ONE HUNDRED!

Just completed my one hundredth painting ( of water) ..  Am including background on the is to show scale. Makes me want go surfing again tomorrow.. at dawn..

4'x4'  oil/canvas

Just a second!

"in motion"   24"x24"  oil/canvas

Shaving creme? Cool Whip? Beaten egg whites?

Only a split second of early morning light hitting the foam left by waves crashing against a rocky shore.  I see these shapes all the time when I am in the water, and especially love the light of early mornings. As I study them I see the same forms appear over and over, the "pyramid" being one of them.  Trying to work a composition into something that is chaotic, unbalanced, and turbulent and constantly in motion.  Total opposite of the calm glassy waters I love so much.

Surrounded

 Finished this a while back but haven't been able to shoot good pics.. weather too nice!  So will make do with these. Even with the annoying uneven tones.

"Presence" was a continuation of a study of this amazing glassy blue water done from the POV of being practically at the water level.  I painted these on smooth hard surfaces, the most recent being some kind of metal. I love the smooth surface and it felt so appropriate for these paintings. I would love to paint a series of those, and just hang them at eye level around a room so one has the feeling of being in the water.. Maybe a shower head on the ceiling, sound of waves piped into speakers.. in the desert, a booth/art experience in burning man.. whoa, got carried away.. still...

"presence" 16"x26" oil/metal

"testing the water 2"  11"x14" oil/panel

Testing the water

"testing the water"  8"x10" oil/board

After a trip via ferry to the new SF Exploratorium, ( which is just amazing) I started seeing a new series of paintings in my minds eye..Not quite sure how to go about creating it, but this is just a small study of color and style very early in the process. Lots of unknowns but I have a plan.. 

Very exciting to be so inspired. Hope it stays!  One of my favorite quotes by e.e. cummings: " between conception and creation lies the shadow" or something like that. Ah, yes.

Heart and Soul

These past weeks, I have enjoyed paddling out and watching the backlit waves tumble forward in front of me.  Because of the fog and nature of the water in the Patch, often a bunch of sediment in the water gives the waves their grey brown color. I NEVER get tired of seeing this moment, and every morning in the water is another opportunity to see more and begin to understand just what it is I am seeing.  And when the fog is gone and the sun is shining low on the horizon, the color changes completely. ( maybe will paint that later? ) As with previously posted "Freefall" this moment touches something deep inside..   Which is why I keep painting.. 

"heart and soul"  18"x36"  oil/canvas

It's like this....

"freefall" 8"x10"  oil/board

My eyes have been glued to the color of the transparent lip of a wave the second before it falls over. Color changes, this view is on a clear sunny day. Backlit.

"line-up" 12"x36" oil/canvas

Have been meaning to get this image out of my head and on canvas for a long time. Figures in a landscape.  Again, I never get tired of seeing this.

"lost at C"  16"x20"  oil/canvas

Long story behind this, but here's the short one: I wanted to paint a "camera lens" view- half submerged. What image, if any, should be below? Diver? Octopus? Shark? Fish? Somehow this is what appeared. Why it is a ukulele is the long part of the story...

Surfer's bling!

"sea diamonds"  12"x24"  oil/canvas  2013

I can never get enough of the visual delight of traces of foam left behind.. Usually means a wave has broken in this spot or nearby.. Good thing to pay attention to when in the water and also a reminder of impermanence.  Won't go into my usual " this is just a quick shot for my quick blog and I wish I had a better shot because this one is a bit soft, as in blurry" so I won't. Still.... 

Moving swell

I am always so mesmerized by the movement of energy in water, especially when that energy comes from so far away.. The idea of it circulating, moving as it crosses the ocean to end up as a wave as it nears shore.. I love watching the swells passing by as i sit on my board..a difficult feeling to put on canvas, better suited for video.. but I can still try.. Will this wave tumble forward? Keep on moving?

"traveler" 20"x20" oil/canvas  2013

Big TWO-OH

"foam # 20"  image 12"x18"  charcoal on 19"x24" paper

Just finished the 20th charcoal in this series of Foam drawings. I have written about them in past blogs and you can see all 20 on my website, link on right "drawings"

Turbulence ll

In finishing this larger and in color  ( many shades of green grays ) version of "Turbulence"( which was grey and white)  I remembered something I had forgotten.. Almost every image I paint, I choose because I have some emotional  attachment to some aspect of water... In the beginning I was just trying to understand what light and movement do to water/waves.. Now I see something and gasp. And the feeling stays with me.. Then comes the task of trying to convey that feeling in paint..

So I was really excited to hang this on my wall today... It replaces a calm wave painting that left for a new home at the end of last year. Now I just want to sit back on my sofa and stare at it... ( As if I haven't been staring at it for the past 2 months...)

Celebrated with a great morning paddle in Bo, sun shining through the fog, calm and glassy, Pelicans, Brandt's geese, seals, loons, fog show, good conversations with a surf buddy and to top it all off, rideable and fun small waves appearing out of the flat sea...

"Turbulence ll" 36"x36" oil/canvas

In place/scale

Turbulence

Just finished!  The reference for this photo came from a stormy day at Fort Point.. I was watching the waves and wishing I had my camera, then realized I was holding my iPhone.  Shot lots of waves but when I noticed the frothy water right next to the wall, that really caught my attention..

