Some Recent Works

I'm waiting on some pictures from a couple friends before doing a recap on July, so I thought I'd show a small selection of work I've been up to recently.

This was done the week Alex and I got back from Europe back in April... okay, not so recent, but I still like it! It's our garden shed in the backyard. Notice the overgrown weeds? 9" x 12" Watercolour.

This one's been sitting on the easel forever, but I finally finished it in time for an upcoming cityscape show. 30" x 40", Oil on Canvas. It's a scene in the industrial area of West Oakland. Just to the right of the overpasses, roughly a hundred yards away , a section of freeway collapsed the weekend I resumed working on the painting. I drove back to this spot to see if this was where the collapse happened. Would have been kinda weird, huh?

Aside from the landscape paintings above, I've been into doing a lot more things out of my head lately - though still based on my own experiences, places I've been to, old memories, or just things I've seen. Applying it to children's book work has been the most rewarding way to do this (such as the sketch from the previous "Comic-Con" update).

Small sketchbook page. Based on Dillon Beach and old fences along houses by the Mendocino coastline.

The Wrong Shoe Size - 12" x 15" Acrylic on Illustration Board. Based on rooftops in Nottingham, England, and all those boots you always see flung over telephone wires, and me wondering who collects them.

Some of my favorite little pick-me-up's - my cat, music, and coffee - get a pick-up of their own. 7" x 14.5" Gouache on Illustration board with some digital touch-up.

Fresh off the easel... actually, it's still sitting on the easel, but it's considered done. Another bird in a Venetian style mask. 5" x 7", Oil on Canvas. I'll do a better scan when it's dry.

The cityscape show I mentioned, by the way, is taking place at the Studio Gallery in San Francisco, beginning August 15th, with a gallery reception taking place on August 18th. I'll be stopping by the reception at some point, so if you're in the area, stop by. The Studio always puts up a great show, with a lot of great local artists.

Also, some of you may have noticed something new on this blog: my shameless capitalistic impulses manifesting itself in the form of Featured Items from my new Shop on the sidebar. The site itself is actually pretty cool, boasting all hand-made items by a community of artists, artisans, and crafts-folk alike. Some of the journals I've seen are really tempting, but I should probably fill the one (or six) I have lying around first. I don't know how most people classify digital prints, but I do consider mine hand-made, since I create the original images and I manage the printing process, though I do plan to put up originals and limited edition pieces as well). Anyway, have a look!