2011 Lunar Eclipse: Mooning Over The Moon

Friday, 12/9/211, 4:40 pm 

Friday, 12/9/211, 11:30 pm

Saturday, 12/10/11, 5:10 am    5:30 am    5:50 am

And the moon brings us together:

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Watching in Mumbai India with my son of 6 and father of 87..wow....

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Went out in the bitter cold in Pacific NW to take some photos this morning. Spectacular Moon!

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Watching it from Bagram, Afghanistan perfectly clear night!

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i am watching from Peshawar, Pakistan

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Mystifying sight over here in the San Francisco Bay Area, just before the break of sunrise.

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watched it about an hour ago from new mexico -- got to see it fully covered before it 

disappeared behind my line of sight

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Saw half moon from Ceres Calif at 5:30 @ 6:05 could barely see orange moon. 

Too much fog, then daylight could no longer see moon

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My 10 year old son has been psyched all week for this - worth getting up at five am 

to watch it in Idaho Falls, Idaho!

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Watching from northern China, I am amazed.

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Beautiful in Central Oregon.

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Watching in Bangalore, India......    wow...what a view...simply amazing....

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Beautiful in Yokohama--the eclipse nearly over now.

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Watching from Palmer, Alaska. Super clear skies! Amazing moon. I am a child 

again gazing at the moon.

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me and my mom watching from india.. Its really very nice....

more: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/12/live-feed-lunar-eclipse/

From The Edge...

...of the Storm at Butterfly Beach, Santa Barbara.

Day three of the painting workshop found our group at Butterfly Beach as an approaching storm headed towards Santa Barbara. We made the best of it, watching John Budicin create magic on his canvas board. Then we stumbled through our own paintings while shivering and keeping one eye on the incoming squall. 

Girls Night Out

I needed to get out and paint. The weather was glorious and the crescent moon beckoned. On Sunday I got my chores done, helped the kids with various projects and homework, then headed out for some solitude. My hike to the edge of the bluffs at More Mesa (its farther than it looks) was rewarded with a breathtaking view. I did two paintings, wrapping up well after dark. My long walk back through a darkness as black as Lamp, Ivory, and Mars all mixed together made that long walk even longer. I had plenty of time to count my blessing and give thanks for the beauty that surrounds us.

Notice the crescent moon in the upper left of the smaller photo.

Photos: Kate Burt

From the Edge...

... of the Blueberry Field, Carpinteria.

Day two of the painting workshop with John Budicin earlier this month found our group in the Carpinteria Valley. We had plans of spending the morning painting at a farm, but John had different plans as we approached the entrance of the property. Like him, I was taken with the view from the side of the road. We asked "Kay", if we could set up in her driveway. Not only did she agree, she also regaled us with stories of her life, growing up the area before development impacted Carpinteria and Rincon. She even brought out some of her own oil paintings that she created decades ago.

The field across the road yields blueberries.  We arrived as the pickers were wrapping up their morning break. They were singing and laughing as they moved into the fields to pick. It was a  timeless scene that was beautiful in so many ways. I felt as if I was in a setting not unlike Van Gogh's, only happier.

I was very entertained by one of the workers who's job seemed to be shooing the birds from the field. He walked back and forth in the fields whistling and clapping all morning long. I am intrigued that this charming method delivers the best ROI. I'd like to see the data.


Berry Field, Fall. 9" x 12" oil on board

November Summer in Santa Barbara

The first week of November felt like summer. This warm sunny day reminded me why I live in Santa Barbara. From the Douglas Preserve I could see up coast, to UCSB and beyond. The day also brought a video crew out shooting for a local tourism organization. They asked to take footage of me while painting. Self consciously I said yes -- worrying that my butt looked XXL on video and wondered if my pony tail was attractively arranged. My hair takes on a life of it's own when I am out painting!
I've seen the footage and it looked better than I expected. Thank goodness I was in silhouette. I'll let you know when the video goes live, you can tell me if my butt looks fat. Really, you can tell me.

November Afternoon, 9" x 12", oil on board.

A View that Gives Me a Rush

Rush, 9" x 12"

Santa Barbara is beautiful. But LA serves up exciting vistas that really inspire me. I grew up in LA and worked with my father during the summer at his Downtown office when I was a teenager. There was special meaning for me to capture a scene I always found beautiful: city and traffic lights at dusk. I'm sure I traveled down that very street in the painting dozens of times with my dad when I was a kid. I never fail to appreciate the effect of car exhaust and urban humanity has on the evening sky.

