We had a fun opening party. Thanks for coming!

The gallery will be open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday afternoons till 6 PM.

A group show of new work, with 3 of my friends
At the Firehouse North Gallery,
1790 Shattuck Avenue, in Berkeley,  south of Francisco.

We are planning refreshments and entertainment for our first-night party.
Hope you can join us. Friday, January 13 , 7 to 9 PM.

Check the calendar listing at www.firehouseartcollective.blogspot.com.

A group of artists and photographers have joined together to record images of wild lands recently acquired by the Solano (County) Land Trust. We are having several shows, starting in October, where the work will be sold to raise more funds to administer the new properties.

My favorite spot on the land trust is a hilly former ranch that towers over the salt marshes between Benicia and Cordelia. It’s one of the windiest spots in California, but it’s full of (endangered) big black Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies, Golden eagles, and all sorts of wildflowers. With my canvases turning into sails and blowing around in the wind, I’m confined to the low sheltered spots. Maybe one day will be calm and I can set up on the overlook, but for now I’m loving the rocky valleys.

These two are  Refuge, King Ranch and Dusk, King Ranch, both oil on canvas, 30″ x 40″. They are painted at different times at more or less the same spot. They are on view at the Vallejo Museum through December 31.

Visit Vallejo Museum website

San Joaquin Delta College

Delta Center for the Arts

Juror DeWitt Cheng

Show runs October 6 – November 3

Reception: October 6th 5-7pm

I have three pieces selected:

These  paintings are about looking  at the figure and the process of painting  it,  in context.  By that I mean the context in which I am looking, the context in which the figure finds itself along with me, the historical context of painting the figure in general, and in the context of the painting process. It’s a long history, and I love to take part in it.

Looking forward to meeting the other artists at the reception October 6.

A number of artists  are joining together to paint the wild lands recently acquired by the Solano (County) Land Trust. It’s a great organization, very dedicated. We are having several shows, starting in October, where the work will be sold to raise more funds to administer the new properties.

My favorite spot is a hilly former ranch that towers over the salt marshes between Benicia and Cordelia. It’s one of the windiest spots in California.

The salt marshes and Sacramento delta are what you see the center. In the distance, that’s Mount Diablo, one of our state parks that’s scheduled to be closed this fall, to balance the California budget.

It’s full of (endangered) big black Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies, Golden eagles, and all sorts of wildflowers.

These guys only live entirely on one type of vine growing along streams in California, California pipevine. They’re endangered because the vines are scarce.  People seem to build houses just where they grow. Darn!

With my canvases turning into sails and blowing around in the wind, I’m confined to the low sheltered spots. Maybe one day will be calm and I can set up on the overlook, but for now I’m loving the rocky valleys.

This place is known as Butterfly Hill. Maybe the butterflies like the relatively calm air there too.

On view starting August 23, at Sotheby’s in Montclair, a selection of my favorite landscape paintings. 1986 Mountain Boulevard­, Oakland. They will be up through October 2nd. Beautiful quiet office, comfy chairs, friendly staff.

Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios are coming up, first two weekends in June. My studio opens onto the sunny garden, where visitors can hang out, munch and sip, and look at my  latest work. I’ll have both framed and unframed works on paper, as well as my new pleinair landscapes focusing on local places where nature meets urban life.

Stop by Hair on Solano to see in person a group of my fun, family-friendly figure pieces. They will be up through May.

Hair is on the south side of the street, next to the corner by Wells Fargo.

I am working on a  series of the view from my studio window. It’s fascinating to watch the sky change in winter weather.