Larry Groff

oil painting

landscape

Looking Downtown – from Balboa Park

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painting of downtown San Diego and I-5 and the 163
View from Balboa Park of Downtown San Diego, I-5 and the 163, Oil on linen 30″ x 40″ 9/09

This is a painting done from Balboa Park looking out over I-5 and the 163. For those who know the area I was painting in the overlook section behind the Air and Space Musuem. I worked on this off and on over the summer and just finished it a few days ago. I will need to take another photo, this one the greens aren’t accurate and has a slight diffuse glare on the painting that throws off the color somewhat. But gives you an idea of what I’ve been up to and satisfies my impatient need to show the world the fruits of my labor…

Getting back from the Summer of Doom

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painting under the Coronado Bridge
Tug Repair Oil on Panel 8″ x 10″ 7/07/09

I had an accident, a fall from Cowles Mountain, that messed up my hand in a big way earlier this summer. My painting sadly suffered in a big way during this time but I kept at it as best I could.
Here are my a few of my paintings during this time …

painting under the Coronado Bridge
Through the Docks, Oil on Panel 8″ x 10″ 7/09/09

view from Jackson Drive, San Carlos - San Diego
view from Jackson Drive, San Carlos – San Diego, Oil on linen 18″ x 24″ 8/09

view from Navajo Drive, San Carlos - San Diego
view from Navajo Drive, San Carlos – San Diego, Oil on linen 10″ x 14″ 8/16/09

View from the Grasslands

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painting of Mission Trails Grasslands
View from the Grasslands, Mission Trails Oil on Panel 9″ x 12″ 4/23/09

I decided to work a bit closer to home (this scene is only a mile or two from here) Sadly, my Mt Woodson paintings are on hold for a little longer as my client is wanting to make yet more changes to this big project I’m working on, grrrr! If I go to the mountain I will be too far from home (my workplace) However, I can always slip away for a couple hours or so to make little paintings like this one.

The grasslands is stunning this time of year, not yet too hot during the day and over the next couple of weeks thousands of migratory birds stop over here. The late afternoon light makes everything seem magical. Hopefully I can explore this feeling by making several more one sitting paintings over the next couple of weeks or so until I can get back to my mountain. I love this place!

Mt Woodson Boulders #23

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Mt Woodson Boulders
Mt Woodson Boulders #23 Oil on Panel 8″ x 10″ 4/13/09

I have been distracted over the past few weeks with animation work from Boston as well as a trip up to LA and a few other things. But I did manage to hike up the mountain again to work on this study. I’m not sure what I think about it yet. I really need to continue with these studies and find more ways to simplify and yet keep the light, space, and form of the boulders rock solid. I find it maddening to keep my focus on simplification rather that description – whenever my attention wavers I always seem to slip into wanting to add detail. As I clear my things to do list of non-painting work I hope to return to the mountain with renewed vigor to deal with this issue. As a note of interest, while working on this painting a bobcat walked behind me only a few yards away – according to a couple who happened to be walking nearby at the time. I was crestfallen that I didn’t get to actually see the bobcat myself!

I have been spending more time with my other blog, Painting Perceptions. It has been helping me with my own work by looking at how other painters have dealt with this simplification issue. I just wrote an article about Edwin Dickinson that hopefully will be useful to someone. I am also planning a trip in a couple of weeks to both Boston and Philadelphia to see show by both my old teachers, George Nick and John Moore. I also plan to see the big Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese show at Boston’s MFA along with the big Cezanne show at the Philadelphia museum of art. As an added bonus there is also a Scott Prior show at the Alpha Gallery in Boston. I am pumped!

View of the Musuem of Man and Cabrillo Bridge in Balboa Park

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View of the Musuem of Man and Cabrillo Bridge in Balboa Park
View of the Cabrillo Bridge Oil on Linen 20″ x 24″ 3/29/09

I’ve been working on this painting over several sittings. The color is somewhat darker and less muted in real life so I may replace the image later with a better photo.
I had to put my boulder paintings on the back burner temporarily and work on this painting that is closer to my home as I have some of my medical animation freelance work I’m in the middle of. By the end of the next week I should be back on the Mountain full-time, can’t wait!

painting with the California Art Club, San Diego

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View from Sunset Cliffs
Foggy View from Sunset Cliffs with CAC Oil on Panel 8″ x 10″ 3/19/09

Got to meet some wonderful plein air painters today with the California Art Club paint out at Sunset Cliffs. In particular it was nice to meet Jeff Yeomans. as it’s always great to meet other cityscape painters. This was the fruits of my labors. Could of used more time and more experience painting waves. As the weather heats up I am planning on spending more time painting the water.