I am honored to have this piece accepted into the California Art Club show currently hanging in Hennessy + Ingalls Art & Architecture Bookstore in the Third Street Mall in Santa Monica. The show hangs until January 15. The Opening Reception is tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to experiencing a bit of the LA art scene.

 Art Between the Lines:

An Unthemed Exhibition 

  

Opening Reception Tomorrow

Saturday, November 19; 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Hennessey + Ingalls Art & Architecture Bookstore

214 Wilshire Blvd., 

Santa Monica, CA  90401

 

Making Waves Under The Moon

Morning moonsets are just as moving as evening moonrises. An unusually fog-less morning offered up this exceptional view from Rincon.

Morning Wanderer, 8 x 16

Fun Under the Full Moon

Abiding Moon, 9 x 12, oil

 The scene: Good friends, beautiful warm evening, and a gorgeous full moon. Thanks to Bill, we were an organized group painting the Hunter's Moon as it rose over Montecito.

29 days 12 hours 44 minutes: Cupcake

There is so much to love about the moon, her beauty and magic never fail to inspire me. I patiently await the 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes between each lunar month. This Tuesday, October 9, I get to paint with some fellow lunar-loons (or shall I call us lunatics) and paint the rising full moon. Thank you Bill Hull for organizing this lunadventure!

Bill and his wife, Nancy, hosted a get together for us painters at his home over the weekend. He Martha-Stuart-ed the event by serving "Nocturne Painting Cupcakes". I sincerely hope he brings the leftovers on Tuesday night. I love the moon for it beauty and magic, but I especially love her frosted atop a cupcake.

Yum!

Paint brush and moon atop a cupcake, by the gracious Bill Hull.

Wayne Kjar Bakery

Abiding Moon, 9 x 12

The Best Days

A sunny day and an empty calendar happens to me exactly twice a year. So I have no choice when the fate aligns the conditions but to grab the opportunity and go out and paint. One such beautiful spring morning I headed out to Parma Park to paint this lush view over Montecito and Carpinteria, with just a little peak of the ocean on the right. After a very rainy winter there were wild flowers everywhere. It felt like a celebration of spring and possibility.

This painting was born to live on a lavendar wall. I hope Ruthie agrees.

Springtime Morning, Parma. 16 x 20. sold

Voyeurism or an Active Imagination

I started this painting late one night after struggling through another painting of the full moon rising behind the Santa Ynez Mountains. The moonrise painting was not a success, sometimes that happens. As I packed up my gear. I noticed this truck parked overlooking the Goleta Valley. My voyeuristic tendency revealed itself and I spied the people in the beat-up truck under the glow of the full moon and spent another two hours painting the scene. 

While packing up for the second time that evening, it occurred to me that there wasn't much going on in the truck. There was actually no one in there, and the truck was fairly new, not a ol' beater as I had imagined.

Parked, 8 x 10. Now on display at Corktree Cellars, Carpinteria

Moons in Carpinteria

December Crescent Moon, 9 x 12

On display now thru August 23 at Corktree Cellars in Carpinteria

While enjoying my moons I suggest ordering Midnight Moon, Cypress Grove to go with a glass of Savignon Blanc or a light Pinot. Just an idea.

Moons in Carpinteria

Seaward Crescent Moon, 9 x 12

On display now thru August 23 at Corktree Cellars in Carpinteria

Moons In Carpinteria

Valley Harvest Moon, 8 x 10

On display now thru August 23 at Corktree Cellars in Carpinteria

Last Chance and Last Stand

This painting was created on the side of the road on Cathedral Oaks Road in Goleta one evening this past spring. I was peeking through the fence at this stand of eucalyptus trees which I've admired for years while carpooling my daughter to and from DPHS. I was happy to have a chance to honor the magnificent grove. Like many open spaces in the area, I fear this one day will succumb to development. That is why I titled it Bishop's Last Stand. Stop by Corktree Cellars in Carp to view this painting and others until the end of August before my show comes down. And while there I'd like to suggest a split of something bubbly and the "Crowd Cheeser" plate. Sounds like a great way to end a summer afternoon!

