Oils

I’ve painted the San Francisco Sea Scouts many times. I really love the red SSS Viking. This time I have included the SSS Corsair. Most often, the Viking is used by the young women, while the Corsair is used by the young men. Overall, the sea Scouts offer a great nautical experience building confidence and sailing skills. The Sea Scout base is in Aquatic Park. Here you see Ghirardelli Square and the city unfold beyond the sails.

I painted this alongside the recreation trail that is on the Pacific Grove waterfront. This time I’ve chosen to include the buildings some of which are charming victorians. I enjoy the way the morning sunshine hits the bluffs and lights up the wildflowers that cling to them.

My focus in this piece was in catching the sun low on the horizon behind light clouds.

This piece was developed from watercolor sketches I made while visiting Skytop in Pennsylvania. I was drawn to the sun hitting the rocky outcropping and the water intersecting the shadows beneath.

This piece was inspired by watercolor sketches I made while in Rangiroa Tahiti of the moments before the sun sets on a day filled with balmy air and sunshine.

This small plein air study was painted on one of those extraordinary winter days where the sunshine and intense colors amaze.

I painted this on a lovely fall day with a palette knife at Quail Hollow Ranch Park in Felton.

1I started this on the Devil’s slide trail on a glorious early fall day. The main thing I was trying to capture was the warm glow into the water of the sun hitting the rock and the action of the surf. I have painted the Egg Rock Sea Stacks several times and realized when I got home that this time I didn’t catch the rocks at their best angle so I took some liberties with the shape of the main rock back in the studio.

I found a shady spot to paint this on a friend’s property in Mariposa. I focused on one of the many rock outcroppings covered in moss and dappled light.

Perched on a bluff in Mendocino, this painting invites us to lean over the edge and feel the power of the Pacific below. The turquoise water churns against dark rocks, while bright wildflowers cling stubbornly to the rugged coastline. It’s a reminder of the delicate balance between the raw force of the ocean and the quiet resilience of life along its edge.