Empty Saddle

Here is a painting I did for a commission of the Empty Saddle Statue at the San Juan Capistrano Mission. Every year a mass and ceremony are held there to commemorate those members of the Viaje de Portola who have passed away the previous year. Here is a link which explains a little bit more about the ceremony:


http://www.missionsjc.com/pressroom/2011_040611.pdf


I worked on this during the past crazy couple of months. Now that it is finished and all the shows are over I feel a little aimless. I'll have to zero in on some new projects.

Also at this weekend's show I was honored to receive a second place award for my painting Bell Canyon Creek.

Trabuco Creek Morning

Here is a little morning view from down in Trabuco Creek where it runs through O'Neill Park. It's amazing to me that this beautiful place lies practically out my back door. If I were a bird I could fly to this spot in about a minute. Amazing.

Sun on Bell Canyon Creek

I hiked down to Bell Canyon Creek in Caspers Park a couple of weeks ago, looking for places to paint for our Paint the Parks Show this week-end. I was surprised to see there was still water flowing in the creek. This was a really difficult painting to photograph however. It sort of looks like this, but not so orange, or so bright in the cliff shadows. Anyway, it was a beautiful afternoon, and that location and creek are becoming my favorite subject to paint.

"Less is More" Show

If you've been wondering why I haven't posted anything for weeks, it's because I've been busy preparing for these 2 shows which are now finally here. This show will be opening at the same time the weekend show is ongoing. This show, titled "Less is More", is put on by the Laguna Plein Painters Assoc. which I just joined late last year. These are the 2 paintings juried into this show.

Paint the Parks Juried Paintings

Finally, our "Paint the Parks" Show is next weekend. Friday is the Artist's Reception and Gala where 60 of our paintings were juried in by nationally known Plein Air Artist John Budicin. It's all very exciting and I'm really looking forward to it all.
Here are the 2 paintings of mine that were juried into the show. Wish me luck

Limestone Sinks

A few weeks ago, as part of a program to open up previously closed wilderness areas in Orange County, I traveled with about 10 other artists in a big truck with all our gear to an area in the Limestone Canyon Regional Park called the Limestone Sinks, named for a geologic event hundreds of years ago which resulted in a landscape some have called a Mini-Grand Canyon. The view was truly spectacular, and so far off the normal routes as to be almost pristine. It was beautifully quiet, the hawks flying overhead seeming somehow more wild than when we see them swooping over the freeway on the lookout for unsuspecting prey.

I didn't finish my painting there, having chosen too large a canvas, but I got a good start on something and I was able to finish it in the studio.
I'll be showing this painting, (and a bunch more that I'll be posting in the next few days), at our upcoming Paint the Parks Show and Sale on May 20-22 in Irvine.

Mission Viejo Country Club Show

Last Wednesday, the Mission Viejo Country Club hosted their Artisan Spring Exhibition. As far as I'm concerned it was a great success. I was very fortunate to sell 3 paintings, which I'll post below. It was a lot of fun being able to paint there. I hope we can go back soon.
Lots more news coming up.
Here's the 3 I sold: