Around the Bend

I had been pretty lax about backing up my files and I really paid the price a couple of weeks ago when my computer crashed and I lost the majority of my files. The computer tech was unable to retrieve anything off my hard drive, it was just too far gone--what a dismal experience. Of course the tip of the week is: backup your files, often!

I'm in the process of re-photographing all my current work. This painting is a pastel which I recently completed and plan on entering in the Pastel Society of Tampa Bay's Annual Show in January.

16 x 12, pastel on sanded board

Looking Out Back

This type of landscaping plant is present in many yards in Florida. Its called a giant bird of paradise since it grows so large and the flowers look somewhat like a bird--you have to use a lot of imagination here! I didn't see any bird flowers on this one when I painted it though. Back in the summer heat an artist friend of mine invited me over to paint in her beautifully landscaped yard and I found this very tropical scene to paint.
9 x 12, oil on board

Plein Air Moment

When you're having one of those days when nothing appeals to you as subject matter you can always paint your fellow artists! Looking around for something to paint this view struck me. I quickly whipped out a very small canvas and sketched this scene in before my friend moved too much.
5 x 7, oil on canvas

Mermaid Waters

This is another small study I did when we were painting at Weekie Watchee a few months ago. The mermaid show takes place just to the left of the small pier you see in the study. In fact, while a fellow artist and I were painting a show was going on and some of the mermaids used this pier as their entry into the water. After painting we did go to see one shows and all of us were very impressed with the skilled swimmers. All of the show takes place underwater and the theater that its viewed from has one huge glass wall so we actually were underwater too.

5 x 7, oil on canvas

Pinellas Trail

This past weekend I participated in the Annual Studio Waltz that took place in and around Dunedin, Florida. Every year artists invite the public to tour their studios and plein air artists paint at different locations around town. This year was probably the most humid and sultry day since this event started 17 years ago. All of the plein air artists just sweltered in 90 degree heat trying to get some decent artwork to appear on their easels. This painting is of the Pinellas Trail that runs through the center of town.

8 x 10, oil on canvas

Morning Sun

Went out painting a couple of days ago and it turned out to be the perfect painting day weather wise. Gentle breezes and moderate temps, a welcomed change from the past few months. This small study is of an unoccupied house in Dunedin, Florida. Its being used as a realty office--quite picturesque with the aqua paint.
5 x 7, oil on canvas

Spring Tide

This past spring I was painting along the Gulf coast and the tides were really high so this area, which is usually not underwater so much, had a totally different look. If you walk down the main path at Anclote Key Park you eventually come to the Gulf. I painted this small study from a photo since it wasn't possible to set us an easel in the wet sand.

8 x 10, oil on canvas

Up in the Country

I finished this painting a couple of months ago after re working it a zillion times. I think I am finished now! This scene had caught my eye and after driving by for a year I finally took some pictures and competed the painting. I 'm not sure if this was a barn or maybe a garage but its pretty much unusable from the looks of it.

16 x 20 oil on canvas

Marsh Land

I decided to try my hand at a tonal painting and this is the result. I went for a large format since I had a 24 x 36 frame hanging around in the closet. What I really like about a large canvas is that it's very liberating using a hugh brush, you can cover lots of canvas in a very short time. As you can see, I'm still on my marsh scene kick so this subject matter just seemed right.

Reflections

I started this painting a couple of months ago using a small study I had done on location. Of course the location is along Bayou Drive where I'm always drawn back to as a great place to paint. And yes, the water is that blue at different times of the day.

16 x 20, oil on canvas

Mermaid Lagoon

The West Coast Plein Air Painters enjoyed a day of painting at Weekie Watchee Water Park last week. The park is a tourist attraction featuring among other things an underwater mermaid show at the spring source. Since the water is all spring fed it is amazingly crystal clear. The grounds were well kept and all of the painters found plenty of subject matter to paint. This study is of a small stream with one of the snack bars in the background.

9x12, oil on canvas

Monday I went out to Sunset Beach with two of my painting buddies and we had a great morning painting. Sunset Beach is on the Gulf and has a small coastal town feel to it. It's never overcrowded but I did leave out all the cars parked around the edges--just wanted a more natural scene.

6 x 8, oil on board

Looking for Shells

This painting was done from some photos I took when I visited Caladesi Island a while ago. It was not a day to paint since it was just way too hot, not much breeze that day either so I just took random photos of the beach goers and combined a few of the reference shots to come up with this painting.

16 x 20, oil on canvas, SOLD

Palms

Supposedly this waterway is infested with alligators although I have never seen any in the water or along the banks.

Since hearing that I think I will keep a much sharper eye on the water to say the least! It was a beautiful sunny day when I painted this small study and one would never give any thought what might be lurking in the water.

8 x 10, oil on canvas

Clouds over The Marsh

The marsh is so serene when the weather is fair and scenes like this abound. Of course when they weather turns rainy and windy its very dramatic but certainly not as colorful and not so nice for plein air painting.

Once again I'm painting on the gulf coast where I had done a study of this scene on a particularly fine day. I decided to turn the study into a slightly larger painting once I got home.

