Welcome to my blog section where I generally show works in progress, smaller paintings as well as some of my just completed larger paintings. The painting section is the best place to see my body of work as a whole but this blog is updated more frequently and sometimes includes brief comments about the work.

I also run a blog called Painting Perceptions, a blog primarily concerned with modern painting made from observation and other issues related to contemporary perceptual painting.

I welcome your comments and feedback.

(work in progress)

Here is what I’ve been up to the past few months – painting more view from the Mission Hills area of San Diego.

Also, I hope to continue painting more scenes from the Downtown area – here is one venture (around 15 x 16 inches – oil on paper)

Altamirano Way, Mission Hills, Cliff May House – 17 x 28 inches, oil on linen, 6/2011

Here is a painting I recently finished, a home in the Mission Hills area of San Diego, one of several recent ventures trying to generate interest and attention to my commissioned paintings of homes venture (www.abodeart.com) Cliff May was a prominent architect in Southern California and was best known for his California Ranch Style homes back in the 1940′s and 50′s. I’m very happy that this relatively new venture (at least new in that I’ve been pursuing it more seriously) is starting to show promise with my recently getting a number of commissions. My goal is to not let commissioned work veer too far of course artistically from what I’d pursue on my own. I also need to make sure I get a healthy balance with my own paintings along with commissioned work.

Here are two recent commissions that I made in the Hillcrest area.

Here is another painting I made recently, not a commission but the owner of the house bought the painting after seeing it.

The King is Dead, Long Live the King, 04/11, Oil on Canvas 24 x 24 inches

I decided to replace the background drapery with a map of Western US instead, I’m much happier with it now.

update: This painting will soon be on view in Boston’s Copley Society Show – Matter, Medium, & Meaning: A Contemporary Still Life Show, curated by George Nick
19 May – 01 Jul 2011

a post-note – this painting won a Juror’s choice award

Zola’s Toys, 04/11, Oil on Linen 16 x 20 inches

These are two new still lifes, first done from life for quite some time. I forget how comfortable it can be with controlled lights, no interruptions from strangers walking by, and having music playing! However, I’m itching to get back outside now that our unusual run of cloudy day of wind and rain is passing.

Yellow Cranes at the Shipyard, 03/14/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches

Navy Ship with Crane, 03/15/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches

Two new alla prima studies at the shipyard. I’ve been going down there in the morning the past couple of days. The more time I spend there I keep seeing new possibilities for subjects and new ways for putting together a painting. Eventually these may evolve into larger, more ambitious and mult-session paintings of this subject.

Shipyard Study #2, 03/08/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches

Train-yard Study #1, 03/09/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches

Train-yard Study #2, 03/11/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches

I’ve been painting down off Cesar Chavez Parkway in Barrio Logan with the views of the shipyard and train switching yard or train-yard, not sure of the actual name. I’m excited by this place an amazing wealth of subjects worth investigating. I’ve been looking at views further in the distance “zooming in” and giving myself permission to move stuff around more than I usually do. Sometimes when the view is so busy it frees me up to be less literal and more abstract – push the painting more. I want to continue making a number of paintings here at different times of the day and explore how far I might increase simplification and abstraction.

El Cortez, 03/11, Oil on canvas 18 x 18 inches

This is a painting I’ve been working on in the downtown area of San Diego of the El Cortez building. I’m excited by a number of other nearby downtown scenes and also working with this square format. The parking meters here only last for 2 hours so I’m trying to limit myself to only working in 2 hour timeframe (over multiple sitting – maybe limiting it to no more than 4 sittings) This way I’ll get less parking tickets and perhaps enhanced vigor in the paintings.

Mission Hills Homes, 03/11, Oil on linen 16 x 20 inches

Another recent painting, this time where I’ve been working on painting a number of residential homes in the Mission Hills section of San Diego neighborhood in an effort to get more commissioned paintings of people’s homes. I’ve sold a couple recently giving me hope this could be a good way to support myself until gallery sales alone will suffice. As a way to get people aware of my work I try to pick interesting scenes where people can see me painting and hopefully encourage interest. I only want to paint scenes that genuinely interest me visually and not just for the home owner – hopefully this can work. Here is a link to my dedicated website for this venture – I call my new commissioned paintings business Abode Art.

View from 3rd Ave, Downtown, 02/11, Oil on canvas 18 x 18 inches

I’ll be posting a number of more recent paintings now. Hard to believe that I’ve let this much time slip by since my last posting. Have barely touched my website in the past several months as I’ve been busy with painting and working on my other blog Painting Perceptions. Hopefully I can again be more consistent with posting recent work.

This is my most recent painting, done over 4 sittings. I loved the geometry of how these buildings divided the space on this square with the focus on the white building (must find out the name of this building – when I do I’ll change the title).

Baja Produce, 01/11, Oil on canvas 18 x 24 inches

Study for Baja Produce, 01/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches

These two paintings were done from life in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego, view from Cesar Chavez Parkway of a couple of small homes next to the Baja Produce building.

View of Shipping Terminal from the Pier at Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan, 01/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches

I went painting with Kathryn Law recently down at the Pier at Cesar Chavez Park in Barrio Logan near the Coronado Bridge. An amazing place with awesome views of the harbor. The light was changing and it was a little chillier than we are used to here, although having to wear a sweater in January isn’t too much to ask I suppose!