The Road Home

9” x 12”  oil

The Daily Paintworks 

gift

This month The Virtual Paintout is visiting Ecuador. Using the Google Street View, we artists draw of paint as if we were actually there.  I traveled up high in the mountains looking for a spot that really spoke to me. I found it here, where the tall trees made lacy patterns against the night sky. I could imagine someone driving through the night, seeing that house with the lights on and knowing they were almost home. (To see this spot yourself, click here.)

Detail:

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas. It can be framed, but you could hang it up, just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Bright Flowers

oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

11 x 14 x 1.5

The Daily Paintworks 

  nfs

Winter weather calls for some bright color to balance the grey out. I saw some flowers at the farmers market that were an incredible magenta pink, and thought it would be the perfect painting challenge - to match that color and compliment it. Inspiration comes from everywhere, the landscape, a still life set up, a brief encounter with something or someone, but also the imagination. Imagination is one of the wonderful conditions of being human.

This piece is painted on all sides of a gallery-wrapped (or box) canvas. No need to frame it (but of course you could), it hangs flush against the wall and is ready to hang.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit me on Facebook at one of the many pages dedicated to flower paintings and still lifes. Thanks for looking!

Delphiniums

30" x 36"   Oil on canvas

nfs

Sometimes paintings find their way back to you. This painting went to a friend several years ago, and when she could no longer keep it, it was returned to me. I am most grateful, and wish to thank her. Being in my possession again, it is once again on the market. It is big - so big I had a hard time photographing it, hence the glare, sorry. It comes framed, a traditional wood frame, dark blue with silver highlights and a thin linen liner. 

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Street Scene

9" x 12"  oil

Daily Paintworks $75

The Virtual Paintout is traveling in Istanbul this month. As you may know, the VP uses Google Street View as a reference to draw or paint in a designated location. Istanbul is one of the oldest cities in the world, often called the "Gateway to the East," a city rich in history and culture. It was hard to decide what to paint - new or old, monuments or neighborhoods. I wandered around near Hagia Sophia (the famous monument, church and mosque), and found this old neighborhood not too far away. I was captivated its liveliness, by the colors and laundry, by the way people were living their lives as they had for centuries, generation after generation. 

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Autumn Woods

12" x 16"  oil on canvas

Daily Paintworks

sold

This is my tribute to the fall landscape, which has not actually happened here in drought-stricken California. I worked from a photograph taken in late summer at Stevens' Creek Park in Cupertino, and just let the image - and color - come out as it wanted.  I like it, I hope you do, too.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Leftovers

10" x 14"

oil on textured canvas

Daily Paintworks   $110

I went out to the garden to pick some flowers for a still life, but there was not much there. With the change in seasons and lingering drought, all I found were a few zinnias, dahlias, and some petunias. The leftovers, I guess. Still with this textured canvas and a bit of paint, they made a nice little painting.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Water-Buffalo Welcome

9" x 12"   oil on canvas

The Daily Paintworks   $75

The Virtual Paintout is traveling through the Philippines this month. Using Google Street View, we try and find a subject or scene to paint or draw that captures our enthusiasm. I traveled through Malasiqui, in the Ilocos Region, and found this friendly water buffalo standing by the side of this small farm. I found him to be most friendly and welcoming!

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Our Neighbors’ House

9” x 12”  oil on canvas

gift

My neighbor saw me outside doing a bit of plein air,  and said how much he would love a painting of his house. I was intrigued by the simple elegance of his porch and how the light created those slanting angles on the slate and across the plants and shrubs, so the challenge was on. Hopefully, they will be pleased with this painting. (They are very nice neighbors.)

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Old Oak at the Annex
Cuesta Park Annex

14" x 18"  oil on canvas

nfs

This is an older piece, which I have placed up for auction. When I painted it, the future of this park (in Mountain View, seemed to be in question, with many of the trees - like this one- slated for removal. Through much effort on the part of the community, plans were changed and the annex (a "wild" part of a big city park) has been left as it is. It is a wonderful little piece of the California landscape left just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Highway 211, Utah

9”x 12”   oil

The Daily Paintworks 

$75

This month, the Virtual Paintout has gone to Utah. Using Google Street View, we travel around looking for something to paint or draw. I found this quiet route through the mountains in Southern Utah which had the red, rocky mountains, contrasting with the lush greenery from nearby Indian Creek. It seemed a great place to stop and paint awhile, virtually speaking! This seemed like a good subject for some pallet knife painting, and so I did! It is thick with impasto paint!

