That Oregon Coast again

Today, 28 Mar 2016 it snowed... from before sunup until late in the afternoon, We need the water but I think it killed lots of buds on the trees.... which means no fruit this year for the early blossomers. My indoor lemon trees have bloomed and this seasons crops are on the branches.... and I'm loving it. :-)

So early one morn I was walking along the Oregon Coast and just before the river delta I caught this image. It was better than my painting with it's sparkling beauty and sun shinning thru the river's canyon. Maybe next time I paint it I can get more into it.

 A healthy environment is essential to a livable Oregon and a strong economy. Ted Kulongosk

This activist loves Oregon more than he loves life. Tom McCall

The redwoods you can see in Muir Woods are nothing like the redwood titans that stand in the rainforest valleys of the North Coast, closer to Oregon. These are the dreadnoughts of trees, the blue whales of the plant kingdom. Richard Preston

You can't get away from trees, farming and sustainable living with these Oregon quotes because that's what Oregon is all about. In my painting you can see the trees on that blue mountain in the background ... they are everywhere and even the beach scenes have trees close at hand.

oil on mat board 7x12

Bright Spot in the Morning Fog

On one of my early morning walks in Oregon while taking pictures I saw the fog burning off and things started getting brighter. Sunlight seemed to stream in every now and then lighting up bright spots. It was cool and refreshing and enjoyable. I was glad to be there.


“Under the thinning fog the surf curled and creamed, almost without sound, like a thought trying to form itself on the edge of consciousness.”  ― Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep

“Ben Bernanke is like an economist on a misty morning, because he hasn’t the foggiest clue.” 
― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not FOR SALE

“When the fog lifts on this economy, I think we’ll find a lot of people refusing to ever turn off their caution lights.”   ― Jarod Kintz, At even one penny, this book would be overpriced. In fact, free is too expensive, because you'd still waste time by reading it.

Oil on Mat Board  8x10

Poppy Field

Poppies are so delicate and I haven't painted a field of them before.

I sing the Poppy! The frail snowy weed! The flower of Mercy! that within its heart Doth keep "a drop serene" for human need, A drowsy balm for every bitter smart. For happy hours the Rose will idly blow-- The Poppy hath a charm for pain and woe. Mary A. Barr Quotes

And would it not be proud romance Falling in some obscure advance, To rise, a poppy field of France?  William Alexander Percy Quotes 

And far and wide, in a scarlet tide, The poppy's bonfire spread.

Bayard Taylor

Oil on Mat Board  7x11

Beyond Repair

Another old barn biting the dust ... sad to see all these relics of past ages returning to the earth. Maybe I can capture some of them in paintings before they go... and before I go  :-)

We spend the first half of our lives trying to grow up and the other half trying to figure out how we got so old!

You don't stop having fun when you get old, you get old when you stop having fun.

I made all these great musicals with Judy Garland. It was all about me going into a barn and saying: 'Let's put on a show.' That's what me and Judy did. Mickey Rooney

Oil on mat board  8x10

My Days are Gone

Barns like people get old and sometimes useless  :-) ... but not always. anyway, I gave this a try with my knife ... do you like it?

t is a rare and difficult attainment to grow old gracefully and happily.

The excitement of learning separates youth from old age. As long as you're learning, you're not old.

If you don't do anything stupid when you're young, you won't remember something funny when you're old...

Oil on mat board  8x10

The old red barn

I did not go out and paint this on the farm... too bad... yesterday was a very nice day.

This mug of mine is as plain as a barn door. Why should people pay 35 cents to look at it?  Spencer Tracy

The moon is brighter since the barn burned.  Matsuo Basho

Mommy smoked but she didn't want us to. She saw smoke coming out of the barn one time, so we got whipped.  Loretta Lynn

Oil on mat board  8x10

Sunset on the Oregon Coast

We saw some incredible sunsets on the Oregon coast... this is hardly representational but it will have to do for now.

Keep looking up! I learn from the past, dream about the future and look up. There's nothing like a beautiful sunset to end a healthy day.

Rachel Boston

There's never one sunrise the same or one sunset the same.

Carlos Santana

Get outside. Watch the sunrise. Watch the sunset. How does that make you feel? Does it make you feel big or tiny? Because there's something good about feeling both.

Amy Grant

You can see my latest works at pinterest.com/ imondabeach

Oil on mat board  6x8

2 Fat Pears in a bowl

Today I am posting part of the painting process. I took the black W/c paper and sketched the outline of my drawing.  Next I did a value study  in whites and shades of blue to blue-black.. This is what it looks like at this stage.  Next stage I add color... matching the values but not paying attention to detail. Finally I finish off with the color & the details.

