Grinder

Grinder 16x24 oil on wood.

I loved this one when I first painted it a week ago, but now I'm not so sure. I was excited by the simple abstract quality I achieved, yet am left with a feeling that there is not enough to it. This may have been the case were a bit of background for more context would have helped or a foreground element? The other issue is if I'm going to try and go more abstract should I pick subjects that are more recognizable? Who knows what an ancient giant wood chipper looks like, especially this roughly painted? Does it make it more spooky not to know? Oh well, it's all a process.

Burger #3 and Night Ride

Burger 3# 16x290 on wood

A Burger place in Azusa that has been out of businesses for awhile now. This is another just at that moment where the sun has left the building. This one is from some months ago because some others are not dry yet.

The old memory can play tricks on me. On a nocturnal bike ride last night I found out the burger place was #4 and it was in Monrovia not Azusa. Who cares? I do. Can we allow Angelo's burger #4 be forgotten?


The heat finally dropping last night encouraged me to go on a long evening bike ride way out to the Miller brewing plant about an hour from my house if you take real roads, I went on the street for part of the time then back alleys and RR tracks taking a total of 4 hours it was all grey, twilight and darkness. Relief from the blazing son, praise god.





Under the freeway this is past the halfway mark. Getting dusky.



Looking behind me that's the San Gabriel river.



I arrive at the Miller plant at twlight.



Minutes later the lights came on.



Hiding from security, time to go anyway. Fun creepy.





on the way back it's totally dark now.

Warm Garage

Warm Garage 20 x16 oil on wood.
This is a corner of a small parking garage in the late afternoon where I was struck by the light and the effect and shape of it on the ground. I was on the fence about how abstract I wanted to to with it as I was afraid that if I when too abstract there would be no references for people to be able to see what it was. I started it once and trashed it for being to "small separate piece like", wiping it down so it was more massed. I like it better, but still feel like I can visit this subject again and do a better, more simple, braver painting. Must... let go... of my realism crutch. I ended up doing a little glazing in the shadows to darken them. Not my favorite way to work, but necessary in this case. The car was added for life and context, I think that works.

Rubidoux 2

The second in what may be a series from the little town of Rubidoux. This is a regular house that folks are living in. I was struck by the bleached out quality of the yard and especially the faded Gremlin in the frount yard that hadn't been moved in a decade or so. It was a very hot day, I hope I caught that blazing heat. Oil 8x10 on brutally belt sanded linen on board.

Rubidoux

Rubidoux a poor, mostly Hispanic small town just outside of downtown Riverside.
It does have some quaint little spots, but the most eye-catching thing for me was the blighted section of town where a bunch of houses wore partially or completely demolished, but the job seems to have stalled out. The kids in the picture told me a big box store was supposed to have moved into the devastated area, (but my comments are totally speculative) when I say it looks like a bigger re-developed plan that that went bankrupt half why though the demo process. My clues are weeds are growing up around the abandoned houses and there are no trucks and equipment parked around like any work is being done. I of course find a devastated kind of beauty to this kind of thing and will do several paintings based on the photos it took. This is the first one on an empty house with this boat in the driveway for no apparent reason. 8x10 oil on linen.

Crystal Cove

Departing from my usual gritty urban themes, here is a painting of Crystal Cove done deliberately to be as tranquil and traditional as possible. 40x42 oil on Wood.
This is a painting done for the Providence Saint Joseph Foundation, the Foundations Healing through the Arts Program, which includes an art exhibit at the 2006 Women's Wellness Conference. This years event will be held on Friday, September 15, 2006, at the Pasadena Conference Center. Viewing of the art will be from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Proceeds from this year's luncheon will benefit Providence's Cancer Programs and Services, including the new Roy and Patricia Disney Cancer Center.

Squat House

Squat House. Oil 9x12 linen on board. This is a painting done in my class of a soon to be raised house in the last tiny bit of industrial Pasadena. The area is changing fast, soon all manufacturing will be gone, replace by high end luxury condos and Starbucks. There were a couple of guys squatting there they seemed clean and not high, said they had permission to live there from the owner... Who knows? Down an alley about 100 yards is some old houses some being moved, other being demoed. I did two paintings of those. 6x8 oil of linen. I dropped one of them as you can see.

Azusa Twilight

Here is a medium sized studio (16x 24 oil on wood) painting of Azusa at the first moment of twilight. That time after a hot day when the sun is just down so things still seem to still be glowing with heat.