If you read this blog you might know that I've not had a gallery for quite a while. JD Pierce in Dallas, who has a jewel of a gallery in an old Victorian house, comes closest because he carries some of my paintings. A painter friend and good buddy of mine called recently telling me she was going to check out a brand new gallery she found on Craig's List and wanted me to come along. She'd already sent them a link to my web site and they liked my work. Because she and I try to keep each other out of the brier patch, I went along to check them out and ask some hard questions. Really, I was ready to not like the set-up.

Long story short, the gallery owners are two of the nicest, sharpest go-getter's I've had the pleasure of meeting recently! Jennifer is the numbers queen and knows where the market is and how to reach them. She doesn't simply expect to open her doors and have collectors fall in;) Tom is the art and frame guru, and he's even carrying a line of "green" frames! How cool is that?!! How could I say "no"?

The gallery is called the Liffey Art House in honor of the Liffey (pronounced "lif-ee") River in Dublin. Their gallery web site is still "under construction" but I'll post it here on the blog when it's finished.

Here's a painting that's going over to the Liffey Art House.

"Mission Trails View", 12 by 24 inches, oil on canvas.

Meanwhile it seems as if physical therapy (due to injury and surgery due to car accident on 3/13, see postings below) is taking over a chunk of my time and there's less time for painting right now. Did have a chance to go out with a painting buddy recently and the painting below is the result.

Quick story about that outing. I saw a lovely path that I wanted to take a picture of and sketch for a larger studio painting, so I climbed over a stone wall to get there. It was a low step up from the dirt berm against the wall and not any trouble for me to climb over, bad knee and all. Wandered down the path all excited about nature's beauty and got what I needed. Then turned around and back tracked to find that the berm against the rock wall was way lower on the "other side". Yikes! How was I going to get back?! Called out to my painting buddy and she gave me a hand up and over, and that wasn't too graceful to look at! Lesson learned: if I'm going over the wall, first check out how I'm going to get back without further damaging my knee, or making a total spectacle of myself!! Yikes!

"Old Padre Dam", 9 by 12 inches, oil on canvas on panel.

I've been advised to slow down. Slow is not my favorite speed but if I must, then I must. Here's the deal: my knee is not recovering all that well from recent surgery. (See posting in March about 2 car crashes in 1 day... not our fault!) I'm trying to do too much too soon, therefore I've been told to slow down and not try to rush my knee back to its fully functional state. It's going to get better on its own schedule, not mine. Bummer!

My "inner painter" is really not happy about that. She's got a big pouty lip on! She's raring to go out and paint on location like crazy at her usual warp speed. But we can't do that yet. Last weeks outing resulted in a big swollen and painful knee so my therapist gave me a lot of tips on how to avoid that happening in the future: my equipment goes on a wheeled cart and there will be ice packs brought along. Bummer... slow painting!

It's been over three and one-half months since the car accident (see postings from March through June, below) and yesterday was the first time I've been out painting on location with full gear. Prior to that it was make-do outings bringing what I could and usually sitting in or very close to the car. Did the best I could. Now I'm ready to be back in full swing of the paint brush!

A painting buddy went with me to Mission Trails Park at the Old Padre Dam, a peaceful and beautiful location. I lasted for two hours and then it was home to ice down my recently improved (surgically) knee. Had to sit on a little camping stool to paint and it sure felt funny being so close to ground level! Felt like I was at the "kiddie table" on Thanksgiving:) I'll finish up the painting I worked on out there now that I'm back in the studio nursing a slightly swollen knee. My painting buddy and I have plans to go back there some more to capture different views... and there are a lot to be had, so I'm excited about that.

A special shout out to all my friends in northern California who are dealing with the wildfires. We know what that's like... thoughts and prayers are with you.

Here's a new painting recently completed. You might be woudering about that strange tree in the foreground? Was out with another painter and she suggested I paint some of the old burned oaks. I commented that no one would want a painting of a burnt tree... so we'll see who wins the bet!

