The Skyline Studio

As The Crow Flies

2011-11-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on canvas

This work was painted to be included in the Wild Arts Festival fundraiser for the Portland, Oregon Audubon Society. Art Media (a local art store soon to become "Dick Blick"), donated the 6 inch by 6 inch canvases and asked artists to donate their time and talent to create a piece of art that will be sold at the festival held on November 19 and 20, 2011. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by 2701 Vaughn street. It's a lot of fun!

Hundred Valleys Art Exhibit

2011-09-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

I feel honored to have these two landscapes included in the 5th annual Juried Art Show for the Umpqua Valley Arts Association . The show, entitled "Hundred Valleys Art Exhibit" will hang from September 16th through October 26th at the Hallie Brown Ford Gallery in Roseburg, Oregon. The reception will be Friday, September 16th from 5pm to 7pm. It's free! Come on over!

Endless Possibilities

2011-08-19T20:42:00.001-07:00

36"x36" oil on canvas $4,800

After doing quite a few smaller works, I decided to take the size up a notch. At 3 feet by 3 feet, this cloud vista is impressive on the wall!

The Concert

2011-06-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on canvas $700

This piece was just finished and came off the easel a few days ago. It is a commission for a collector (and good friend) of mine. She gave me a specific size, color scheme and subject matter and this is what came off the brush. Normally for a commission there is a couple of emails depicting the work in progress. That didn't happen this time, but thankfully she loves the end result. Mission accomplished.

Rising Clouds

2011-05-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

8"x8" oil on panel $400

This little gem was was painted on birch panel. I've done a handful now, and the more I use the panels, the more I enjoy them as opposed to painting on canvas. I've been buying them with a 2 inch cradle (sides) so they really pop off the wall.

Waiting Their Turn

2011-02-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

12"x12" oil on canvas $700

Lately, distant vistas, vast skies and voluminous clouds have been a recurring theme of mine. As we are still in the midst of a Pacific Northwest winter with many months to go before the skies clear up and the sun comes out, I had to find a way to access the kind of beauty and warmth that I longed for. So I painted it! This piece will be one of many to be in my next show at the Scott-Milo Gallery in Anacortes, Wa.

Late Summer

2011-01-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on canvas
Sold!

This piece, which I painted last year, was plucked off the wall just moments ago and into the arms of its new owner. Last year was my best in terms of exposure and sales, and this year is looking even better! It's a great feeling to know that people want your work.....and even better when they buy it! This calls for the happy dance.

River Watch

2011-01-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

12"x12" oil on canvas

Sold

The New Year doesn't get any better when it starts off with a sale of art within the first week! To top it off, it sold through my studio and not a Gallery. It's nice to occasionally pocket the commission fees for myself. Because the buyer selected it from an image on my website and not in person, I am a little concerned of the discrepancies that will become apparent, as not all monitor calibrations are equal, and I'm not sure what she saw on her end. She won't really know what she's bought until she holds in in her hands. I'm hoping it lives up to the buyers expectations. This is a great start to a New Year!

Winter's Day

2010-12-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on canvas $250

Winter Solstice is upon us. That time of the year when the dimly lit skies are myriad shades of the cold colors of blue and gray. My beautiful deciduous trees are naked and shivering with the North winds that blow through. It's also a time of reflection and change, for the old year is nearing its expiration and will move over to make room for the new one.

This will be my last post of 2010. I wish everyone a warm and safe winter. And here's to a kind and generous 2011, may it be the best year yet!

Amongst The Clouds

2010-11-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

8"x8" oil on panel $400

This is the second and final piece that that I painted for a show in Bellingham, Washington for the "Little Gallery". The opening reception will be Friday, December 3, 6-10pm and will run until December, 18.

Afternoon Delight

2010-11-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

8"x8" oil on panel $400

This is one of two pieces that were painted for an upcoming show called "Small Treasures at the Little Gallery" with the "Little Gallery" in Bellingham, Washington. I've only painted on panel just a couple of times, and even at this small size, (8"x8"), it is bigger than any other panel I've previously painted. It's a very different experience than working with canvas and I found myself completely absorbed in my work. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I am able to get detail and fine lines that I found elusive with a textured canvas. This may revolutionize the way I paint in the future.

Winds Of Change

2010-10-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

24"x24" oil on canvas $2100

No doubt you can tell I'm inspired by the dramatic Pacific Northwest skies. I am frequently asked if I am a "Plein Air" painter and though on occasion I have painted outside on site, my usual procedure is to take a lot of photographs and go back to the creature comforts of the studio to work out my composition. If you are in the Portland, Oregon area, I'm currently showing through November 30th at Proper Eats Restaurant. Come see!

