Recent work

Did some traveling to the mainland so didn't post for a while. Am back to my outdoor painting, just as most of the country cools off. Was 33 degrees while out racewalking during my trip for my mom's memorial there. Glad to be back in Hawaii in shorts and tank tops. 

Both paintings are my usual outdoor 8x10 format. Top is the view from beach 69, north of here, where, thanks to the volcanic gas stopping, Maui shines brightly in the distance. Hadn't seen Maui during the summer but now it's very clear and can be seen from north Kona. 

Below is my most recent work, from Manini Beach, looking into the homes on the bay. They sit at the base of Pali Kapu o Keoua, a hill dominating the bay. I have a lot of colorful and loose brushstrokes, especially in the lava rock and water. Click on the image for a larger view. 

  

Two new landscapes

I have been doing my normal Friday plein air outdoor works lately, mainly 8x10. I find that size easy to carry yet large enough to make for a nice paintings in the mornings we spend at various locations. The top one is the Keauhou Canoe Club building as I faced away from the bay for a change. 

This 8x10 is from the beach just south of Manini Beach, facing south. Nice surf and a sunny morning. I did some "color bombs" in the foliage with lots of small brush strokes. Might need a tiny touchup before completely done.  

Three recent landscapes

A couple of panoramic scenes to match some frames I had. Top picture is 4x10 inches and painted over another similar scene that never worked for me. This is Energy Lab Beach, and a fellow painter under her umbrella in the center. 

This scene is the Captain Cook monument across the bay with kayakers, a snorkel boat, and the tiny pointed white monument. This is  6x12.
  

An  8x10 scene from Energy Lab Beach, a scene I have about 4-5 versions of over the years. This one is maybe more colorful than the prior ones.

Blue Sea Artisans Gallery In Kona

Hung 13 works today at Blue Sea Artisans Gallery in Keauhou shopping center in Kona. Tomorrow I work my first half day shift as it is a co-op gallery with a dozen members. 

I'm posing in front of one of my "walls" of paintings. Also below is my studio while framing and preparing. The last two show almost a dozen of the 13 works there. I also have a rack of 17 unframed works for customers to peruse. Should be fun. The paintings were straightened up a little after the photos of the walls.

  

Several new landscapes

With the volcano calm and air clear, plein air painting is much better. Crystal clear water and skies plus a dip in the ocean while the first layer of paint dries, doesn't get much better than that. 

These go progressively up in size. Top is a 6x8 of Kailua Bay from Honl's Beach. I used a lot of palette knife and thick paint in spots.   

This is a scene I do often, the Hale, or canoe house, at Honokohau Harbor park. Left the people out of this one to emphasize the nice clear sky in the morning with colorful clouds.

This last one is an 8x20 panoramic because I found a nice frame this size so needed to paint something that fit. At first I was worried it would come out, but as I worked over it several times it came together. That's the Sheraton Hotel in the background. Again a nice clear sky and water day.  

Colorful textured landscape

Painted at Kaloko Ponds this week and tried to really push the colors and textures. Mainly rocks and foliage but I like it. 

New local landscapes

Two more beach paintings in my more colorful style lately. Top one is old airport beach, the north end. Lots of rocks and a few swimmers braving the waves.

Magic Sands beach on another sunny tourist filled day. Heavy surf so the boogie boarders were out in force too. 

Two different landscapes

Working on color and brush strokes so did one work in the studio, and one plein air outdoors today at Honokohau Harbor park. Top one is 8x10 at the harbor. Below is also 8x10 but vertical scene of a northwest river. 

New colorful landscapes

Spent the week again pushing the colors in landscapes. Top one is 8x10 of a view south from Beach 69 near Hapuna. This is the third I've done from this view and I tried to make it more colorful, including dots of color at the end that you can see in the trees and on the beach. 

Next is this week's plein air at Waikola area Beach (Anaehoomalu Bay). It's also 8x10 and has more hints of people than I've ever included before. Also had to deal with a row of palm trees with condos behind them. Resulted in what someone called confetti and I'm happy with that term. 

Bottom is a 6x8 of a cove north of Hapuna Beach.   