"Resiliance", 9 by 12 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

This landscape painter is really reved up: boxes of stuff are clogging the enry hall! OK, let me explain about the boxes. I've ordered art supplies for summer painting and everything arrived at once. I don't know what it is about having a fresh supply of canvases and paints come to the door but it always feels like my birthday or something. Hard to explain because I do know what is in the boxes ... I ordered the lot:) That said, I get a smile just looking at it all and thinking of paintings yet to be painted. A very nice feeling, indeed!

The heat here is unreal. You leave the house all fresh and step out into - what - a furnace?! E-ooow! It's not conducive to plein air painting out on location, even though I am excited to capture the seasons changing and summer's arrival to San Diego's beautiful back country. That said, this landscape painter just about wilts in a heap at 100 degree plus temperatures out there right at the moment. Yikes!

So it's studio work for now and a chance to work on canvases begun in more agreeable times. And here's a painting, already spoken for, of a location at the edge of the Anza-Borrego desert near where the old Butterfield stage route went in days of old. It'll be about 114 there today... and I'll so NOT be there!

"Scissors Crossing", 11 by 14, oil on canvas.

It's finally happened and that one door has pretty much closed for this California landscape painter: I've been advised not to go standing on my recently refurbished left knee, which I would be if I continued teaching that Friday all-day, Advanced Drawing 6 hour class at the college. Went and cleaned out my storage closet, removed my name tag and photos from its door, shed a tear, and then went to lunch at the really good taco place near campus.

Oh good, I'll have another day to paint, I told myself. I know that I'm just saying that to keep from missing my students. They are the best part of teaching and why I always learn more from them than I give to them by teaching. (They say not, but I really do learn from them.)

But I have to take care of my knee lest the surgeon insists on giving me a bionic knee. Hey, I go to the same physical therapy place as where Tiger Woods worked out in the early morning before the Open!

But back to my true love: landscape painting. I don't know what the other door is that friends tell me will open because the teaching door has closed... but I'm looking;) Meanwhile here's another landscape painting of the hills surrounding Santa Ysabel.

"Oaks on a Roll", 9 by 12 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

My muse is back! "Where have you been?" I asked her. She's not talking about it... maybe she was in Vegas...?

So this landscape painter is back at work. Uh, and now the weather is overcast at the coast! Yikes. With gas prices so high I'm trying to consolidate trips to various locations and have specific spots in mind before the trip starts. In the old days of gas prices that started with a $3 I would simply get in the car and wander about looking for something to speak to me. Can't be that wasteful right now... no way I can afford that!

So here's my first post-muse-vacation painting based on a sketch I did a  while back at Lake Skinner. Clear morning light was what I was after:) Hope I got it.

"Lake Skinner Morning", 6 by 8 inches, oil on canvas on panel.

This landscape painter's painting muse is on summer break for sure. The paint has dried up on my palette and my brushes stand in the old crockery jars sorted by size looking at me with a blank stare. What's up, they inquire.

I've been at this long enough to recognize a "fallow time" when it's time to take a break. In the early 1990s I had my first large solo show and right after it opened I sat in my studio not knowing what exactly to do. I called my 80-something painter friend, now gone to that great art studio in the sky, and told her what was happening. She simply said, "Even the fields go fallow. It's time to rest."

There's no predicting how long this fallow time will last so I'll clean the studio, go buy a "summer reading" book and just kick back. You can fight nature's way! Ever since the day of the double car crash (details below) in mid-March I must confess that things have been racing along. I'm kind of glad to be having this rest period. Have any recommendations on good summer beach books? Email if you do: justpleinair@hotmail.com

This landscape painter has been in a storm of painting... until this week. Something in the stars or the air just slowed me down to almost a complete halt at the easel. It happens every once in a while: the painting muse goes on vacation, I guess.

Meanwhile, there's finally time to update postings here. Have a lot of new landscape paintings for you to see so here they are.

