...gratitude as a ritual.

The recent Open Studios and studio 20th anniversary weekend was a blast! A parade of people came through and shared in artful festivities. For me those two days amplify my already growing gratitude for all the support I've received over the years at 10th and California. It must be true for all career paths right?Mentors, Medici, angels and patrons show up at the right time to keep the fire burning. The unexpected arrive at pivotal moments to stir up flames from embers. Sometimes they blow wind into still sails. Commitment, motivation and perseverance build fine momentum but even the most stalwart and steadfast person can be thrown off course. Trailblazers do get lost. And even what's perceived as a solitary pursuit actually requires many hands. Maybe especially, so as I remain wholehearted about my path I'm also wholeheartedly grateful for those who have supported this artist in countless ways. My flames are burning and my sails are full.

SF Open Studios & my 20th Anniversary Studio Celebration.

Many things in life are magical, mysterious, and unexpected. So embracing this truth has become a necessary part of my life and certainly instrumental in art making itself. When I realized my art studio has been up and running in the same location since 1994, I was mind-boggled. Twenty years? I've changed. My art has changed. San Francisco has changed. And I'm still here. In fact, my presence here is largely due to generous support from art patrons, friends, family and the community where my studio is located. Without these great people I'd be embracing an entirely different uncertainty! 

My art studio is celebrating this momentous milestone all weekend (both Saturday & Sunday) from 11am to 6-ish. Come visit and see what's up!

4754 California Street @ 10th avenue

(415)751-4232

Two prints from a series of silkscreen prints using favorite drawings from my 2014 sketchbook! 

...exploring possibilty.

In an effort to make its way out of the sketchbook and on to a bigger format this composition is at first underway as a drawing on panel. At 36"x "48" it seems to hold up. I'll try it as a larger charcoal drawing and then a big painting. Somewhere within the three methods exists the answer I'm looking for in which to proceed with the others. All answers are found in the labor. The unknown. How else will I know unless I just go? Ultimately it's not as much what creation comes from the hard work. It's what the hard work creates in the worker yes?

...on drawing.

I don't draw enough.

...on sketching.

I never sketch enough.

...September exhibits.

I'm participating in these two exhibits this month. Both galleries are excellent and I'm honored to be hanging beside some incredible artists. 

...new triptych.

I'm just about finished with a new triptych of still life paintings. When are they ever finished? When they leave the studio. From rough journal and yellow pad pen concept sketches to 48"x 60" canvases, these three jumbo creations have initiated my temptation series. Each will participate in the September still life exhibit at CK Contemporary Gallery here in San Francisco. 

The 6th Annual Summer Studio Drawing Sale!

Join us this Saturday and Sunday 6/28-29 for drawings galore! 

Everything begins with a drawing. It's the most primal form of artistic expression. Whether it's charcoal on the finest French paper or charcoal on a cave wall. Whether it's graphite on Mylar or ballpoint pen on a bar napkin. Whether it's a pen and ink masterpiece or a doodle on a used envelope, drawing is the essence of creativity. Come and see!

Any questions or requests please call (415) 751-4232.

...coastal harvest.

Last month I've been working on a harvest painting. It's my interpretation of a field and the workers there about forty-seven miles south of San Francisco. Along the coast the climate apparently is ideal for strawberries. It's a place I enjoy leaving SF to visit and observe. To sketch, draw and study. To get out of the studio and see real labor juxtaposed with a beautiful ocean backdrop is one way to calibrate myself. Making it into a painting is another.

Excuse the inconsistent photos. The reflected light from today's foggy sky causes crazy glare!

"...deserve your dream."

Three simple words. A thought distilled to its essence by Octavio Paz. What more needs to be stated? So...in my studio are a handful of projects in progress including the details below. 

...new journal.

My loyal journal of choice is a fine book made in Japan. I always look forward to making the trek to Japantown for my perfect bound blank book. It waits for me stacked with its brethren there at Kinokuniya Stationery and Gift Shop. Actually the shop itself is worthy of a visit even if for no reason whatsoever. This place is as unique as the selection of journals, sketchbooks and pens it carries.  The shelves display an eclectic array of cool and kooky items that are quintessential Japanese. I explore some but I'm only interested in the notebook. It's been my choice since the '90s. Since I take my journal everywhere it's vital that the volume takes a good roughing up and doesn't fall apart. This book is extremely durable.The cover usually gets a sketch or a paint job and this time I've chosen to sketch the front with a symbol to indicate what lies within. Some things do not change after all.

...easel to easel glimpse.

So here's the creative action in the southwest corner of my studio. These two paintings and a charcoal study for another sit in temporary stasis. Very temporary. The drawing is for a commission in progress over on another easel. And while the west wall features a still life quartet coming alive, on the north floor two big pieces wait their turn to be mounted on panels, retouched and framed. On the drawing board are more rock studies. One rock painting is getting attention too. Yesterday was foggy. Today there was sun. I begin a new journal tomorrow.

...easel to easel.

Working on one creation at a time only happens in the moment. Except for quick sketches, figure drawing sessions and the rare plein air painting, I've always bounced from easel to easel to drawing-board to sketchbook and back again. All projects are happening simultaneously. It's a dance that keeps the ideas vibrating. Orbiting. Flowing. Fresh. The possibilty of new perspectives. Seeing the overlooked. The time away from each artwork is vital. But so is maintaining an intimate relationship with each piece. Balance. Individuation. It's the way I've evolved in my studio. It's how I think. And pivotal in my orbiting is the sketchbook. A delicious meander into streams of consciousness. Starting with a cup of tea.