BLUE WAVE

High surf warnings and monster breaking wave...that's all the entertainment we need this weekend. "What did you do this weekend?" "Watched waves break." and paint. jb

WHITE PUMPKINS

White Pumpkins, Second Try. I got so wound up painting this week, I decided to do my own portrait just for kicks, which is a real stretch for me. I started it as I was finishing this one, so I had to walk away so I'd get the pumpkin colours out of my head.
Getting out to the studio every day, especially early,what a difference. Every day I understand my oils a little better...what does what when. I've been consciously putting together all the little tips I'm reading and observing and It's starting to come together. jb

CHALLANGE NUMBER 4

This work in in response to Karin Juric's Different Strokes From Different Folks blog. I loved this subject matter so much I painted it twice from different perspectives. jb

SEPTEMBER LATE AFTERNOON

I painted this pochade just as the afternoon warmth began to fade. The water was so still; I was mesmerized by the light and my elevated perspective. Lovely afternoon daydreaming.

In response to a comment on the prior post: I have been watching Karin Juric's videos so I was most definitely influenced by her beautiful work...but really, I went back to basics and broke it all down piece by piece into shapes and values which I took also from Carol Marine's workshop. My muse is "The Jas de Bouffon" by Cezanne, at the very begining of this blog; the brushstrokes!

I just focused on what info was given me, Karin's mandate. Thank you so much for noticing. jb

MOVIE MAN

Here is my second go at Karin Juric's Challange on her blog DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS.
I'm totally pleased with this figurative work and I actually had so much fun painting this piece. The thing is, I think I'm getting it, working in oil. I love that someone so talented and admired by so many shares so much. Thanks Karin. I'm ready for lesson four. jb

MESA

SETTING SUN

LATE AFTERNOON

CRACKER JACK

I follow several artist blogs whose work I never tire of: Karin Jurick has started a challenge blog, a call for enteries-Different Strokes For Different Folks- to post your painted version of one of her photographs. Her painting is the first on the blog and all contributions are posted thereafter. I love it. I jumped right in. I had a direction, a mandate.
This work is Cracker Jack, Karin's dearest dog, now passed. As I was painting I was thinking about all the dogs I'd lost and how. I'd get weepy and take a mis-brushstroke and mess the thing up, repaint until it was mud, painted a new version, made mud...Ten layers! Three days!
Ckeck her work out. You won't be disappointed. jb

ANOTHER SUNNY DAY

One can tell the California Weather on the central coast by my blog...Sunny days the paintings come out all orange, yellow, pink...Fog bank rolls in, all paintings turn out grey and purple. jb

LONELY WALK

I have fun playing with textures and techniques. I like to use glazing and drybrush strokes when I work in acrylics. I'm so struggling with oil paints. I'm wating for that magic moment Karin Jurick talks about when she "got it" working in oil. jb

GLORIOUS DAY 2

A pochade captured on the same beach path we walk every day. The day was so clear and bright, I had the darkest of glasses and a deep-brimmed hat on, and still everything turned to golden sunlight. jb