" oil on gallery wrapped canvas that is x 1 1/2"deep.


“I never had a chance to play with dolls like other kids. 
  I started working when I was six years old.“
                                                                            -- Billie Holiday 
  
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Harris April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday influenced jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She had a very difficult childhood and had to grow up very quick. She was sexually attacked by a neighbor when she was only 11, taken into protective custody and placed at the House of the Good Shepherd. After she was released she went to work at a brothel. By the end of 1932 at the age of 17, Billie Holiday replaced the singer at a club on West 132nd Street. A producer first heard Holiday in early 1933 and arranged for Holiday to make her recording debut, at age 18, in November 1933 with Benny Goodman.

 “I never hurt nobody but myself and that’s nobody’s business but my own.” 
                                                                           -- Billie Holiday

Sally Ride - Digital Illustration

"Sally Ride"  Digital Illustration

I drew this mainly in Adobe Photoshop, then brought it into Adobe Illustrator where I traced and converted to paint, so I could color it, after that I then reworked it back in Photoshop adding graduated screening and a bit of shading.

In 2012 I started a series I call "Remarkable Women" (dedicated to my daughter) and still continue to add new portraits. About half the artwork for the series are oil paintings and the rest are digital illustrations. I make my own high quality archival prints with ink jet photo printers that use pigmented ink instead of dye based ink and print on high quality archival papers.

“All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.” 

                                                          -- Sally Ride

"Sally Ride"-- Sally Kristen Ride (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012) was an American physicist and astronaut. She grew up in Los Angeles and went to Stanford University with a double major in physics and English. Sally received bachelor’s degrees in both subjects in 1973. She continued to study physics at the university, earning a master’s degree in 1975 and a Ph.D. in 1978. She joined NASA in 1978 and, at the age of 32, became the first American woman to enter into low Earth orbit in 1983. She beat out 1,000 other applicants that applied for a spot in NASA’s astronaut program. After rigorous training, Sally joined the Challenger shuttle mission on June 18, 1983, and became the first American woman in space. She remains the youngest American astronaut to be launched into space.

Half Moon Bay Tree

" Half Moon Bay Tree"  Oil painting, 5"x 7"

This is a small 5" x 7" oil painting on board painting after a trip to Half Moon Bay along the Northern Calilfornia Coast.