Oil on Water color paper  7x10

What's for Breakfast?

Well this tasty treat did not last long.

I want it said of me by those who knew me best,that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow. - Abraham Lincoln

Life is like a grapefruit. Well, it's sort of orangy-yellow and dimpled on the outside, wet and squidgy in the middle. It's got pips inside, too. Oh, and some people have a half a one for breakfast.  Douglas Adams

Because at some more flexible period he had advanced from oranges to grape-fruit he considered himself an epicure.  Sinclair Lewis, 'Main Street' (1920)

oil on canvas paper  5x7

An apple a day

I love apples... they taste good... they look good... and they are good for you.

Eating apples is good on so many levels. There's fiber in the skin that's really good for you. It helps with digestion and helps you absorb all the nutrients of everything you've eaten that day. Apples are a really good thing. Rebecca Romijn

Why not upset the apple cart? If you don't, the apples will rot anyway.

Frank A. Clark

I also eat fruit instead of drinking juices. That's something I've read up on. I think that if you drink a lot of fruit juice you take in way too much sugar. You'd be better off eating a bunch of strawberries or apples.

Kris Humphries

oil on canvas paper 6x8

Lemons and more lemons

These are fresh lemons... from my refridge and that "bubble" is actually a float for fisherman's nets.... and old one at that.... it's glass ... just a glass bubble now. My good friend, another artist, from Texas sent it too me. This is the first time I've painted it into a picture but it wouldn't be the last.... I'm just getting started.

When life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice on your fresh, wild salmon ... I said that. Here's what others say:

“When life gives you lemons, squirt someone in the eye.”  ― Cathy Guisewite

“When life gives you lemons, you don't make lemonade. You use the seeds to plant a whole orchard - an entire franchise! Or you could just stay on the Destiny Bus and drink lemonade someone else has made, from a can.”   ― Anthon St. Maarten

“when life gives you lemon, take it. don't waste food”   ― giselle marquez

oil on canvas paper  8x10

Pear Apple & a Pitcher

Can't seem to end it with the pears... I love pears. I have one left from the bag of organic bosc pears I bought at Costco. Maybe I'll pick up another bag Monday or Tuesday. Oh yea, the organic apple is also one I bought. I try to eat an apple a day.... don't always make it but I'm working on it.

Trying to get some mood and atmosphere in these paintings.... and be painterly.... that means broad brush strokes that show after the painting is finished. I keep working on it.

It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption."Edward Bunyard, 'The Anatomy of Dessert' 

The pear is the grandfather of the apple, its poor relation, a fallen aristocrat, the man-at-arms of our domains, which once, in our humid land, lived lonely and lordly, preserving the memory of its prestige by its haughty comportment."
Francois Pierre de la Varenne

Oil on canvas Paper

8x10

Flaming Pear

I know that this looks like the other painting I did of a Riviera & a Mason Jar... I painted it again this time added a few things extra. The photo came out a little dark so the grape in the lower right is a little difficult to see. Heh heh ... but it's there. The background colors make it look like it's on fire... maybe it is.... a poached pear. :-)

Oil on canvas paper  8x10

Royal Riviera and a Mason Jar

Here is the Royal Riviera and a Mason jar with the upgrades

End of the box

Here are the last pears from the box.... yes I ate them all. So I painted a little more on this trying to incorporate Matt's suggestions. Looking better, eh?

Oil on canvas paper 6x8

Bosc standing

I bought a bag of these at cosco.... almost gone now...... this is a "refined" painting I did a while ago.
I think it looks better now.

Oil on canvas paper  6x8

Dish of Pears

Well only one pear fit in this dish... a LARGE pear. this is the latest version. Hope you like it.

Oil on canvas paper  6x8

One Green royal Riviera

Well they came in a box of 12 pears ... mostly green... but they did ripen up nicely so I go to eat them all. My photography is not all that good yet but I'm working on it. Some of the transparent colors seem to disappear but I think this is better than the first posting of this pear.

Bartlett Pear

My very tasty Bartlett pear. Couldn't wait to eat it. Delicious. I think I improved it a bit from the first one. What do you think?

Tomatoes again

I pulled out  several paintings after Matt 's critique and tried to improve them so I will post the "improved" paintings. Sometimes the changes will be very subtle and sometimes the changes will be very noticeable. I'll leave that part up to you.

Enjoy.

Oil on canvas paper 6x8