Tapas

This painting is for my good friends Luz and Don whose dear friend Tapas passed away in April.  I decided to preserve his memory in paint and included his sister Luna who now rules the roost.  I remember these cats as kittens when they first arrived, and loved watching their antics as they played together and with Luz.  That was ten years ago.  Luna has slowed down a little, and I'm sure she misses her pal.

oil on board 

8" x 10"  

NFS

Luna

oil on board  

8" x 10" 

 NFS

BB and Lucille

I had the thrill and pleasure of briefly meeting BB King about 19 years ago in the Atlanta airport.  He was sitting by himself, with Lucille of course, so I said hello, had a few words, and shook the great mans hand.  He was a true gentleman.  The painting is a gift for a young hockey buddy on his 40th birthday.  He is a collector of guitars and enjoys playing them every chance he gets.  This is the closest he'll get to receiving a guitar from me...ha!

oil on board  

7 1/2' X 7 1/2"  

NFS

Mom

A portrait of my dear mother as she looks at ninety two.  It will be interesting to see her reaction...probably won't agree with the little bit extra below the cheek...ha!  She has always taken pride in her appearance, and many much younger women have admired her lovely skin and look.  Apparently a lifetime of daily Nivea cream applications did the trick.  Nothing to do with the genes.  I am sending this portrait to my sister on the event of her sixtieth birthday.

oil on board  

8" x 10"  

NFS

On Standby

This was the third painting which I started in San Jose, and only now just finished it.  Most of it was completed there, but background and highlights were concerning me so I decided to let it rest and revisit with fresh eyes and renewed energy.  I photographed this fellow on the street waiting for his next car wash job, and loved his relaxed look leaning against an old Ford pickup.  Some of my favorite figure studies are of locals going about their day.

oil on board  

8" x 10"  

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Beach Couple

This painting was started on my second day in San Jose from a photograph taken on a morning walk along the beach.  Morning and late afternoon light is so warm and dramatic. The beaches spread for miles with no shortage of subject matter, and offer some exercise to offset the marvelous food and margaritas. Little did I know at this point that the weight I seemed to be quickly packing on would be lost in a flash starting four days later.  Yes, I contracted some kind of stomach/intestinal thing that took all of two weeks to calm down.  But I am back down to my fighting weight...yay!  Silver lining in every cloud.  The Cabo area is more like Palm Springs than anywhere else in Mexico, so it's apparently rare to be affected this way while down there.  I really enjoyed visiting with friends Gord and Gayle, who went out of their way to show me the sights and experience the beauty of the area.

oil on board  12" x 9"  Did not pass muster...I painted over it.

Beach Patrol

I recently visited the beautiful Mexican area of San Jose near Cabo San Lucas, and took a lot of photos while walking on the beaches and through town.  I captured this young lady the first morning and spent the afternoon on my deck outside painting her on her beautiful horse.  I was going to paint plein air, but decided to spread out close to the beer fridge and enjoy the day.  Plein air is something I really want to do, but wasn't quite ready or properly prepared for on this trip.

oil on board 

9" x 12"  

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