Bishop's Last Stand, 12 x 16

Butterfly & Salmon

I haven't posted in a while. Between moving and my new "day job" life has been hectic. Lucky for me, my paintings are having a life of their own out in the world. If you haven't had a chance to get to Corktree Cellars in Carpinteria, you should go. Corktree is a wonderful restaurant. If you drop in, I have to suggest the Blackened Salmon Burger. Aside from it's odd shape: rectangular piece of fish between a round bun, it was perfection. Visit my painting Butterfly Glow. It is one of 15 hanging in the restaurant. But go quick. The painting just sold and it is going to its new home soon. 

Transitory Moment

Last February after finishing an afternoon painting and on my way to meet friends for dinner, I had some time to spare. So I pulled over and painted one more time before the day was done. I set up in a parking lot and grabbed this moment. A stranger came over and watched me create this painting. He was from Germany and had much to say about the transitory nature of sunsets. It was an interesting and slightly magical hour.

Transitory Sunset, 8 x 8 inches, is now available at Corktree Cellars, Carpinteria. If you go, I can highly recommend the New England Lobster Melt. Crazy good.

New Show up at Corktree Cellars, Carpinteria

I am pleased to announce that yesterday I hung 16 paintings at Corktree Cellars Wine Bar and Bistro in Carpinteria. The restaurant is a wonderful spot for lunch and dinner. A great bistro with comfy atmosphere, great ambiance, and an eclectic and creative menu. If you go, be sure to try a tapas with you meal. I am particularly obsessed with the Truffle Parmesan French Fries.


Corktree Cellars, 910 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

The show will be up now through August 23.

Winter Beach Day, 12 x 24

Off The Trail, In The Flowers

If you haven't been to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in a while, now is the time to go. The Garden has made a remarkable recovery since the devastating 2009 Jesusita fire. There are wild flowers everywhere. Yes, the flowers are likely the result of seeding, so truly wild they aren't. But they are beautiful nonetheless.  The Porter Trail on the opposite side of the road from the Garden entrance is my spot in this painting. I painted this last month. The flowers were just starting their bloom. Sunny and I went for a run up there a few days ago and right now the flowers are even more spectacular.

"Off The Trail" is currently available at the Tennis Club of Santa Barbara "Local Color" art show until June 6.


Off The Trail, 11 x 14, oil on linen panel

The Path

The Path, 8 x 10, oil on linen panel

22 years ago we were dining with friends in the white room at Cold Springs Tavern, one of our favorite places for special dinners. All of us were consulting the menu with grave seriousness, which is funny because I think we had the menu nearly memorized, when my husband Tom asked: so what's everyone having?! Our friend Janet replied: hmmmm, I think, I'm.... going to have... a baby! 

What! That was a shock. For the timing and the actual news. Thats how we first learned of Brian. Seems like yesterday. Really! 

Last Friday, at the age of 21, Brian graduated USC. This young man is amazing and absolutely brilliant. Janet gave him a painting I created at Douglas Family Preserve. A little bit of Santa Barbara for Brian to take with him where ever his life's path takes him. 

Congratulations Brian. I look forward to seeing where you go.

Randy, Brian and Lauren

Local Color, Sneak Peak

I hope to see you Friday Night at The Tennis Club of Santa Barbara. 

Here are two painting that will be in the show. 

The Homestead, Evening 

oil on linen panel, 8 x 10 inches

The Point 

oil on linen panel, 12 x 16 inches

Saltwhistle

It was so fun to create this painting for a special birthday gift given to a long-time friend from his thoughtful and creative-thinking wife. Thanks to Janet Rowse for asking me to paint this for Randy. I enjoyed the process and only wish I could have been there when he received his gift.

A special thanks goes to Dave Lombardi at Fast Frame. He did a gorgeous job with the frame. His input and expertise was much appreciated. I suggest if you are heading out this Thursday night for 1st Thursday stop by the Fast Frame Shop and Gallery, 1333 State Street, near the Arlington Theater. It should be a lovely evening to be out.

Unlikely Places

One beautiful Saturday morning I headed north of Santa Barbara to paint these barns which I have admired for years. I don't know who owns the barns or what their purpose is. I just like how the light hits their surfaces and that they sit on a remarkable piece of property overlooking the ocean.
Thanks Rita, for joining me on this adventure. And being brave enough to park and paint on the 101! Not for the faint of heart.
This piece has been selected to be part of the "Local Color" show at Tennis Club of Santa Barbara, May 13 - June 6. Please join Chris Chapman, Tom Henderson, John Iwerks and me on Friday May 13th for the Artist Reception, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
Tennis Club of Santa Barbara, 2375 Foothill Road, Santa Barbara.