Two smaller works

I've been trying to push my colors more lately. Read a nice book last week, "Oil Painting-The Workshop Experience," by Ted Goerschner. Ted went to art school in Newark, NJ, in the same building where I went to Arts High School, and does some really nice colorful and loose landscapes as well as florals. 

These are both 6x8 and I'm happy with the looseness and the colors although focal point on top one is distracted somewhat by the colorful foreground. Might do another version and fix this. Top is view from Old Airport Park and below is Honokohau Harbor Park.

New Plein Air

Had a nice weather Friday painting at Kahaluu Beach. Sat in the shade under the pavilion so faced out to the water and swimmers. Also did a small sketch of paddlers from KeauhouBay. Top is 8x10, below is 5x7. 

  

Change of pace

Did a winter scene for a change. Started with a photo from a friend of a tractor but once I started the scene I realized the fence, house, and misty light didn't need anything else. This is 9x12. Below is an 8x10 of a farm scene during the summer I did a few years ago for contrast.

    

Honokohau Harbor Plein Air

Reworked last Friday's outdoor work as need more contrast and cooler colors versus the orange light I had done it in. Liking the new version better.

Wax Honokohau Sunset

This one started out in oils but the board I was painting on was too absorbent so I went over it in encaustic or wax with a hot stylus to pick up the wax colors and draw them down. Might almost be too bright is that's possible. This is 8x10. 

Birds

Worked on a couple of paintings of birds where I wanted simple shapes and strong compositions. The yellow water lilies show a goose or duck (I'm working with a birder friend to identify it.) on a dark section of a pond just off Black Sands Beach here on the Big Island. The shorebird is a small 4x6. Been trying to paint a little every day lately to get my mojo back and do a little more variety. 

Feeding the Egrets

This is an 11x14 I did a few weeks ago. Finally finished it off with two small figures reaching to feed the flying egrets overhead. Adding figures is always a dilemma in a painting as some are better without them, and some need some humanity to bring them alive.  

Catching up on posts.

A little lagging on things lately as lost my favorite cat suddenly to a medication reaction. Great little kitty, very interactive and also cuddly. Med was Bravecto flea med so beware if you use this. One dose and she went into convulsions next day and vet couldn't save her. The drug companies need a way to test a smaller dose to check for reactions versus a whole dose that was fatal. Only changed meds as she had skin irritations to Revolutions brand. Who knew? 

That said, here are a few of my latest works. Both of these are my regular 8x10. Top one is Captain Cook monument from across the bay. Bottom one was painted on a cloudy day at Kona Inn. Due to conditions, I concentrated on nearby rocks and waves. First version wasn't very good so I went over it with thick paint and a palette knife. Had wanted to practice anyway so was a good opportunity. It's growing on me after the final touchups at home. I've done palette knife works on and off and always seem to get the these nice and colorful.  

   

Kekaha Kai State Park

 Also known as Magoon's Beach, this park is one of our favorite places to paint. The "bad road" entry has been paved in parts and smoothed down so the 1.5 miles only takes about 10 minutes to drive now versus 15 before. That's Hawaii progress. Don't expect water or showers but many folks do come here to swim, and while we were there a large monk seal took a nap on the sand. I debated adding people to this 11x14 painting but for now I'll let it rest. I've continued my larger work and have a couple of more 11x14's stretched to use over the next few weeks. 

Hualalai Volcano

We were painting at Old Airport Park so I turned inland from the point of the beach to capture a clear but misty Hualalai volcano. This is 16x20 as am now working with my larger easel/paintbox to use some of the stretched canvas I have around. I have the canvas and matching sized frames for many so decided I need to better match these up with new work. What do they say, "go big or go home".     

Last few days at the beach

Top is an 18x18 from onsite at City of Refuge beach. I've done this scene several times so thought I'd try a larger one with the square format.  

Below that is a panoramic view of Magoon's Beach, where I had a frame 8x20 so cut a board to fit the frame.

Last is a small 6x8 of the Holei Sea Arch. I'd done a small acrylic of this last year and liked the scene so thought I'd tackle it in oil this time.