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 Today was a perfectly beautiful day in Camarillo, CA, my hometown. I joined about 15 other artists who shared their works of art in many downtown merchants who were hosting wine tastings. Lots of people came to join us drink wine and enjoy art. I also enjoyed getting started on a new painting “Beach Hat” on a freshly gessoed 12″ x 12″ birch panel. I still have a ways to go, as I was quite distracted today with the crowds asking questions along the way. {Note to self: get new iPod}
Although it was a challenge, I enjoyed the outdoors, painting with the northern light of the sky on my painting. It makes me think about keeping this in mind when I build my studio in the future… to make sure that there is a north facing wall that can have large windows to slurp in the natural light during our long Southern California sunny days.
Tomorrow morning I am off to a special paint-out for a week with the California Art Club. In a special arrangement with the Land Conservancy of SLO County, we have been given access to some private land that includes the Dana Adobe in Nipomo, Black Lake Ecological Area & Filipponi Wetland Preserve. It will be nice to finally paint along the Central Coast. I will post photos on my return next weekend.
So, I took an old plein air painting I did at Leo Carillo a couple years ago, and redid it. I was not happy the first time anyway, so it was a good opportunity to try some new paint out. You can see the change from the first go, to the new version below.
I have been painting again. This weekend I was with a fantastic colorist and impressionistic painter David Gallup. It was a wonderful time of conversation, philosophy and most of all COLOR. It was a real eye opener for me about using paint that I have never had on my palate. He is really one of the modern masters of color. More on that to come…
Below is a small closeup that shows the interesting color that can happen with wet sand. The first image is the closeup of a plein air study that I did using close to actual color of wet sand. (full original) Below that, is a close-up of a second painting, using all of the same colors, but separated out. With a few steps back, the colors blend, but the overall “color” is mixed and becomes the same as the original study. Dave tells me “Why paint gray wet sand color when you can have FUN painting sand with color?” {Things that make you say “hmmmm”…. }
I left knowing that I had taken a first big step into an unknown journey up the mountain. We have to take bold steps and make intentional brush strokes with color… with confidence… with intention, but none of it can happen without first taking a step. I am reminded of an old Goethe quote that I have used before on my BLOG about starting a thing and moving forward… He says “What you can do, or dream you can do, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Paint your future with boldness. Make the first steps and start the journey.
I will work out the painting for a few weeks (or longer) and will eventually post the final painting, but know this… some new things are on the horizon. I have started to climb the mountain. 
… Tell me, which looks more fun!?!
Today the Huntington Beach Plein Air Festival closes. I had the three paintings below in the event, plus one that was offered up for the “Painting in the Streets” event. I love
 Central Ducks, Always Welcome, Triangle Sun  Lucy and this guy
I was invited to paint during another Sunday morning service today at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Ventura, CA. Today’s theme was “Why the Bible” and the simple answer is because it provides a map to the road we are all on. So, I thought if the time I was in Assisi last year and this wonderful countryside road that lead from the hilltop city into where the fields. This is the same valley floor that San Francesco gathered his co-laborers to serve the poor and dejected, the lepers and homeless. It is there that the Franciscan order was developed and continues today.
So, here is the painting “Road from Assisi” that was created in about 70 minutes during the service today. Click the image to view it larger.
 Road From Assisi - 48" x 48" Acrylic on Birch Panel Click the image below for a short time-lapse view of the painting in progress.
 Ray of Hope - 48" x 48" Acrylic on Birch Panel A few months ago I was asked to consider painting during a Sunday Morning church service. In fact, there was an opportunity to paint during more than one. Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Ventura is doing a summer series of outdoor services, so it is much more casual. The series asks a series of questions starting with “Why…?” Today was “Why Jesus?” Next week, it will be “Why the Bible?” and so on.
On the left is a 48″ square painting I did during the 70 minute service. I will work out the hands a bit more this week and return it on Sunday. They will use it in a raffle during their annual Lemon Festival in order to help raise funds for my film project Without Shelter.