"Morning Mist", 6 inches by 8 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

"Trees by The Lake", 9 inches by 12 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

"Welcome to Borrego", 11 by 14 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

Summer Sycamores", 6 by 8 inches, Oil on stretched canvas.

"Ranch Oaks", 11 by 14 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

"Morning Mist over Oaks", 6 by 8 inches, oil on canvas.

Uh-oh! Just looked at those titles and there are two "Morning Mist"s. OK, so I'll have to do better writing titles!

About a year ago a dear collector of my work was talking to one of my dealers in hopes of finding a particular painting. There was some confusion because I used to title my paintings with whatever title hit me at the moment. It's difficult, I think, for the landscape painter to come up with titles... at least it is for me! I tended to title them by what was depicted with titles such as "Big Oak", which surely could describe many of my paintings.

My dealer gently explained how my lack of imagination when it came to titles might cause confusion. Oh, I said... and the light bulb in my head went on! And so the title challenge began!!

I readily admit it: sometimes I'm "title challenged." My muse is out to lunch when it comes time to give a painting a title. But I'm trying harder these days. So here are two new paintings with their unique titles: "Trees by the Lake", and "Morning Mist." I checked my new data base and amazingly, I have not used these titles before... I think;)

"Morning Mist", 6 by 8 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

"Trees by the Lake", 9 inches by 12 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

I just want to know the answer to one question: how can an artist feature that their painting is "a California plein air painting" when they live in some other state and haven't been to California in, like, years or ever!? Or they are in China for gosh sake!

Interestingly, in the April 7th issue of Forbes Magazine there was an article entitled, "Pump and Dump" which was a behind the scenes look at how art dealers in China manipulate the market for legitimate Chinese artist's work. The title of the article says it all!

Seems like winter is back because it's raining and cold out this morning. Wish the weather would make up its mind what season it is. This is southern California for gosh sake!!

Meanwhile I've been painting in the studio, safe from the vagaries of weather patterns. Have two new paintings to show you here on the blog. The big one was inspired by a the early dawn light falling on an old twisted tree in Banner canyon on the way to Borrego. The light that morning was breathtaking and I hope that I did it justice! The tree was all lit up and bits of light bounced around falling on other trees and shrubs and all that is in this painting. Problem is with putting a photo on the web and the great variation in computer monitors, especially those flat screen ones. It loses the rich dark colors. Oh, well, I tried:)

The second painting is a view off Deerhorn Valley Road over to Madre Grande mountain. This area was particularly ravaged by the last two wildfires and is wild and wonderful.

"Dawn at Banner Creek", 16 by 20 inches, oil on canvas.

"View from Deerhorn Valley Road", 11 by 14 inches, oil on canvas.

It's hot out with a mini Santa Ana blowing hot air off the desert onto the coast. This landscape painter doesn't like it one bit! It's too hot to be standing out there painting... or maybe I'm a wimp. So I'm comfortably installed in my home studio painting up a storm at a very comfortable temperature. I dunno... maybe I do my best work in the studio.

Was reading the most recent newsletter from the California Art Club by Jean Stern about the rise of plein air painting on location and the decrease in popularity of larger more fully realized studio paintings. She wrote that studio paintings have always been the natural end product informed by smaller studies done on site. She felt that too many local painter's groups focused attention on small studies and ignore larger works completed in the studio informed by the small studies. She makes an excellent point.

Here are two more studio paintings for your entertainment. Think I'll be working in the studio for a time to see what comes of it:)

"California Coast in Spring", 14 by 18 inches, Oil on stretched canvas.
Sue: I received your message:)

"El Capitain Resevoir", 14 by 18 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

My arthroscopic surgery of the left knee yesterday went smooth as silk and my knee is much better already. (See below for info on car accident of 3/13... or not:)

Painting is underway and I'm in the mood to add some larger paintings to my output now. Still love those minis and that 9 by 12 standard size, but am roaming in the 14 by 18 and 16 by 20 inch territory of my supply of canvases garage stored in the garage. So who knows what's going to happen next on my easel!

