SILLY ON THE BEACH

SillyGurl will not participate in the morning dog walk unless she gets a treat. This is her classic pose; sits there and waits until she gets her own way. I'm trying to move fast through some candid dog paintings but I'm experimenting with the techniques to capture very curly-haired coats. I overworked this a bit again.jb

LATTE GETS A TRIM

We have seen this girl before, my sister's dog, LATTE. She needed a clean-up of eye hairs as per Mrs. Waller! I always dread going back in to touch up. I have that habit of painting way too much and overdoing it. I have six thousand brush strokes in this painting, so many overlayers. I went back to look at the blog of a painter I'm knocked out by, Carol Marine, and counted her brushstrokes on her latest work....25 maybe. I must get back to her basics. jb

RASCAL ON THE RUG

I have never seen or met this pup in person; painted from a photo, so I hope I've done this pooch justice. Another 6x6 for the Open Studio Tour in Los Osos, San Luis Obispo County, October 17 & 18.

I WANT TO EAT THIS SOOOO BAD

This little cupcake is my entry into Different Strokes From Different Folks blog by Karin Jurick (Check side links) but I didnt finish it in time to meet the deadline, so I posted it unfinished, in my eyes anyway. I'm in slow motion lately; everything is a long labor. Look for a re-post down the line. jb

HAVAH THINKING

Hi, Havah! Finally finished your painting. We are all so lonesome for you to come back. Pup goes,"Where is that kid?..where's the kid?...where's the kid? love, GeGe.

LULU EVERY MORNING

I always meet this dog on the beach every morning, She loves a head rubbing and puppy-kisses. So sweet and gentle. Part of my Los Osos collection of dogs I'm painting to include in the open Studio Tour October 17 & 18. 6x6 small format animal portraits in oil, $100. jb

A MORNING CHILL

I actually can feel the cold, damp under this eroded cliff. I used my paint very thin on clay board and then worked with dry-brush and glazing. believe it, there are a hundred layers on this. Sometimes I daydream and then find I've glazed the thing into oblivion. Love the way the clayboard sucks the oil mediums up. jb

MUSEUM COVE LAUNCH

I have been painting on both smooth gesso panels and canvas panels. Somehow I have a shipment of clayboard meant for water mediums and I guess oil pastels, but someone in the art supply store said just paint on whatever you want with oils. Paint with oils on heavy watercolor paper, etc.
So the clay board soaks up paint immediately. I was playing with thinning paint, also using glazing and dry brush techniques with the oil pigments. I'm much pleased with the first few results. It's like painting a fresco and I'm crazy about dry-brush strokes. Took the picture while out kayaking. This is our launch spot in Morro bay. jb

COVE BELOW THE MUSEUM

UP BROADERSON HILLS

Three and a half months off. Had a wonderfully fine summer playing with grandchildren; very difficult getting back to any work at all and any great artistic jag I might have been on... well, I just have to start over again. Open Studio Tour is the weekend of October 17 & 18 this year. I'm working on a variety of pieces, but here is a good start. jb

LATTE

LATTE. Another portrait of a family dog, my sister's dog Latte, a french hound. Finally back to work after a month and a half off...a little stiff, but I started six paintings hoping to smooth out. jb

LOST AT SEA

My most recent entry for the Different Strokes From Different Folks blog hosted by Karin Jurick. I enjoyed the figurative work in this challenge and I'm really pleased. The reflections and light on the wet sand is working for me. jb

SUSHI SAUCE BUBBLES

Here it is: Blog Entry 100. Love it. This is my entry into this week's Different Strokes From Different Folks blog. Check all the entries - link in the right column. Always a difficult challenge each bi-week entry. I enjoy participating; I must check to look at everyone else's work at least every hour on the hour. Always a surprise. jb

SILLY SILLY

I had another go at my dog, one of the dogs, SillyGurl. I gave the first picture to granddaughter Havi and then had to have one for myself. My whole career working with glass, I have not a single piece of my own work; likewize for textiles. So this one we will keep. I did one of Puppy but it was purchased by one of her admirers! I'm trying to capture all our dog friends in Los Osos for a show. Hope to see you at the Bayfront beach. jb

SOPHIE

Painted dogs all week long. Everyone should have their portrait and their pets' portrait done ..I guess include the children too. I'm just doing something every day to keep loose. Commissions accepted, by the way. jb

Gold Sky

I like to get closer and closer in on the same vistas I paint over and over. I fell off my flipflops again and twisted my knee up so I can't get very far afield to new hikes. Three days off now to garden and paint...Show coming up in June and Open Studio Tour in October. jb

