Trailer #1

Here is the first in a series of trailer paintings. This is the most abstracted one, still not a true abstraction, more of an contemporary/ expressionist / impressionist kind of thing. This is trailer in a trailer park in El Monte. There are mostly fifties era trailers in this park so it was like walking into a time warp. Almost the entire neighborhood behind it as been redeveloped into new apartments and housing. They're a load of empty trailer slots, because the landlord it waiting for the end, a tenant said they were closing next year. I'm glad I found it in time.

San Gabriel Bowl

This bowling alley in and on San Gabriel I've seen for years but never painted. It may or may not still be there It's closed and looks like a wrecking ball candidate, (like most my subjects.) An odd format for me, mostly painted about 6/ 8 months ago. 22x48 certainly one pf my tallest...
I put it aside as I was unsatisfied with it. I recently re-worked it and like it now. Re- did the sky and added a few details like the girl and some textures.

Excavator and the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival 2006

9x12 oil on linen. At the LA river an industrial building being torn down (see Steel Plates) the construction workers were tickled by my last excavator painting (shovel) "Hey this guy does abstracted paintings of Excavators!" Who say construction guys don't know art? I had free run of the demo site.



San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival 2006

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm in this thing.

Cut and Paste Into your browser for the details:


http://www.sloartcenter.org/events.htm

Fresno and a WORKSHOP

I'm trying to move more into abstraction, away from my realistic roots. I have a therory that good abstraction can come from good foundation, but it's a process I'm still struggling with.
Here is a little studio painting (6x8 oil on linen) of a building in Fresno deliberately picked to to a flat angle based more on pattern than depth. I'm trying to be a little more abstract (baby steps) with a rougher approach, tilting the ground plane and trying to be flat yet with some elements almost normal. I think this is an "on the way to something" rather than a success at something new. When I do these, I start out feeling brave and end up feeling I haven't been brave enough.

WORKSHOP------------------------------------------------>>>>


I'm doing my first all day workshop in conjunction with the Entertainment Art Academy on November 19 details at there website see workshop link, look under events------------->>>>>>>>>

It's a more formal version of my half day class I was teaching earlier this year. I was doing that class for the fun of it and the process of learning how to do best present my teaching ideas, I think I've progressed enough to attempt a little larger, more intense class linked with a school. The regular class is suspended indefinitely, but not necessarily permanently, I may come back to it, but this is the only guaranteed thing at the moment. I hope anyone thinking about taking me before will take the plunge so I can do this on some kind of regular basis.

Stairway to Heaven

A corner of the same parking lot at Traget from my last post. 19x24
I was going to call it (She's Buying a) Stairway to Heaven, but couldn't bring myself to be THAT cheesy.

Please note a least one inch all the way around the painting edge was cropped due to scanning.

Underground Palm and show

And don't forget-- I am going be in an urban group show at:
The Vault Gallery of Fine Art
42 South Washington Street Sonora,
California 95370
on September 1st thru 28th
with a reception on September 9th at 6 to 9 pm.
see link to vault gallery-------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>






I went to Target the other day to get a prescription filled with the intent of killing time by taking more shots at the big abandoned parking lot across the street form it. I had done a PA painting in many months ago, (posted on my blog as "Palm Lot.") When I went across the street the big palms were gone. In frustration, I went back and looked about the Target parking for subjects, ending up in the underground lot. I found it kind of interesting that the palms were growing down there, I have no idea if they built the lot around them or planed for them, but I suspect they planted them. This illustrates what a weed tree Palms really are. A beautiful tree, but a weed will grow anywhere.

Dark Bus

I was driving around just below Lincoln Heights in the LA River industrial area taking sunset and nocturnal photos. I was done for the night when I drove past this creepy bus. I kept going for a few blocks and then cursing to myself because the image wouldn't let me go home yet, I went back an shot a quick photo of it. I ending up cropping it to close to the left and did the same in the painting. I framed it in a dark frame, it think that helps it breathe. I went very thin with the oil paint on wood 16x24.