Meanwhile, here is an good ol' standard size 9 by 12, fresh off the easel of a lovely morning view out at Howard's ranch.

"Morning Mountain View", 9 by 12 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

I'm painting at a feverish pace! Paint's a flyin' as I try to get much done before that knee surgery Thursday morning. Will be glad when it's over. Meanwhile I'm keeping busy with what always keeps me busy: brushes and paint;)

Here's the latest landscape painting fresh off my easel, of Lake Hodges. It's a beautiful lake surrounded by graceful eucalyptus trees. I should paint there more often. It always brings a peaceful feeling to be there... don't know why. Some places just do that, don't they? You get there and sit a while and after a few minutes your cares fall from your shoulders. Know that feeling?

"Lake Hodges", 11 by 14 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

It's amazing how resourceful a person can be. While this landscape painter is awaiting surgery on my smooched left knee this coming Thursday, I'm getting in as much painting time as possible. There's not too much else to do as my mobility is limited. But, as I've said before, a girl's gotta paint!

Luckily, between half finished canvases stacked up in the corner of my studio and a little bit of driving and sketching out compositions on canvas while I sit in the car trying hard not to make a big mess, some work is getting done.

Here's a new one just off my easel. And if I forget later, please remind me that when we move it should be to a house all on one level!! Grrrr! Stairs!!!

"Rambling Sycamores", 9 by 12 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

Next Thursday, May 15th, my knee will get some surgical attention and I'm really looking forward to that. This left knee is cramping my style!! I can't stand to paint outside, I can't hike into scenic locations, it's difficult getting in and out of the car, etc. Can't wait to get back to work, as I once knew it.

Meanwhile I continue to paint in the studio, and that's OK but I miss the freedom of the great outdoors, being with my painting buddies, breathing in the fresh air, and especially above all, watching the light change the mood of a scene.

Here's the latest painting from my easel (the indoors one). One morning a couple of weeks ago I was driving down El Monte Road that runs next to El Cajon mountain hoping to get a better view of the mountain. It was overcast and I didn't really think the trip would yield much of anything usable. Then the clouds broke for a little while and the wind really picked up moving the grasses all around. It was a very dramatic moment and lasted for only a short while. Luckily I was able to grab up a painting panel and sketch the structure of the composition and then take a couple of photos for reference in case I needed them. Here's the result for your amusement.

"Spring Grasses, El Monte Road," 6 by 8 inches, oil on canvas mounted to panel.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," as the old saying goes, and that's especially true of a devoted landscape painter like myself. This knee that got banged up in the car crash of 3/13 (see below for details) needs some surgery but in the meantime, a girl's gotta paint! The surgery is scheduled for 2 weeks from now and you know me... I can't sit around the house because I'll get cabin fever;) So I try to go out and find scenes that look "paintable". Then I capture as much as possible in my sketchbook and with my camera. I rough out the composition on a canvas and make color notes right there.

When I get back to the studio I have a wealth of information to be cobbled into a painting. As I've written a while back, it feels like I'm testing my visual memory... a sort of visual "pop quiz." That's my kind of fun!!

Here's a new painting fresh off the easel for your entertainment. We were on a drive down by Hamul just before the turn off to Otay Lake when I looked at a pasture on the left. The morning had been overcast but the clouds were moving fast. Just as we approached the clouds broke and beautiful morning sunlight flooded the scene. I had to capture it as fast as possible. I knew it wouldn't last!

"Spring in the Meadow", 9 by 12 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

Inevitably every artist who gets their work seen is asked this one question: how long did it take you to do that? And we hate it because we really haven't a clue!

Most painters don't punch in and out on a time clock so we don't keep track of time in that way. Maybe we should. By contrast, we tend to get lost in time when we're in a creative mood.At the completion of a painting very few of us stop to consider how long it took. Still others work on one painting and then switch to another making it all but impossible to keep track of hours spent on any individual work.