Barns with a View, 12 x 16 inches, oil on linen panel

Monet Moment

Two weeks ago I boldly asked a friend vie Facebook if I could paint on her family ranch located north of Santa Barbara. She immediately agreed. Never mind that she is currently living in Europe (wish I was there!). I hadn't spoken to her in years. And, that the ranch is busy and doesn't need me snooping around. How generous she is, and how extremely kind and welcoming the folks at the ranch are. Thanks to all!

I picked a blustery day to paint the gorgeous coastline from the bluffs. As I climbed out of my car, the door immediately shut on me and pinned me against my car. It was freakin' windy!

Undaunted, I bundled up in multiple layers of clothing and set up my painting gear with several large rocks anchoring down everything. My 12 x 24 inch canvas board was literally flapping in the wind.

Still undaunted, I thought of an antidote I read about Monet painting on the beach. He was so completely focused on his work, he didn't notice the rising tide, nor the wave that toppled him and swept his gear out to sea. I don't know if that story is true, but I like to think of Monet out there on the French coast battling all kinds of weather and conditions to paint outdoors. So I stayed inspired and nearly completed this painting on site. After three hours I had to give up, declare the wind the victor, and head home to finish the painting indoors. With a cup of tea.

I don't claim to have much in common with Monet, other than having great artist friends to paint with as he did. I look forward to more adventures out there with my painting buddies.

Flight Perch, 12 x 24

Painting 101

This Friday past I decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and head north of Santa Barbara to paint a scene that has caught my attention over the years. These two statuesque eucalyptus trees stand watch over Highway 101 just south of El Capitan Ranch. I pulled over to a favorite spot and set up to paint. I usually paint in pleasant locations affording me great views, a little social interaction, and lots of peace. This location, not so much. I had the 101 at my back. Truckers and drivers cat-calling and honking. Motorcycles revving engines. I had to hold on to my easel when the semis came roaring by. Surprisingly, occasional visitors  pulled over to see what I was up to. I had the privilege to meet Cory Rubright who was returning home from a photography adventure up in Santa Maria. He came by to swap stories and business cards. Check out his work from the Betteravia Sugar Beet Factory. I like the haunting way he captured a historical spot frozen in time. His photos are beautiful and evocative. You never know what you are going to find on the 101.

This painting, Grand Indifference, 11 x 17, is a quick sketch that I am planning on finishing in the studio.

Pride & Joy

One of the pleasures of being a painter is having the opportunity to create a custom piece for a client. I was asked to paint a scene from Summerland Beach looking towards Loon Point. My client suggested that I include her labs Pride and Joy in the composition. I thought adding my client and her lovely daughter would also be a nice touch. Happily, she agreed. So Pride & Joy was started on location on a minus low tide day in January and finished, again on location, on a minus low tide day in February. The low tides offered the wet sand reflection of Loon Point; a tidal condition I've always wanted to paint. I was lucky to catch some gorgeous winter days before the last set of storms rolled in and froze Santa Barbara. I enjoy looking at this painting and remembering the warm Spring season we had this past January.

Pride & Joy, 18 x 24

Looking for the Full Moon

I anticipate the full moon each month as an opportunity to get outside and attempt to capture a unique and magical scene on canvas. The February full moon, appropriately called the Storm Moon in Medieval times, was obliterated by, well, a storm. I did go out to see if by some chance there was a clearing in the sky at moonrise. But no. So back home and into the studio to finish Summerland Moon instead. I started this painting months ago. It seemed appropriate that on another full moon I was able to finish it.

Summerland Moon, 9 x 12

Ugly-Pretty

The ugliest subjects can make for interesting paintings. Although I like to paint lovely scenes that I find moving, occasionally I find subjects that are begging to be painted, pretty or not. I run by the harbor area every so often and have watched the dredge in various light. I find the shapes, colors and textures interesting. So I picked a sunny afternoon, ignored the call of the typically beauteous scenes in and around the harbor and decided to paint the dredge.
There was a artistic movement in the early 20th century called the Ashcan School  that portrayed daily life in New York. This movement popularized everyday scenes as motifs. I suppose my Dredge would fall into that category. Probably the best know painter of this tradition is Edward Hopper, he himself may argue his inclusion with this group. He was not officially a member of the Ashcan School, but was a student of one of it's eight members, Robert Henri.
I enjoy this genre. It's exciting to find the beauty in light, no matter where I find it.

