goodbye 2016

So, it is the end of a productive year and the eve of a new and creative time. I reached some unexpected goals this past year - showing my work in the 3 best art galleries in town (Easton Gallery, Sullivan-Goss and Marcia Burtt Gallery), as well as other local venues (Faulkner Gallery, Gallery 113, Palm Loft Gallery, the Bacara) and nearby Museum exhibits (Wildling Museum, Santa Paula Art Museum). Also started working toward some new and future projects: the Rose Compass group (A River's Journey) for 2017, a final group show at Easton Gallery, and a 2 person exhibition with my pal Libby Smith in 2018. Who knows what else may come along? It's just important to keep working, regardless. 

The last few weeks, being hectic with holiday events, still provided some time to paint and have some great adventures. The Rose Compass group spent a day touring Jameson Lake/Juncal Dam with our guides Chad and Louis from the Montecito Water District. The Lake is at about 6% capacity, creeks dried up and watershed sadly barren. It was amazing to see this up close and personal, driving and walking the back-country roads. Thankfully we have had a little rain - enough to pull us out of our year-round fire season - but not enough to offset the drought conditions. Check our web-site, rose-compass.com for updates on that project.

Lib and I got out to paint at Tucker's Grove several times - looking at the same oak tree. 

old oak I, oil on panel, 8"x10"

old oak II, oil on panel, 8"x10"

So here's to a New Year of more painting, more shared adventures and trying to make the best of everything.

mid-december

cold weather snap and even a small bit of rain - enough to green things up, but also to fool you into thinking we might be out of the drought. No such luck.

A break from painting with the Rose Compass group and back to some Monday painting as well as catch up in the studio. Hard to get time during the holidays, but we will get a special treat to visit Jameson Lake/Juncal Dam next Tuesday. This is the first stop in the Santa Ynez river watershed and the reservoir feeds Montecito.
Should be pretty striking to see and great to have time to paint there.

Came back from the Ranch retreat with a fascination for sycamore trees. We found some beauties at Tucker's Grove.

sycamore clump, oil on panel, 9"x12"

this was a gray, low cloud day at tucker's grove, a good 20 minute walk up the trail. we went back 2 days later to keep working on it. the light of course was different, but it was good to have another look.

I've worked in the studio on some of the paintings started at Marcia's ranch:

sycamore at the ranch, oil on panel, 30"x30"

beautiful tree near the road, my pal, Libby is painting in the distance.

early morning shadow, oil on panel, 8"x10"

a quick study, standing in the cold shadow watching the sun light up the distant hills as it rose over the mountain ridge behind us.

late sunset hills, oil on panel, 8"x20"

Marcia would say, "believe the color you see"