After completing a larger work I often wonder how long it did take. Artists take as long as it needs to before a work is deemed complete. Some paintings take longer and some practically paint themselves.

I know of one painter when asked that question at an art fair who replied, "Twenty-seven years of hard work," because that's how long he'd been painting. Probably as good an answer as any!

Here's a new miniature painting just completed... and please don't ask how long it took;) We went to the beach to see the sunset and drove north hoping to see the coast south to La Jolla in the warm light of the setting sun. As we drove by the lagoon I glanced at it and saw how wonderful the light was. We couldn't stop because we were in a race with the sun to get to our spot before it set, and we did. On the way back we did stop at the lagoon and I made a quick sketch and took some photos that were the inspiration for this painting.

"Evening Quiet", 6 by 8 inches, oil on canvas on panel.

It's in the 80s here at the coast and just about 100 degrees inland. It's a Santa Ana where the hot winds blow west off the desert, and that means danger of wildfires ... again. It's too hot to go out an paint so this landscape painter is hiding out in the cool of the studio and finishing up some work previously started.

And would you look at the price of gas at the pump! It's about $4 a gallon here in So Cal. I've even seen $4.50 at one station! Guess I'm saving gas by staying in the studio. And later this week when it cools off and I do go out I'll really have to plan my trip so that I'm not wasting the petrol.

Meanwhile here's a new painting just off the easel. A simple scene of rolling hills and oaks in springtime bloom. If you go to higher elevations where it's cooler you can still see some wildflowers, or rather I should say that could have seen them recently. Now that the Santa Ana is blowing through they are probably all gone. Bummer.

"Southern California Spring", 9 by 12 inches, oil on canvas.

Spring is giving way and summer is arriving. This landscape painter is really sad to see spring depart... but summer is pleasant too. As I drive around the county, being frugal with my tank of gas what with a really high toll at the pump of close to $4 a gallon here, the signs of lovely springtime taking her leave are everywhere. Have to admit it's hard to watch the bloom of wildflowers turning to seed, but hey, it's nature's way. And Mother Nature is all-wise, or so they say!

Am now able to go out and then paint for a while although getting my plein air equipment set up is a real challenge. (See below about car accident of 3/13). Everything takes twice as long so I'm a slow painter... not nearly as much fun as "slow food"!

Here's a new painting just finished for your amusement. Don't know why but there was something really engaging about this simple scene capturing the spirit of spring turning to summer that fired up my imagination. Hope you like it too:) Don't forget to "buckle up"!

"Spring into Summer", 9 by 12, oil on canvas mounted to panel.

It's been five weeks since the car ran into us (see below for details on that) but I am now able to paint for a while almost every day and that makes this landscape painter smile! Any time spent painting is for me a real good time. I can't yet go stand out in a scene and paint it but it's amazing how resourceful a person can be when driven to do something. I can sit in the car or wander over to a pleasantly placed bench, sketch the scene on canvas, and make some color notations in colored pencil. It works my visual memory to complete the painting in the studio and I do enjoy that. Then whenever I'm stuck I drive back to the spot with the painting to check my work. It feels like a "plein air pop quiz"!

Here are two new painting done mostly that way. The miniature is a view of the beautiful southern California coast and blue Pacific on a picture perfect day this week. The spring break visitors are all gone now and the beaches are less populated. I like that!

The second is my impression of a recent evening when I had a chance to visit a eucalyptus tree grouping surrounding a pool of water. It glistened brilliantly in the sunset light!

 

"Spring Wave Break", 6 by 8 inches, oil on canvas on panel.

"Eucalyptus Sunset", 9 by 12 inches, oil on canvas.