The Dredge, 11 x 14, oil on panel

Beach Walk and Gallery Info

I am please to share with you that I am now represented by Chalk Gallery in Carpinteria. Owners Duane and Liz operate the gallery Friday - Monday from 11 - 4, or by appointment. For those of you from out of the Santa Barbara area, Carpinteria is a great town to stop for food or a beach stroll. Visit Chalk at 963 Linden Avenue, 805-220-6264. It is a small space with lots of wonderful art to see. There are also many cute shops nearby.
One of my new paintings, Fall Morning Beach Walk, is currently showing at the gallery. This painting was completed on location at Goleta beach. It is a favorite spot for local painters. It think it is a great location to paint because the slough is changeable depending on the tide, time of year, and weather conditions. Sometime it is serene and easy to wade ankle deep across the outlet and other times it can rush like a river making it treacherous. Just past the point, which is a knob of tar, the coastline continues unobstructed (at low tide) all the way to Hope Ranch beach. Its a beautiful place.

Fall Morning Beach Walk, 9 x 12 inches, oil on panel

Members' Art Reception This Friday

Please join me and my fellow Tennis Club of Santa Barbara artists for the annual Members' Invitational reception this Friday night, January 14, from 5:30 - 7:30. This is the Tennis Club's "2nd Fridays Art @ TCSB" event for the month of January. They do a lovely party. Please come by for a glass of wine and enjoy the art of eight local artists. Hope to see you there!

Don't Miss These Shows

Two great art shows to see in Santa Barbara this month. Don't miss them, they'll be gone before you know it. 

Fall Color, Clyde Aspivig

Clyde Aspivig, is one of America's leading plein-air artists. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum, at the corner of Santa Barbara and De La Guerra Streets, is currently showing 25 of his breathtaking paintings. Most are large scale and full of atmospheric light. I've been to the exhibit several times and will likely go back for one more visit before the show closes on February 7. 

Last October I attended a demonstration by Clyde (Coordinated by Dorene White. Thanks, Dorene!!). Clyde was really terrific. A super nice guy and a great teacher. He challenged us to find the mistakes he was deliberately making in the sketch he was creating before us. It was an excellent lesson. He also demonstrated gorgeous color harmony and simplified shapes and composition. It was a great learning experience and a lot of fun. 

I urge you to visit the show before it is gone. It is awesome and a real treat to have such world class art here in our town.

Fiery Orange Moon, York Harbor, Maine, Lockwood de Forest

Another great show (up until April 3) just opened this past Thursday at the Sullivan Goss Gallery, 7 East Anapamu Street. I visited the show when the gallery was quiet last Thursday afternoon. It was a treat to be the only visitor at the time. In contrast to the grand scale of the large Aspivig paintings at the SBHM, this show is 40 small nocturne and 40 small daytime sketches by Lockwood de Forest (1850-1932). Several of the scenes he painted are from the Santa Barbara area. I have learned that it is quite possible the artist never intended for these wonderfully spontaneous sketches to be shown. de Forest was passionate about painting and had a special interest in the nocturne subject. I was struck by the subtle color harmony of each little paintings. The nocturnes are intriguing and evocative of the mystery I experience while painting out at night. Kudos to Sullivan Goss Gallery for a beautifully arranged show.

Shift in Point of View

I was recently reminded how art can be meaningful. 
My friend Leslie Turnbull asked if I could be commissioned to paint a scene that was dear to her husband. The view is from the Douglas Family Preserve overlooking Hendry's Beach, Santa Barbara. This was to be a surprise Christmas gift. I was thrilled to be asked. I enjoyed the process of creating a special gift for him. That was in the fall of 2009. He was presented with "Afternoon Shift" that Christmas. 
Fast forward to November 2010 - I received the following email from Leslie: "Over the weekend we took a walk down by Hendry's, and Paul told me just how much your beautiful painting of 'our' beach means to him. Whenever he's having a rough day back in the Valley, he goes in his office and looks at the picture and it makes him happy :)"
Wow. That email showed up in my inbox at the right moment, just when I could use a shot in the "painting" arm. That was a gift for me to get to know how "Afternoon Shift" was doing out in the world. And that it had meaning for Paul.
I wish everyone a happy and heathy new year filled with beauty. 
Thanks Leslie :)


Afternoon Shift, 18 x 24, oil on canvas board