I didn’t end up swimming in the pool at the Volivoli Dive Resort in Fiji though I’m glad I had a chance to paint it. I love the color of the shadows that seem to dance on the bottom of the pool.
Poolside Conversation
8″ x 6″ (sold)
Oils
Volivoli Yellow
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
While painting this plein air piece in Fiji, I was focused on the shifts in the yellows between the sunlit areas and shadow along with the reflections in the water. The name of the yellow boat is “Rush” though I never saw it move (aside from the action of the tide).
Volivoli Mangroves
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
Tropical mangroves play a vital role in healthy coastal ecosystems by helping abate erosion and serving a vital habitat for juvenile sea creatures. Mangroves are adapted to areas that are periodically submerged by salty tides. I love their ‘long legs’ and painted these on a visit to Fiji.
View Through Palms
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
I painted this from the deck in front of the room shared by my dive buddy and me in Fiji. The twin Christmas Palms are on the left side. They’ve long been one of my favorite types of palms though this think these are the first I’ve painted.
Singular
10″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
I loved painting palm trees in Fiji. In this painting, I was really took in the shadow cast in the shallow water.
Lakeside Palm Tree
8″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
I painted this piece at Lake Almaden in San Jose a couple of days after returning from a trip to the South Pacific. I think I still had kind of a palm tree sensibility going on.
July 4 New Almaden
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
Fun to paint a bit of New Almaden with flags flying for 4th of July celebrations. This historic town is nestled in the San Jose foothills with a heritage associated with cinnabar mining and quicksilver (mercury) production.
Rush Creek Morning
6″ x 8″ (sold)
This plein air piece was painted near the Big Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite. I was tuning into the olive and rust colors of the rushing water in the early morning light.
Caribbean Sailboats
9″ x 12″ oil on linen panel
While I’ve highlighted the sailboats in the title, my primary interest in this scene is the interplay between the between the oranges of the rocks and particular blues of the waters in the Caribbean.
Dock Mates
11″ x 14″ oil (private collection)
The Spirit of Tahoe is berthed at a dock in South Lake Tahoe where it is ready for day long cruising excursions. Early in the morning it sees the arrival and departure of several smaller fishing charter boats. I painted this scene from a nearby dock with a great view of all the comings and goings. In this piece, I am working to capture that moment early in the morning when the sunshine catches the boats and brings on a glow. This was painted as Memorial Day was set to kick off the busy Tahoe summer season. Coming after a very snowy winter, I also enjoyed painting the mountain backdrop still covered in all its snowy glory.
Exhibited …
2023 – Coastal Arts League “Seasons of Beauty”