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Etude

8” x10”  oil

The Daily Paintworks 

sold   

An etude is a short musical piece for the practice of technique. Etude also means study, and that is what this piece is. It’s a study for painting roses (a lifelong effort) and a painting of a study, perhaps. It’s also a study for a larger painting, still in the works. It’s also a still-life painting, but then so many still-lifes are actually studies.

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas,  it can be framed nicely, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

The Sunflower Plot

Willowgate Community Garden 

9" x 12"  oil on board
Daily Paintworks
sold

Summer always brings out the best in each gardener's efforts at the community garden. While many people grow a variety of things in their plots, others grow a lot of just a few things. This plot seems given to sunflowers, zinnias and the remains of some artichokes.  They all fit together nicely, and begged to be painted; it was hot, but a real pleasure to stand there and paint them. This piece was started out in the garden but finished in the studio - when I went back to paint, most of the flowers had been cut down!

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery at The Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

The Wild Woods

Monterey, California

9" x 12"   oil

The Daily Paintworks 

$75

The Virtual Paintout has gone to the Monterey Peninsula to do some drawing and painting. Using Google Street View, we select a scene that appeals to us and try and capture it - via the magic of the internet and our artistic efforts!

I love the Virtual Paintout because it gives me a chance to experiment with different styles and colors,  to paint pieces I might normally never think to do. While I doubt very much I would stand in this little woods and paint this scene like I have here, it was fun to try it, and play around a bit! (You can see what it really looks like by clinking on the link here.)

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas,  it can be framed nicely, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Blue Moon

9” x 12” oil

 Daily Paintworks 

 $75  

I went out to get the laundry and this is what I saw. Evening was coming on, there was a kind of mauve and violet light all around, and the moon - a blue moon - was rising up in the evening sky. The sun had not set yet, but the sky was overcast and cloudy, sort of a gentle ocher color. The moon, huge, luminous and grand, was a magical and mystical presence up in the evening sky.  It was unexpected so early, but very welcome and oh so beautiful!

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas,  it can be framed nicely, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Sunflower Season

10" x 20'   oil

nfs

It’s sunflower season again, and you’ll see sunflowers everywhere, in books and posters, coffee mugs and paintings - not to mention in most every garden. Such bright and happy flowers, we just can’t get enough of them!

This piece is painted on gallery-wrapped canvas,  it is quite deep - 1.5", and painted on all sides. No need to frame it. It hangs against the wall just as it is, comes with a wire, and is ready to go.

This is an older painting repainted. It's from a couple of years ago, and I was not happy with it then, so probably 65% is new.  If it looks slightly familiar, that's why!

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit me at Artistes de Studio, a site dedicated to studio work. Thanks for looking!

Southwest Sunrise

9” x 12” oil 

The Daily Paintworks   $75

The Virtual Paintout is an art challenge, where one uses Google Street View in a pre-chosen destination to depict people and places there. And it is a challenge - to find one scene out of so many that interest you - using the unwieldy new google street view - but fun none the less. This month we are in Sante Fe, New Mexico. I chose this scene because I like how the early morning sun raked across the land, casting shadows onto that house with those blue window frames. I could imagine myself standing out there painting it.

This piece is painted on all side of the canvas,  it can be framed or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit me at Artistes de Studio, a site dedicated to studio work. Thanks for looking!

Not-So-Still Life 

18” x 24” 1.5”

  Daily Paintworks  $400

This piece is more than a still life set up, it's an exploration of shapes, color and textures. It is also bigger than the usual ones, which gave me room to try different things - slathering on with mounds of paint, wielding knives, brushes and scrapers. To say that it was an exercise in fun, or a journey of discovery seems redundant, but it was fun, and for every decision I made, every color I put down, I had to sacrifice other ideas and color choices. I think this is often what painting can be about, and why I love it so much! 

 

(some close-ups)

This piece is painted on gallery-wrapped canvas, and because it is quite deep, the painting goes around on all sides. No need to frame it (but of course you could), it hangs flush against the wall.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit me on Facebook. Thanks for looking!