Standing Ovation

2010-07-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

24"x24" oil on canvas $2100

This was painted a few months ago in anticipation of the September Allied Art Galley show in Bellingham, Washington. I have a tendency to paint in warmer colors and of vistas that are far more temperate than in my studio on a cold Pacific Northwest winter day.

Dialogue

2010-07-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

18"x18" oil on canvas $1,200

This is one of several new pieces painted for my September art show at the gallery of Allied Art Of Whatcom County in Bellingham, Washington. The reception is "First Friday", September 3, from 6pm till 10pm. Check it out!

Windswept

2010-06-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on canvas $700

One By The Creek

2010-04-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on canvas $700

This piece currently hangs in the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem, Oregon. A few people have asked me about it lately, so I thought I'd post a picture of it. Salem is about an hour south of Portland, right on I-5. If you find yourself in the area, take a look!

Mending The Heart

2010-02-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

11"x8" oil on paper

In honor of Valentines, I thought I would dredge up one of the few remaining "Heart" pieces from the archives. Executed in 1999, the title of the work as well as the safety pin speaks for itself.

Finding Your Way

2010-01-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

2"x2" oil on canvas on metal can

This is a piece that was donated to the "Nourish and Sustain" auction at the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem, Oregon. It will be showing February 1-27 with the proceeds benefiting the Marion Polk Food Share.

100 artist were directly mailed an empty can and told to create something . I choose to open it, flatten it and texture it with a hammer on concrete, creating the perfect 2 dimensional surface to mount a picture. What you see here is the small canvas I painted and attached to the front of the flatten can.

What Once Was

2009-12-15T21:41:00.001-08:00

10"x10" oil on canvas $500

There is something in me that longs to reach back into time when the weather was more palatable to my personal body thermostat. Especially if I am sitting in a cold studio. This piece was inspired from a trip taken last summer by train up the coast of Rhode Island. I had never heard the term "brackish" water said as often as I did on that ride. I took lots of pictures and this piece was inspired by the landscape of the "brackish" waters of the East Coast.
I'd often see just one tree out on a lonely looking piece of land. A lot of the trees were bereft of life, having stood in place for years in various states of decay. I loved how lonely and isolated they looked. They weren't really alone, as I was watching over them, if only for a brief second.

The Course Of A Day

2009-11-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on canvas $250

This is the third and final piece of a run of similar paintings. This was inspired by the vistas along the Willamette Valley.

Creekside View

2009-11-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

6"x6" oil on canvas $250

This is the second piece of a small run of similar paintings.

Blue Afternoon

2009-10-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

6"x6" oil on canvas $250

Recently, I did a small run of paintings, depicting the play between the sky and the clouds. What can start off as a large span of deep blue horizon, can quickly turn into an evasive glimpse. This interaction and movement varies from second to second and I enjoy trying to capture the performance.

Autumn Sojourn

2009-09-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

10"x10" oil on canvas $500

It's getting to be that time of the year again. The season is in transition and the winds of change are beginning to blow. Up here at 1100 feet it is you can also throw in a good amount of rainfall. This piece was inspired by the vistas I see from the higher elevations looking down on the river. The skies are incredibly dramatic and change faster then the camera can capture them.

The Gift

2009-08-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on canvas $700

For those of you who have just tuned in, I am on a quest to paint twelve works of art. Each will be done in oil on canvas, in the same square sized format, 12 by 12 inches and all to depict a Raven. This is the second finished work. The others are in various stages of gestation, and will emerge when they are ready to fly.

The Offering

2009-08-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

12"x12" oil on canvas $700

The first of twelve Ravens emerge.

Raven

2009-06-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Raven 6"x6" oil on canvas
Sold

On occasion, I have been known to paint images other than landscapes and lately I've been feeling the call of the raven....again. This particular piece was painted last fall and quickly sold. It was the only one I did. Since then, I've been composing sketches and working out the layout for a series of raven paintings. There will be 12 total, all in oil on a square 12"x12" canvas. I am currently about half way through building the canvases that I'll be using. That staple gun is not for the meek. With each passing day, I'm getting more psyched to see these birds emerge from a blank surface. Stay tuned!

Sold!

