Latest landscape plus interesting "frame"

We painted at Kua Bay, north of Kona, and waves were really breaking.There is a lifeguard there now but too scary for me to go in the water. Painted quickly and then had sand blow  over the painting as I waited for our normal critique session. Using water soluble oils let me clean it up and touch it up over the weekend.

Below are five 8x10 paintings contained in one "frame." I came upon a three part trifold screen at a garage sale and took it apart into three sections that can each hold the five paintings. I'm thinking about doing a true five-tych with the same scene extended over all five but for now framed some recent landscapes to try it out. Entire frame is just over five feed across and about 12 inches tall. 

Going Bigger

I have been doing mainly 8x10 this year as have a market for those at the Blue Sea Artisans Gallery in Keauhou, both framed and unframed. There is a plein air Hawaii show coming up early next year in Hilo so I primed a few 11x14 boards where I have some nice frames so I can enter these into the show. It is juried so you never know what will be selected. 

Below is the 11x14 I painted Friday at Hookena Beach. I had a smaller one of a similar view that sold to thought I'd try a larger one now. The cliff alongside the beach is dramatic and putting in a few figures and umbrellas helps show the scale. 

     

Local Scenes

Nice weather out painting on Fridays with the Plein Air Group. Top is the Energy Lab beach with a great backdrop of Mauna Loa in the background. Ever since the volcano stopped erupting last year, the air has been clear and the mountain's lower slopes are now in the background almost every day. I really loaded up the texture in the foreground too. 

This scene is from Honl's Beach just south of downtown Kona. Although I've painted this many times I always enjoy coming back. Now that I'm selling some of these scenes at the Blue Sea Artisans gallery, I realize it's OK to paint similar ones as the old ones are now hanging in someone's home. 

September work

Here are a few landscapes painted in September. We've had weird weather with rainy afternoons almost every day but mornings when we paint have stayed nicer and mainly sunny. 

These are all 8x10's. Top is Celebrity Solstice cruiseship in Kona Bay. Our weekly ship is on Wednesdays, but there are others at times and I've painted them when we are out on Fridays and a ship is visible. It was a little cloudy to start but sun came out later. This one is muted slightly to reflect the cloudier day.  

The next two works are from Magoon's beach, or Kekaha Kai park. Top is a closeup view of the more distant view below. 

Last is a view looking straight out from the shore into Keahou Bay. 

  

Beachs, beaches, beaches

Beaches every week lately, a few new ones, so I tried to capture the essence of each of them. All are 8x10 done outdoors on our Friday Plein Air sessions. 

Top is a new beach for me, Pine Trees, north of Kona. Loads of tents and camping as you can see in the distance here. Not the greatest for swimming but has several pools for kids and surf for boogie boarding and surfing.  

Next is Keei beach area at a home we've painted from once before. The mountain that houses the Capt. Cook monument is also on this bay, to the left of what I painted. 

Last is a beach a mile from my house. This is Pahoehoe Park which has only this tiny beach but kids and boarders like it. I've put people in all these works to show what our parks and beaches are all about. 

  

New abstracts in Hilo Juried show in August.

These two abstract works were juried into the Hilo Abstract Only show running in August at the Wailoa Center. Both are a little different from my prior abstract works as I went more geometrical in both. Top one is based on a couple of sketches I did using paint on my palette after an outdoor session and fairly true to the sketches when I combined two end to end with this work resulting at 22x52 inches. 

Below that is an early stage of a prior abstract where I made it organic in the end but photographed the in-process work when it was geometric and always liked it so did a new version in 20x32 size.    

New landscapes

Had some beautiful clouds off  Honl's beach in Kona so did two square works there. The top is 10x10 and shows a rain storm in the distance. The second painting is 7.5x7.5 inches and shows more ocean and less cloud. I love painting the clouds and use a violet tone for the darks, an orange-pink for the mid-tones, and then a little lemon yellow in the white for the highlights.   

Below is a scene from Keauhou Bay. We paint there often so I chose a scene of the small footbridge to emphasize. Now need to get in a boat and paint from out in the water to have all the angles covered. Sold another scene from here last week in the Blue Sea Artisan's Gallery in Heauhou Shopping Center. 

Square and panoramics

Stretched a few canvasses lately at 12x12 and then 3 12x24's where got a great price on the stretchers at a thrift store. Painted these in the past month to try them out. 

Top is Old Kona Airport on a breezy day. Had some great clouds so I painted these in first with very colorful palette. Violet shadows, orange mid-tones, and lemon bright part of the clouds. This is the 12x12.

Next is a view from the Kona Inn, looking north toward the Hulihee Palace, in the 12x24 format.

Last are the palms at the City of Refuge national park. Lots of lava rock and a few tide pools folks were swimming in as we painted.

Honokohau Harbor Park Scene

One of our favorite painting places is Honokohau Harbor park. Even though tide was very low, a turtle was hanging around in the shallow water. I've painted this traditional canoe hut many times but still love it for a view. This is one of my favorites of these works. I have several small people in the distance to give scale to the scene. As usual, this is 8x10 inches.

New Landscapes

Been under the weather a little so need to catch up on posts. 

Top is 8x10 at lovely Magoon's Beach, a favorite spot. I put lots of people in the distance as this beach gets lots of activity despite not having life guards nor water source.

Next is an 11x14 done on site at Honl's Beach in Kona. This is the view south from the beach with a couple of umbrellas in the distance.

Another 8x10 from Hookena Beach, another busy place with lots of people on the beach and in the water. This is looking north from the south end of the beach.

Two new paintings at Hookena

Our group painted at Hookena Beach yesterday on a nice sunny day. First view was a close in scene of an old pier that has since deteriorated to a few rocks. I wanted to capture the waves and water around the rocks. Then I looked in the distance for the more normal but great view of the water and mountains looking south. Both are 8x10.

Some small works

Working on some small works, a few for the gallery, and a few to test out some ideas for large paintings. First the small ones, 4x6 and 3x3 landscapes. I have small frames available to by doing the small works, I can have some lower priced items for Blue Sea Artisans gallery to display. I'm basing these on larger works I did previously.

Below are two 4x6 inch sketches for some possible larger almost abstract Kona landscapes where I show sky, water, rocks, sand, and waves in a vertical format. Keep an eye out for future posts of later results.

   

New year, new work

Had visitors over Christmas so just back to normal life and painting. Got to see the newer larger crater at Volanoes National Park. Impressive but no paintings of it yet. 

Here are two local views from our normal locations. I've also just published a small book of paintings of Hawaii scenes, "Painting West Hawaii, available on Amazon.com. Over 50 images of paintings done in the past three years here.

Top image is an 8x10 at Beach 69, north of Kona. Always scenic no matter which direction you face. This is facing south from the north end of the beach. Below that is another Beach 69 scene, but in tiny 3x3 inch size. I've sold a couple of these at the Blue Sea Artisan's Gallery where I am now a member so will continue to do small works for there.    

Scene below is an 8x10 from Pahoehoe Park, just minutes from my  home. This is the view across the bay north toward Kona town.