Pancake commission...not for sale

This is a pancake commission I finally finished. It's one of 4 projects I brought with me to complete by Christmas. Click on the image for a larger view.

Rocky Shore SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

It's great to jump back into the reference I shot while we were in Tahoe. Secret Harbor was the only area that was easy to access that day, so you will probably see a few more that are similar to this composition. Click on the image for a larger view.

Aspens of Tahoe SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

This is my second try at painting Aspens. They seem to have a special place in artists hearts because I have seen so many renditions over the years. I guess it's the whiteness of the bark and the strange spots or knotholes that are all over them. Alot less boring than the dark brownish grey regular trees of the world. Click on the image for a larger view.

Convoy to Blythe SOLD(Click here to view results on eBay)

We had an early Thanksgiving in San Marcos, California with our sons and thier families the weekend before Thanksgiving on Thursday, and on the drive across the Arizona and California deserts from Pheonix, you pass through the border city of Blythe, California. I first saw Blythe in 1973, and it was barely 3 gas stations, a MacDonalds and some assorted stores in the middle of what felt like nowhere. Now it's a great place to stop for a break from the drive and especially for summertime getaways to hang out on the Colorado River. Click on the image for a larger view.

Inyo Mountains #2 SOLD (Click here to view eBay)

This is the second piece I did from shots taken just south of Bishop, California in the Owens Valley. It's a view of the Inyo Mountains that stretch along the eastern side of that valley. Click on the image for a larger view.

Quixote Revisted SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

While driving from Pheonix to San Diego last weekend for an early Thanksgiving with my sons families, I stopped just an hour out, on I-15, for this shot. It reminded me of the story of Don Quixote by Cervantes, and old romantic who rode out searching for adventure and glory. He was from Spain and as he rode across Europe he came upon windmills that he thought were giants. These giant electric towers that are strung all over the desert have always reminded me of metal giants. Click on the image for a larger view.

Ducks on a Pond SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

This is a painting I did from a shot of some ducks I saw on the pond near the Bow Bridge in Central park. Click on the image for a larger view.

Sunlit Stream SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

This is another view of the stream that feeds into Leaf Lake near Lake Tahoe. Click on the image for a larger view.

Tahoe Aspens SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

This was the last light we caught while driving aroound Lake Tahoe. We found this group of Aspens the night before when it was already dark and had hoped we were going to be able to make it all the way around the lake the next day before the sun set again. Click on the image for a larger view.

Inyo Mountains, Owens Valley SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

This is a scene of the Inyo Mountains that l rise above the Owens Valley on the eastern side. We stayed in Bishop, California on the last night before getting to Pheonix and all the way down highway 395 to the 40 freeway is some of the best wide open spaces I've ever seen. It's green, gold, violet, and blue, depending on which direction you're looking. Click on the image for a larger view.

Over the Bridge SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

I can't remember the location of this scene, but we were walking along the outside border of Central Park and I took a look over the wall to see this view. My best guess is that it somewhat south of Strawberry Fields. Click on the image for a larger view.

Tree Bridge SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

This is the second location at Tahoe that sort of worked out for us. It is a scene of a stream that feeds a smaller lake called Leaf Lake, that is just west of lake Tahoe. The are both mountain lakes created by glaciers and plate movements caused by earthquakes millions of years ago. Click on the image for a larger view.

Secret Harbor SOLD (Click here to view results on eBay)

This is my first painting done from our trip west to Pheonix. We stopped in Lake Tahoe for a couple of days and explored as much of the lakes shores as we could. Unfortunately most of the lakes public parks had closed by the 1st of October. The only easily accessable shore to get to was Secret Harbor on the Nevada side of the lake. The others would have been an hour hike just to get down to the shore from the highway above, and we didn't have that much time to spare.
This is a real breakthrough for me as a technique. I tried to keep the brushstrokes direct and the paint thick, and the most important thing for me, I left unimportant shapes and objects, just an impression without adding details. Click on the image for a larger view.