Santa Fe Moderne

A recent painting from a photo taken on a 1983 trip to New Mexico.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 7"x5")

What's'is name?

Here's something completely different, by some painter named Picasso. From a photo I took while visiting MOMA last week. This was done circa 1908. (That guy was thinkin'.)

And now for something...

Here are a few Photoshop re-interpretations of a 6"x9"watercolor. This and other old abstracts may well reappear on canvas in some form, some day.

224

Lido Beach Palm

From a trip to Sarasota, FL, in April of 2008.

(acrylic on canvas, 9"x12")

Lines and Shadows

This is a view taken from far across a field in early spring Branford sunshine.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 7"x5")

Patio, Stony Creek

(Acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Facing South

...toward the water, in Guilford, Connecticut.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Between the Beach and the Marsh

Part of a summer cottage in Clinton, Connecticut. It's among a long line of places, on or across the street from the beach. Being there very much reminds me of my early childhood in San Diego.

Stilts

Above the water, on Long Island Sound, Guilford, Connecticut.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Berkeley Blues

Variations on a cool color on a warm Berkeley morning.

(a/c, 9"x12")

Around the Green Corner

This is another view of Green Corner, Guilford, posted here back on May 21.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Berkeley Trained

As you can imagine, there's some very well-taught topiary coming out of Berkeley.

(a/c, 9"x12")

Berkeley Shapes

Early July in the sunny, mild East Bay. The weather, it was so...so California.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

More Turquoise Across the Street

Here is a cropped version of Across the Street, featured here earlier. When I took the initial photos, I think I raised concerns from the neighbor of our friends in Santa Rosa: Who's that stranger taking pictures of my place? It is an intrusive thing to do, and I've had to explain myself more than once. 
(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Cluster in Cortez

Cortez, Florida, near Longboat Key, which is near Sarasota.

This is from a much wider photograph; I knew instinctively there was something in there that I liked, 

and this was it.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Palms Over Noe Valley

This was on a rare sunny afternoon in July in San Francisco. Most of the time we were there was overcast/foggy, with highs in the lower 60s. But I couldn't complain as the rest of the country sweltered.

Mark Twain had an oft-cited quote about summers in San Francisco - so oft that I dare not cite it here.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Another Note from Starkville

Here's a second take on the same place in Happytown as depicted back on May 23.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Near the Sea

Location, location, location.

(acrylic on canvas on panel, 5"x7")

Peak in Stony Creek

Some basic shapes.

(5"x7", acrylic on canvas on panel)

Toward Long Island

I dunno, something makes me want to re-title this painting 
Hopper Wuz Here.

(a/c,12"x9")

Beach Cottages, Guilford

A slice of the Connecticut shoreline.

(a/c, 9"x12")

Palma's Deli

Here we've returned to Branford, CT with a rendering of a popular local food place.

 (5"x7" acrylic on canvas on board)

Across the Street

The title refers to where this is in relation to our good friends' home in Santa Rosa, California.

This is another work in progress, acrylic on canvas, 9"x12".

Berkeley Beige

Here is a work in progress, acrylic on canvas, 9"x12",

from our recent, wild trip to California.

Notes from California

Here are few samples of images yielded from a trip to Northern California visiting friends and family earlier in July. 
Maybe they'll find their way into painted form.

A View from Linden Avenue

Linden Avenue lines a nice little 
stretch of The Shoreline here in Branford, 

with great views of Long Island Sound.

Hazy Day, Leete's Island

These two pieces are from photos taken within seconds of each other.

The paintings are acrylic on canvas on panel, 8"x6".

Dusk, Leete's Island

Some moody blues at the end of the day.

Between Buildings

What shadows lurk in this backyard in Branford.

A Wreath, A Ramp

A lot of shadow action on this early spring day in Branford, Connecticut.

A Bit of Sarasota Pink

This is an extraction from a larger composition called "Sarasota Pink".

The trip there a few years ago ago yielded a lot of sunny, stucco, palm tree memories.

Shed Light

Pun bad.

Chairs, Short Beach

Short Beach, like Stony Creek on the opposite side of town, is a wonderful, peripheral part of Branford that is right on the water and rich in history and variety. These communities are unique; it's a wonder that they share the same zip code with Greater Branford.

Exit 70

This was taken on a return trip from Boston, on Connecticut's I-95 South. 

No, I wasn't driving. 

No, there's no house anywhere in this picture.

A Shadow Falls in Starkville

Actually, this undisclosed location is more like "Pleasantville", but we painters live in parallelville. 

Green Corner, Guilford

I've done three renderings of this corner, from different angles. There was something about the open windows, the basic shapes, and the variations of green.

Great Palm in Greater Sacramento

"Greater" in this case refers to the city of Carmichael, where I spent all my angst-ridden teenage years.

I don't, however, blame that angst on good ol' Carmichael.

This picture comes from a trip there a few years ago.  Living in Connecticut,  I really miss palm trees, great and otherwise.

March 17, Branford

Well, OK, this picture was actually taken on the 16th. 

But it was all about the green.

Toward the End of the Day, Guilford

This is from the local Leete's Island area. There are a lot of beautiful cottages out there. 
I hope to paint glimpses of more of them.

Toward Mt. Davidson, San Francisco

This is part of a series of paintings of spaces between houses in San Francisco. As with this scene, many of the pictures are out of the Portola District, just west of Twin Peaks toward the ocean. My wife and I lived a combined 39 years in The City, and look forward to a return visit to Northern California soon.

Dappled Light, Branford

  A door, a window, a wall, the plane of a roof, a walkway, a little lawn and tree. Everything I like.

Chips and Soda, Branford

What else can I say?

Line and Shadow, Guilford

There's a road that extends out from Route 1 (the east coast's counterpart to Highway 1 on the west) in Guilford toward the water where, at the end, are all kinds of visual stimuli for the kind of thing I do. I have my mother-in-law, Ann Dumark, to thank for knowing about this place and taking me out there for a photo session not long ago. I've painted several things from that hour or so out there near the water.
You see in this picture a little glimpse of a marsh, which are sometimes featured in my paintings. We happen to be lucky enough to be in marsh country. It's one of the most beautiful things about living in Southern Connecticut. I never saw anything like them in all my 47 years in California.

Portal (Rockport, MA)

Of course, the temptation is to title this "Rockportal".

This was during a short window on a trip in February

when a little sunshine snuck through.

A very pretty place, in any weather.

Untitled

The end of winter in Branford. I liked the shape(s) of it.