Categories
Dry Ink

Rainy Day on the Ranch

The heavy rain thinned out to a drizzle so I hiked up behind my mom’s to check the water level at the lake. As I walked towards the dam I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was full, It reminded me of a Steinbeck quote, “And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.”

The view down the valley to the south was rain soaked and lovely. I watched the clouds crawl down the mountains. Then after a time the rain picked up and it sent me running back to the house with another painting in hand.

9x11in oil on linen panel
Artist’s view
Categories
Dry Ink

Norther Alexander Valley

On Geyserville Ave just south of Asti looking east towards the geysers.

9x11in oil on linen panel

Categories
Dry Ink

Fall Vineyards

After two weeks of Covid isolation I was finally out of the house with a very long to do list. Yesterday I built a set for the school play and this morning the boys and I got a Christmas tree. I had to drive up to the ranch to find all of our lights and ornaments. The fall colors there were really nice so took a long overdue painting break and set up just south of my Uncle Jim’s, Looking towards my cousin Steve’s place. Bob Johnson, stopped by to say hello while I was painting and we had a very nice chat about the state of the arts. Then I was back on the road south to Marin.

9x12in oil on linen panel
Artist view
Categories
Dry Ink

Thanksgiving Hills

Hiked up the hill with the boys with pick and shovel in hand. They were on a mission to dig a trench for a future nerf war. I just wanted to kill an hour before heading off to the family gathering.

I’m pretty disappointed with this as a piece but it looks ok in the landscape

9x12in oil on panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Mount Saint Helena from Alexander Valley

I was in Healdsburg last weekend and had two free hours so I drove up to Lytton Springs Road and then cut up Geyserville Ave looking for a nice landscape to paint. After a short exploration I found a place to pull over near Vinwood Cellars that had a good elevated view of the valley. It was a lovely afternoon to paint but I had to work fast as the shadow from the mountains behind me was creeping up fast. When the panel falls into shadow I can’t match the colors any more and that’s the end of it.

oil painting
9x12in oil on panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Hassett Lane

Post coffee painting this time out on the west side of Alexander Valley on Hassett Ln looking west. Vinwood cellars on the far left of frame and Francis Ford Coppola Winery mid right. 1.5hr color study

oil Painting
9x11in Oil on Panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Looking West, Again

Had another go painting the view towards Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Went a bit earlier and got lucky as the wind was more manageable.

Oil Painting
9x11in Oil on Panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Mom’s Driveway

View from my mom’s porch, overlooking Alexander Valley.

oil painting
9x11in Oil on Panel

Funny story, I am in the process of selling my house and in preparation to put it on the market I painted and ended up with a bunch of empty house paint cans that needed to be recycled. Because of covid rules the guys at the county recycling drop off let you pull up and they grab all the paint from the car for you. Totally forgot that the box with all of my good oil paints were also in the car… I spent a week looking for my paints before I figured out what happened. I mourn the loss of my Genuine Vermilion from Rublex

On the upside, I got to go on a paint shopping spree today and rebuild my pallet! Wahoo! Nothing like clean un-mashed-up tubes.