12 x 16, oil

Along the Coast

A day of beautiful puffy clouds, gentle breezes and lots of sunshine made the day for a few of us painting along the gulf last week. I can picture this scene on a large canvas so think I will use this study to do a large painting especially since I have a 24 x 36 frame with nothing in it. I'll post the large painting when I get it done but don't hold your breath--it may take awhile!

9 x 12, oil on canvas

Along the Gulf

After a week of rain I finally got out again to paint. A few of my painter friends and I met along the gulf coast for a day of painting and just enjoying being outside. It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day. I completed this painting yesterday but think I will go back into it to touch up the boat garage or whatever that building is in the scene.

8 x 10, oil on board

Anclote River View

The photo of this piece did not come out as bright and light as the actual artwork. I have fiddled around with the camera but just can't seem to get a good shot of this one. I did this painting a few weeks ago sitting right along the river. A nice breeze made a very hot day very tolerable. The river has a lot of channel markers which I left out since I wanted to capture the peacefulness of the view.

9 x 12, oil on canvas

Brooker Creek

I've been doing some pastel painting lately and this painting is another view of Brooker Creek done in pastel instead of my usual in oils. The river beds all dry up in the spring when we have very little rain but once the summer thunderstorms start the views change. The reflections of the trees in the water makes for great subject matter.

11 x 14, pastel on sanded board.

Gulf Harbor Pier

The plein air group I paint with met at a private beach club along the Gulf coast this past week. There were about 10 cabanas with picnic tables so we had some shade. After a while, the clouds started to move in along with lots of wind and yep, you guessed it --rained out again. But I did manage to get this painting completed.

8 x 10, oil

The Garden Room View

This is a fast study I did at the nursery while it was threatening to rain. Actually it did start to rain so I packed up and left before I felt I was finished painting. I may touch it up a bit.

10 x 8, oil on canvas

Stone Crab Claws

On the way to another painting site a few months ago I saw this scene and knew I wanted to paint it. I took some reference photos and painted this scene in my studio a few weeks ago. The name on the little red sign over the door was "Stone Crab Claws" so that seemed like a good title for the painting.

11 x 14 oil on board.

Brooker Creek Trail

In early January the West Coast Plein Air Painters had a show at the Brooker Creek Preserve featuring works done around the preserve. This is a studio piece I completed for the show using a small study I had completed on location.

24 x 18, oil on canvas

Annuals

I painted this small study from outside the gates of the nursery. I don't know the name of the palm in the foreground but it was a beautiful tree and almost looked like plastic since it was so perfectly formed.

7 x 5, oil on panel

Potted Plants

I'm still painting at the local garden nursery. Its a very busy place with people looking for plants and landscaping to spruce up their yards after a big freeze this past winter. A Florida style freeze means most of the tropical plants get hit very hard so its nice to get some color in the yard while things grow back.

5 x 7, oil on board

Bismark Palm

My plein air group has been painting at a local landscaping nursery for the last few weeks. Its a great place with tons of colorful plants and scenic mini views. We try to pick painting locations that are out of the way since there are many customers shopping for landscaping. This painting is of a grand palm that has stunning grey green fronds which towers over one section of the nursery.

7x5, oil on board

Palms along Jenkins Creek

This is another view of Jenkins Creek. Its such a wonderful place to paint, there are great painting opportunities just about everywhere you look.

8 x 8, oil on board

Jenkins Creek View

Many places along the gulf coast of Florida look similar to this view. I did this study from a photo I had taken in preparation for doing a large painting. I don't know if this will look good on a large canvas so think I will do some more small studies until I do one that I think would look good in a large format.

12 x 16, oil on board

Off the Trail

This scene was just off a pathway to a beach. It was fairly overgrown and wild so it was a challenge to not have just one big blob of green. I was painting under a noon day sun and tried to get the feel of a very warm day.

8 x 8, oil on canvas paper

Palm Study

Last Friday I went out to paint with the West Coast Plein Air Painters on the Dunedin Causeway but could not stay there since a 35mph wind was whipping around--not the best conditions to try to set up your easel in! We quickly realized we'd better move to a less windy place so we retreated to a local park and I tried my hand at another palm tree.

9x8, oil on canvas

Crystal Beach Study

I just completed a painting workshop with Larry Moore this past weekend. He was a great instructor and his demo's were all just fantastic. Everyone that attended had a great time and everyone felt they learned lots of good stuff! We did some quick studies on the last day of the workshop and this study is one of the two I completed that day.

9 x 12, oil on panel

Marsh View

I painted a study of this view on site a few months ago and decided it was a good candidate for a larger painting so I used the study and reference photos to do a larger painting in my studio. The view is off of Bayou Drive, Hernando County, Florida. This area is full of beautiful views making it a painters paradise.

18 x 24, oil on canvas

Soaking up the Rays

This small study was completed in about an hour. I think I captured shoreline feel.
5 x 7, oil on board, SOLD

Fallen on Hard Times

This old house has been vacant for at least 10 years. Its a good example of the Florida Cracker style that you still occasionally see in the south. It would be nice to see it restored but the property is probably earmarked for some other type of development since it contains some waterfront.

9 x 12, oil on board.

Along Jenkins Creek

Along Jenkins Creek, 8 1/2 x 12, oil on board.

This plein air was completed on a very cold and blustery day. I tried to capture the feel of the day in the painting.