Some newly made sketchbooks

Some sketchbooks made from old book covers, now filled with 90lb. Arches hot press.

last figures of the year

Quick 3 minute studies. Stabilo on a toothier animation paper. Missed everybody!

The Splinter

An older oil painting that I recently viewed again hanging in a collector's house. 42 x 60", oil on canvas. "The Splinter". Private Collection.

Friday figure drawing

This model has limited poses and I can only draw so many bent-arms-held-midway-at-torso. Stabilo on animation paper.

weather journaling

a couple of quick sketches. It's very dry here. hand-book journal.

Two last black and whites

"Tourists in New York library" and "Downshot midtown".

Last of NY postings

I collected several pictures of christmas windows in NY. Some of them, I even got the window dresser which I hesitate to post, since I don't know the names of the designers. But these are two from Anthropologie midtown. Also a drawing of what I saw of Central Park from hotel window.

Day2 New York

A friend from Denver who now lives in Brooklyn, took us to a very quiet place called, "Simple Cafe" where the chef told us the specialty of the night. This is a great little place and is somewhat new to the neighborhood. The owner treated us to a round of champagne and brought the bill in this little bucket. This is one of the best restaurants I've been to. I went down to Soho for nostalgia of the gallery scene of many years ago, and was surprised to find a great Joseph Raffael show at Nancy Hoffman gallery.

Magnolia Cafe

I bought a small watercolor notebook from Japan-"Hokusai" -so I could paint this coconut cake from Magnolia Cafe.

Day 1 New York

Had cocktails at Pastis before heading over to BuddhaBar, a large restaurant in the meat packing district with a giant Buddha inside. Definately not LA. Very red. Very dark. I painted our edamame without seeing the paint. Took only a small Moleskine, and we all know how badly the paper takes watercolor.
Photo of central park in rain.

Chinatown galleries in LA

Searching for good painting shows in China town. (We did find one). Some rum drinking advice from a very good artist at another very good artist's house and when I have time to figure out how to link their websites to this sentence, I will.
Am off to New York for a week. I hope to post some NYC sketches when I get back.

Life Drawing Finally

"Woman with dark hair".
Now that life drawing sessions are every other week, they are very precious, plus it takes longer to get rid of the stiffness. These are 5 minute poses. Stabilo on Animation paper. I missed the session two weeks ago, and will miss the one in two weeks both due to being out of town. It drives me crazy to miss these. I need to find more sessions to sneak into, although it would be weird to draw with another group.

Sycamore leaves

Buttonwood for BSF. This was shot through glass as it is already framed and hanging. Watercolor on Arches, 10x10".

late october weather

The sky is finally blue after a couple of days of smoke and haze. These last orange/violet clouds were only for early risers. They were completely gone by 8am. These views are out the kitchen window. The green is the tops of my citrus trees. The mts. are the Verdugos looking southwest. The sketchbook is the Hand Book Journal - not good watercolor paper. The paintbrushes are nice though, Isaby Kolinsky.

Leaving one sky for another

The Utah sky from my favorite restaurant, The Bit & Spur" in Springdale, and driving back into my home state of California which is on fire. These are the east side of the fires near Lake Arrowhead at first sight from I-15 (tuesday). Thought the freeway would be closed the closer I got, but I made it home.

Costume gesture drawing

These are quick (2 or 3 minute) sketches done with watercolor on animation paper, from the Thursday night gesture drawing sessions at Disney. If you want to see some good sketches, go to Mark or Cholki's blog. The links are on the right.
The model was wearing a transparent "korean summer gown" and had black underwear on.

More quick sketches

These are from last week. Disney has changed our weekly life drawing sessions to every other week. I guess the money was needed to revamp California Adventureland. The renovation is to cost $1.1 billion. I'm happy that the sessions weren't cancelled entirely.

more firefighter

Have too much freelance work to keep weather journal the past couple of weeks. All I am painting are fire fighters and birthday cards.

Friday life drawing

Took a break from freelance work to draw at noon at Disney. These are 5 minute poses. Stabilo on animation paper.

bananas

I have been painting alot but it's all digital (adobe photoshop) painting for freelance work.
Here's a digital wave and a watercolor banana.

Girl with Papaya

An older watercolor. The same girl who was the model for "neglected girl with astors and peonies". This is girl with Papaya. Am working on several watercolors and one oil and have nothing new to post today. This is 22 x30" on Arches Cold Press.