2009-06-05T15:33:00.001-07:00

Willamette Blues 6"x6" oil on canvas
SOLD

Where A River Goes 6"x6" oil on canvas
SOLD

About three years ago I came up with the brilliant idea to paint 100 6"x6" oil on canvas landscapes and have them in an exhibit to be entitled "100 To Show". What I failed to realize was, as I painted them, if someone wanted to buy one, of course I'd sell it. Who am I to deny someone the pleasure of my craft? Ahem. So I continued painting and they continued (sporadically) selling. Now I sit at my easel realizing that I am nearing the end of my original inventory of 100. I knew with the sale of the first one, that my dream to have all of them at the same time had gone up in curls of smoke. Oh well. For what it's worth, I have about 50 left. Not nearly as cool as 100 to show. What brought all this up is that I recently sold two more little square gems at the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery. Here they are. Say goodbye to them.

Melancholy Skies

2009-05-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

20"x20" oil on canvas $1500

As long as the rain isn't pouring straight down on me and there isn't a chance I'd get struck by lightening, I can often be found out in turbulent weather, wrestling with a digital camera. I've clocked many hours trying to capture what I think would make for a great painting. This sky and its moodiness came from a shot I took last summer as a storm was coming in. It was off of an old abandon logging road close to my studio. If you wish to see it up close and personal, all you have to do is head on over to the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem, Oregon. I have other work there as well. Check it out!

Standing Alone

2009-05-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

6"x6" oil on canvas
Sold

Now and again while walking in a field or the woods, I'll come upon a solitary plant. The only kind like it, all by itself. The seed, carried there from an unknown source, made the decision to call it a day and put down roots. I can't help but to view this as an act of true courageousness. It takes tenacity, perseverance and spirit to thrive by yourself, weathering the elements and assorted other dangers that come with life in the wilderness. These solitary rogues put a smile on my face as I silently cheer them on. My wish for them is that they grow and flourish to a ripe old age. Strong, healthy and whole.

The Last Leaf

2009-04-21T21:40:00.001-07:00

24' x36" (Diptych) oil on canvas $2400

This piece was painted during an emotional time I was having in 2002. My father was 81, bedridden and struggling with poor health. Though his decline was inevitable and heart wrenching to experience, I still expected him to live forever. A product of the Great Depression and a veteran of WWII, he gave it a good try. It was seven years ago this month that he passed away. This work came out of my bereavement. It is a tribute to my father. He was one of a kind. He was the last leaf.

Art Show Opening!

2009-04-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Postcard for "City Life, Country Life"

Open for viewing are dozens of paintings and photographs in a group show entitled, City Life, Counry Life - 4 Artists, 4 Perspectives. (My piece is in the upper right hand corner). Hosted by Windermere Community Realty, 1901 NE Broadway, Portland, Oregon. Hours are 9-5 Monday-Friday. Two Receptions will be held, April 30th and May 1st. Come join us!

After The Rain

2009-04-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

20"x20" oil on canvas
Sold

A powerful and moody sky in transition. A glimmer of hope for a better day. Or maybe not. You decide.

Southwest Storm

2009-03-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

20"x20" oil on canvas $1500

I was in New Mexico a couple years ago in the late fall. The season was in transition and I was lucky enough to experience some fabulous storms that rolled through the area. In some places, all you could see was rock, sand, shrubs and vast amounts of land. Weaving in and out amongst it all is the Rio Grande.
This piece is one of a dozen of mine that will be in a 4-Person art show that is now open to the public! Windermere Realty is hosting the show, which will run through May 31st. 1901 NE Broadway, Portland, Oregon. Hours are Monday-Friday 9-5. There are two receptions scheduled back to back. April 30th and May 1st. Come have a look!

Walking The Wind

2009-03-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

20"x20" oil on canvas
Sold

This is another piece that was heavily influenced by the churning skies of the Pacific Northwest. This will also be present at my next opening, at Windermere Realty, 1901 NE Broadway Street, Portland, Oregon. We've almost locked in a reception date.......Will post when I know for sure!

West Hills

2009-03-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

20"x20" oil on canvas $1500

This is a piece that was inspired by the warm fall colors that were intermixed throughout the West Hills area of Portland, Oregon, last autumn. It will be one of a half dozen in a 4-person art show this April at a local Windermere Realty, 1901 NE Broadway St. (They had the walls, we had the art.) Stay tuned for the reception date!

Beyond The Clouds

2009-03-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

4"x4" oil on panel

Sold

This was a painting I donated for a February auction at the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem, Oregon. The proceeds went to help the non profit, Friends of Pimpollo. Happily, it went for the maximum bid of $300. I usually work on canvas so it was a treat to try out the "feel" of a different surface and maybe learn something new. Because of the size, cost and ease, I'm thinking I may come back to this medium in the future. Happy day....this is my first blog!