DEEP REFLECTIONS

My latest entry in the Different Strokes From Different Folks blog(see link right). This is a success for me for several reasons...I reused a painted-over panel; I painted loose and free; I finished in an hour; I love the brush strokes; finally, I haven't been able to paint for weeks due to brain malfunction freeze-up due to general mental/physical breakdown called life. jb

WORKS IN PROGRESS

I have lost it the last week...nothing has worked out. I wiped eight panels and these two were barely salvageable. Here is the question: What do you do to panels that have been painted on, paint dried and now you want to use it again? Do you re-gesso it? Do you paint over with a new oil ground? What? jb

SILLYGURL WORK IN PROGRESS

My dog Silly Gurl, rescued from the pound..dead dog walking. Her name is SillyGurl because she just is a silly girl. We don't think she is really a dog. We think she is someone or something else come back for a specific reason and she's really horrified to be a dog.
Speaking of which... a loving, sad farewell to Ella Bella and Obie, two apple-head longhairs who lost their lives to a greyhound rescue dog doing what greyhounds do best, chase small things. They are in dog paradise, with Aggie and Pebo, where all best loved dogs go. Sad night indeed. jb

LEROY

Leroy's portrait commissioned by my sister Ann for Leroy's owners. I'm saying Leroy is rocking that "do." jb

OLD OAK

Perfumo Canyon Road winds up and over the coastal range connecting Los Osos Valley with Avila Vally. Just reaching the top before descending down into late afternoon Los Osos. One of those brilliant days where everything is possible and nothing can go awry. jb

ON THE TRAIL VALENCIA

Hiking down the trail from the top of Valencia Peak in Montono D'Oro, 5 minutes from the house. jb

WINDOWS, SAN FRANCISCO

Another entry in the Different Strokes From Different Folks blog hosted by Karin Juric. The links are to the right. I really struggled again with this one as my hands shake too much for linear work. After at least ten days and twenty paintings-over, I quit at this last version, which I admit I like. jb

BELL TERRE

I finished this work of my house on Belle Plains Road. It was an old historic Civil War road up from the creek off the Potomac River, into Falmouth and Fredericksburg at the fall line. I was forever finding artifacts from the war as the property was a calvery camp during the march up into battle at Fredericksburg. Miss Elizabeth, over 100, died in the room with the light on. She was a seamstress in life and when renovating the house, I found her needles and cases along with handmade lace , buttons and woven fabric remnents under the floor. Her spirit stayed on when she passed a hundred years ago and appeared to me several times while I was the owner the property. Why I never painted the house when I was standing in the woods surrounding the place before is unanswered. I named the home Belle Terre because it was. jb

BLEAK COVE WINTER

Rework of an earlier painting idea on a cold winter day. jb

JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

My last challenge from Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks blog. (The link is to the right or click the painting title.) Thanks to those who write and leave comments for me. I truly appreciate your thoughts and praise. I have to say these challenges have been difficult for me. Oil painting in general is daunting for me. Oh, I get it, but I can't leave it alone. I changed this one radically at the very end...couldn't leave well enough alone. Great lesson in values. This is supposed to be a night scene. I've even stood right there a hundred times and still it was tough. Love the challenges though. jb

WINTER BEACH

January has been a beautiful month here in Los Osos, California. All sunshine and then some good hard rains here and there so the beach flora is all penny-candy colored and the sea is all froth. jb

JANUARY LOW TIDE

JEANNE BAUER PAINTS DONNA BEVERLY

This was by far the most difficult challenge for me. I painted this portrait of Donna Beverly for the Different Strokes Blog. (SEE LINK RIGHT) We were paired up to paint each others portrait for our year-end challenge. It was difficult. I tried to be loose, but I painted tight. I tried to be colorful but painted too realistic. In fact, there are 32 better paintings under this one but I just had to add that last touch, which blew it, which led to painting over a little more. Then my husband showed up and said no, she's more zen/sad/meditative and I'd add a little more...mouth/lips/nose were changed at least 20 times. jb

BELLE PLAINS

Work in progress. I have been painting every day. But I have been away since 12/15/08 and it's tough painting on the road, especially with oils. I had the best time with my grandson and we painted or drew something every day.
Before I moved to California, I lived in Fredericksburg, VA, in a two-hundred-year-old house on the Potomac River. I always meant to paint it, but never did. I've been dreaming about that place for a while so I started some works. This needs much work so stay tuned. jb

BRIAN

I have been interested in portrait painting lately. This is a work in progress of my son Brian when he was just out of the Navy. I'm afraid to touch it now for fear of blowing it. I always over-paint. jb