I had intended to paint this in color, but used an oil paint put out by Gamblin art materials once a year called "Torrit Grey" It's the color they mix together when they clean out all of their equipment from a year of making oil paint. So this is recycled sludge, so to speak.. Appropriate in many ways. 

On a personal note, I notice that sometimes my life is reflected in the paintings I end up working on.. 

"turbulence" oil/canvas  20"x20"

step 1 

step 2
 

On the easel

Here's one fresh off the easel.. And happy to be off too, as it was started weeks ago, and as usual, interrupted by life.. I have a whole set of photos that I need to have shot in high quality for my website..  Waiting for a foggy/cloudy day when my photographer (son) is available.. This was taken with my phone.. of course color and focus are compromised.. I tend to be picky about those things.. but not here.

"Light Catcher" oil/canvas  24"x24" 

musings

I feel a sensation in my mind that is the forerunner of an image that wants to appear.. Have been living with it for a time now, but it is getting stronger.. So what do I do?  Clean up the studio. Update my records. Clear the path so I have no more excuses for not making the jump to putting it down.. It's going well..

Found this unpublished post while cleaning up my blog drafts:

"Whom am I painting for? Every once in a while I lose track of why I paint.. The showing and selling side of being an artist is my least favorite part..but I feel I have a obligation to share my work as well as assume some fiscal responsibility.."

Texture

The waves were really messy yesterday, but I took advantage of my session to check out, yet again, the "color of water". This is sort of a companion piece to the untitled painting in the previous post, a surfer's eye view of a swell sweeping by. I felt like I was looking at my painting all morning. So I came home and put the finishing touches on it. Photo does not show the smooth surface of the painting itself, or the luminous quality of the paint, and dang it, I don't know if I will ever get the color right. Makes me keep on trying. And I do like painting on a metal surface.

"a little texture" 

Dawn Patrol

"Dawn Patrol"

 The experience of being in the water, as the sun is just peering over the ridge, never ceases to fill me with awe. It is just one of the reasons I love dawn patrol, the experience of getting up to surf before sunrise.  To make this painting personal, and because I wanted a new "board" portrait, decided to add my beloved Mystic with the orange nose to the photo.. My last board portrait, "Mystic" sold, but it is now only a back up board. Can't imagine anyone wanting this one, as personal as it is.. Unless you can relate to this experience, it could be a giant pencil!

"glassy rise" oil/metal 

Because "dawn Patrol" drove me a little bit crazy, I decided to get simple with the untitled painting above. Still the slick morning look of a wave approaching as I sit on my board, but a foggy morning.. It is painted on stainless steel, which complements the piece as well as being really smooth to paint on.. I really liked the simplicity of focusing on such a simple detail...

Garage door

Our garage door, which is not a functioning garage, has been in need of a major paint job for at least 4 years now. My husband has intended every year to remove it and built a solid garage door-like wall in it's place, so I have been looking at chipped and peeling paint for all that time. I have also threatened to paint graffiti on to encourage removal of the door.. So, at last, plans have been drawn up, we have an estimate and a contractor lined up, so I decided it is now or never.. It was a lot of fun, such a relief from the painting I usually do.. plus haven't gotten any complaints from the neighbors... Hopefully we can remove it in one piece and someone will want it.. 

plastic from a fake flower found on the sidewalk

Temporary door

101 excuses

"foggy morning" oil/canvas, 16"x20"

I am shocked when I see the last time I posted on this blog.. And I believe "Board Meeting" was the last painting I finished. I don't even have the excuse of working on a large painting.. This version of "waiting for waves and wow the water is so beautiful" or "foggy morning" is a larger color version of "grey morning, 2010"  I do have legit excuses, maybe not 101, but a lot.

 I am hoping that because I have been out of the studio and away from work for a couple of months at least, something has been brewing in my mind.. The work of the plateau. It feels like being stuck, but maybe not. Guess I will find out!

I often wonder what it would be like if I was more obsessive and single minded about my work. As it is, there are so many things I enjoy doing, so many different things to explore: art, ideas, music, surfing,  life, etc. that it is always about a segmented mind. At least I finally accept that about myself, knowing it is just how this mind works. And more difficult as i get older to multi-task.

Named!

remains of the day

Many thanks to Gail Biddle ( as well Shelby, Laurel J, Brock, and Brenda) who supplied me with some great ideas for names. Out of that process, somehow this came to mind...

"remains of the day"

Board meeting

Yes, it really did look like this. And yes, some very nice waves rolled through between the meetings.. And yes, it does look totally flat between sets. I am so lucky to be able to do what I do.. And as I saw on a sign, "the only good suit is a wetsuit" ...

"board meeting" 15"x30" oil/canvas, 2012

Un-photogenic art

I was given a 6"x8" piece of plywood coated with homemade gesso and sanded. ( Thanks Jacek!) It is an amazing sensual surface to work on.. (an artist knows the feeling) Used a 4H pencil. Started at the bottom and worked my way up..Then I put a few light color glazes on top of the graphite painting to see what would happen..The medium I used, Neo Megilp (Gamblin)  is shiny and has dried hard. As always experimenting with depth in color.  Unfortunately, it is impossible to photograph accurately.  I think the camera must read "LIGHT!!" and doesn't know what to do.. more likely that I don't.. Did a little adjustment in iphoto, but couldn't duplicate the original.  Interesting project!