So, on Friday (June 19th) I will be leaving the daily grind to be a gypsy artist for a week. I will take my newly gesso-ed birch panels with me to San Onofre Beach where it will be my outpost for the week. San Clemente hosts a week long Plein Air competition and I will be taking the entire week to get some sun and painting done. I always look forward to my little trips about once a year… usually alone. It is a necessary thing for me to be in solitude. Distance from the stuff of daily life has a way of giving a new perspective. Interestingly, Saturday evening will be Summer Solstice. I do not necessarily “celebrate” this, but it offers a reminder that seasons do change and life goes on even after drastic life changes happen to us. There are these threshold moments in our lives that we can look back on and see where everything became different. We can not prepare for everything that lies in the path of our future, but we can know that the trail that we have been on so far has brought us to where we are now.
My artist friend Michael Pearce has a spool of shoelace material. Stitched into the lace is the word “Solitude” which is a word that I cherish. It is idealistic of me to think that I can have solitude in the chaos of my life, but I try to be reminded of its value. In the book “The Way of the Heart” Henri Nouwen has an entire chapter talking of the importance of solitude in our busy lives. It is a way to spiritually re-charge. It is infact the first step on a path that he describes as the way of the heart. (the next steps are silence and prayer) Of solitude he says “Solitude is the furnace of transformation.” He goes on to say in another book “In solitude we discover that life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared.” It is there, in solitude that I do recharge my gift. I am able to go back to the daily life of family, work, community and share the gift of life. I am truly looking forward to filling up with grace and the suns vitamin D boost as I paint along the coast next week.
So, painting for 5 Christmas Eve services was not as hard as I psyc’ed myself out for. It actually got much easier each service. The thing that I was not figuring on was that there were three pastors preaching three different sermons at these five services. Each used the painting to illustrate the sermon point is a bit different way, and with different timing… But it all worked out well. Below is a photo of me about half way through the 4th service. The 3rd and 5th services were filmed and I plan to upload a highlights version when I get the DVDs.
So, I got a LOT accomplished today which was VERY necessary if I am going to pull off this HUGE task. With the help of my son Nick today, I built five 48″ wood panels with 2×2 frames that were stapled to the back. Then I put a first coat of flat house paint to seal the wood and I will add another coat later tonight. Since I only have about 50 minutes to complete each painting during the services on Christmas Eve, I will need to prepare each panel with a rough start of a landscape painting. That will actually be very nice to have a head start before each service starts. When the congregation begins to enter the main room, I will already be on stage with my brush in hand and they will not know where I started. They will just sit down and the service will begin… then the fun begins 
Here is the five framed panels getting prepared with a coat of flat house paint. It is a cheap $5 gallon of discarded paint I picked up at Home Depot.
 Here is am painting in front of another audience for an event to raise money for a building water wells in Kenya. I wanted to tell you about a Christmas Eve gig I got today. I will be going to Mission Viejo to do a 48″ x 48″ painting at each of FIVE Christmas eve services for a big Lutheran church (Mount of Olives). They have three “contemporary” services and two “Traditional” services starting at 4pm and the last one is at 10pm. The theme of the evening will be apparent when the pastors “cue” to me while I am painting is going to be… “and then we messed up God’s creation” and whatever I have been painting up to that point becomes all messed up with a big brush. THEN… that mess has to turn into “something” within the next 30 minutes before the service is over…. We have not worked out the details yet, and I have not talked to the pastor yet, only to the worship pastor who I have worked with in the past at Calvary Community in Westlake Village. He is leading the worship for the services down there, and contacted me this morning about all of this. I will also be taking some other paintings for display in the foyer of the church. I will be bringing my current “I was Thirsty” paintings to show and to raise awareness of the Living Water project I am partnering with. Maybe I will have a plastic 5 gallon water bottle below it to collect pocket change.
Samantha and the kids will stay home and watch some Christmas movies while I am gone for the evening. I will get home excited and wiped out… ready for Christmas morn.
If you are anywhere near Mission Viejo on Christmas Eve, please join us for a happy Christmas eve service.
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A quote I would love to live like a river flows
Carried by the surprise of its own unfolding
~ John O’Donohue
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Today was a perfectly beautiful day in Camarillo, CA, my hometown. I joined about 15 other artists who shared their works of art in many downtown merchants who were hosting wine tastings. Lots of people came to join us drink wine and enjoy art. I also enjoyed getting started on a new painting “Beach Hat” on a freshly gessoed 12″ x 12″ birch panel. I still have a ways to go, as I was quite distracted today with the crowds asking questions along the way. {Note to self: get new iPod}
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