Red Geraniums

8” x 8” x 1.5  oil on canvas

sold

Geraniums must be the most commonplace of flowers, they are everywhere. People rarely take notice of them, while still appreciating them for their color and durability. What with this ongoing drought in California, they are one of few flowers still blooming, which is what made me take note of them! I’ve had them blooming by my back door for ages, and finally realized how nice they would be in a painting. 

This piece is painted on all sides of a gallery-wrapped canvas.  No need to frame it (but of course you could), it hangs flush against the wall.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit me at Artistes de Studio, a site dedicated to studio work. Thanks for looking!

Sunset at Lake Mõlsaküla

9” x 12”  oil on canvas

The Daily Paintworks $75

The Virtual Paintout is visiting Estonia this month. Using the Google Street View, we have traveled around to draw or paint the local landscape or scenes which might have caught our attention. This man-made lake across from some old castle ruins were what caught my eye. (You can see it here.) Though I was tempted by the ruins on the other side of the road, I especially liked the quiet and reflective scene of the sun going down over the lake, and knew that it would make a good painting.

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas, so it can be framed, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit my Facebook page! Thanks for looking.

Light Rail Stop

9x12  oil on panel

Daily Paintworks $75

The light rail train sits at the transit station in Mountain View, where I live. The bright green trees and cool shadows contrast perfectly with the lovely violet blooms of the jacaranda tree, presenting a picturesque little scene.

This song played over and over in my head as I stood out there painting, I'll share it with you because it's just so beautiful. "The Train Leaves at Eight" by Mikis Theodorakis. 



                  

This  painting is on linen wrapped panel. 

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit my Facebook page! Thanks for looking.

 Český Houses

Český Krumlov, Czech Republic

9” x 12”  oil on canvas

Daily Paintworks  $75

The Virtual Paintout is traveling around the Czech Republic. Using the Google Street View, we have toured the city of Český Krumlov.  Just outside the city center, I found this charming neighborhood where the rooftops were as numerous as the gardens and trees. What a pleasant place to visit or live!

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas, so it can be framed, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit my Facebook page! Thanks for looking.

Peonies

11” x 14”  oil

Daily Paintworks 

 nfs

When the peonies bloom you have to just stop everything and paint them. They aren’t going to wait, so you have to get to work, and try and get it right the first time. If you're lucky, you capture what beautiful and special flowers they are.

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas, so it can be framed, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit my Facebook page! Thanks for looking.

Tulip Season

11” x 14”  oil

Daily Paintworks $99

Spring is tulip time and the beautiful blooms are everywhere.  They grace the most beautiful rooms, but even bring elegance to the plainest places. Artists love them, they are always a pleasure to paint.

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas, so it can be framed, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit my Facebook page! Thanks for looking.

Himalayan Roadway

(Bhutan)

9" x 12"  oil

Daily Paintworks, $75

Bhutan was our destination, when The Virtual Paintout went traveling this month. Using Google Street View, we go around a chosen destination looking for something to paint or draw. I found this scenic vista, near Narphu, way up in the mountains. At the top of the world, it seems like. Between prayer flags and road side temples, there were places of complete beauty. It would take your breath away, and that is what I tried to paint. You can see for yourself by clicking here.

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas, so it can be framed, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks, or visit many of the paintings sites on Facebook, “Landscapes” is one of many.  Thanks for looking!

Motor Car Tune Up

9” x 12”  oil on canvas

Daily Paintworks Auctions

 $75

It was the angles and layers, the contrast between the squares and rounds, buildings and trees, sun and shadow that caught my eye and made me want to paint this scene. But this is also a little slice of history.  This auto shop was once one of many. The whole area, east of the tracks, was home to car repairs, fast food joints and bars. But all that has changed rapidly. Mountain View is now home to Google, LinkedIn, and more start-ups than you can count. Facebook is up the road a little. Which means the sleepy town that once was has changed into a bustling new empire, and shops (such as this) are being replaced with everything upscale. The old buildings are mostly memories now. 

Motor Car Tune Up was run by a friendly, honest mechanic, Angie. He was here for decades, and everybody liked him. It seems right to paint this - to remember the “old Mountain View”, and how it used to be.

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas, so it can be framed, or hung up just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks.  Thanks for looking!