Aspire - Canna Lilies at Balboa Park

Aspire, Balboa Park

24X20

Oil

The inspiration for "Aspire"

The downside to traveling to San Diego last week was being away from the puggies. The upside: Balboa Park! As soon as I saw these rich red cannas crowded in front of these stucco walls, I knew I would have to paint them. Balboa Park is one of the most beautiful places in Southern California. It is amazing to be able to walk into such a place and park at absolutely no charge.

Mango

Mango Still Life, 11X14, oil

Mango was completed during the Kurt Anderson workshop last week. I may have mentioned this before, but if you get a chance to take a workshop or see a demo by Kurt, don't skip or hop - be sure to leap at the opportunity.

One of the most important things I learned from Kurt was the essential role that cool and warm color notes have in paintings. I tend to go way overboard in the warm department, as you can see from works on my web site with my use of oranges, reds and yellows. By working from real life rather than photography, it is easier to see the cool notes that lie in the shadows, even in the brightest, warmest colors.

Kurt explained to us that photography tends to erase a bit of the spectrum and takes away those important subtle visual cues. So here is my painting "to do list" - look for the cool notes, work from real life setups, paint outdoors more often, and most of all, have a stern talk with that pesky inner artist about this excessive noodling. It has got to stop!