Ellen emailed me to see about a commission painting of the Flower Fields up in Carlsbad near here. The Flower Fields are a nursery where ranunculas are grown primarily for bulb sales but seasonally as cut flowers. In the spring when the fields, similar to tulips, are in full color bloom they open the gates to visitors, complete with art fair and strawberry farm stand sales! It's a fun family outing:)

I liked the thought of her commission right from the start and even more so after I found out that the painting would be for her Mom who loved to visit the Fields when she lived down here. Her Mom said that the Flower Fields looked like a big serape... and I had to laugh out loud when reading that as it sure is an accurate description!

If you are not familiar with the Flower Fields, here's a link: http://www.theflowerfields.com/

I especially wanted to do the commission for Ellen's Mom because she now has macular degeneration, which obstructs your vision. My Dad had it too so I know how frustrating it can be. Ellen thought that a painting of the Flower Fields with their big wide bands of color might be something her Mom would enjoy. I hope so too and here it is, below.

I'm finally trying to paint again, and I'm so happy about that! So thrilled to be pushing paint around even if it's just for a while during the day. I'm working from my own sketches, notes, and photos because there is no way I am mobile enough to get out on location right now. Hopefully it will be soon when I can do that again. Meanwhile it just feels great to paint. This week it will be a whole month without painting, so... I'm back;)

Here's a painting of the Desert in Bloom that I've just completed. We went to the desert the Saturday before the car crash and I have been yearning to paint what I saw. Hope I did it justice... but the fragrance of the desert wildflowers... no way I can paint that!

"Desert in Bloom", 6 inches by 8 inches, oil on canvas mounted to panel.

Don't want to turn this web site into a journal of my car accident and health, but don't want to disappear either. This landscape painter is yearning for the good old days of driving around trying to find a location that moves me! Still can't sit at the easel and walking is difficult. I know that things will get better and with each day I'm one day closer to being back to work. Meanwhile I'll spend my days painting landscapes in my mind:)

Still recovering from the car accidents. Have not been able to paint and am missing it. Head injury still makes for fuzzy thinking and you need clear thinking to paint. The most bothersome and continuing aspect of it all is a leg injury that has prevented me sitting at the easel for any length of time. And painting on location is completely out of the question for the immediate future as this gigantic leg brace and uncomfortable ankle brace make walking very difficult. Standing painting in the field is out!

Thanks so much for the emails sending good cheer and well-wishes. Much appreciated.

Last Thursday - that's right, Thursday the 13th - was an unbelievable day... and not in a good way. I was in two auto accidents, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, totally unrelated. In both cases I was sitting as the passenger in a stopped car when hit by an out of control, wildly accelerating vehicle. What are the chances!! Our insurance guy told us when we phoned him the second time that day that we should go buy a lottery ticket as we're owed one.

Bottom line is that I'll probably be OK given enough time, so that's to the good. Right now I'm in sad sorry shape. That said, it could have been way worse... even when we're not so lucky, we consider ourselves so very lucky.

This Monday morning I'm trying to get back to painting cause I want my world back to normal but my right arm, shoulder and neck are so sore and bruised. It's going to take a while. As I try to paint - it will be my physical therapy - I'll be finishing up some near finished work. Nothing too mentally or physically challenging for a while.

If I am working on a commission for you, or owe you an email reply I'll be in touch this week.

Please... fasten your seat belts!

Been to the desert... wow!! What color. This wildflower season is the best yet. Can't stop to chat... gotta run... gotta paint!!! Check out the link below to the Union-Tribune article on the wildflowers here in San Diego this year, and especially the part about some flowers being "fire followers". I'm really noticing that!

To those collectors who are waiting on commissions, please pardon me a bit while I document those wildflowers:) Thanks for your support.

Here's a link to a recent San Diego Union Tribune article about the wildflower bloom and why it's so good. Seems that it's not just the rains but the wildfires last fall. Check it out at:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080301-9999-1n1flowers.html

Meanwhile... I paint on!!

"Near the Border", 6 by 8 inches, oil on canval on panel. Not for sale.

"Green and Golden California," 6 by 8 inches, oil on canvas on panel.