Golfing in Palm Desert

Could be Hawaii!

This past January I set my easel up to paint one morning on the edge of a golf course in Palm Desert. As I painted away I was struck with how much this scene looked like Hawaii. The area is so lush, the palm trees swaying, and the grass so green… Man this is Paradise! I hope you thnk this little painting conveys my delight with the beauty of nature.
Golf and plein air painting are great ways for “Grown Ups” to play outside.

Study in Blue

Available at Harris Gallery, Houston

More Problems to Solve

I had this great idea to paint a painting using the theme of the color Blue. I gathered all my blue and white objects and bought flowers in blue and white and just started painting like mad, again putting too much stuff in the composition just because it was in the right colors… Alas, after studying the painting I had to paint out the irises (too much) and extend the large bouquet (looked like the top was cut off) and make the table round to echo the other circles in the painting. I think this is a more pleasing design.
Again, an example of the first attempt below…

Problems to Solve

Old Water Tower

Old Water Tower, Fredericksburg, Texas

This is the second painting I did last Fall at the Oil Painter’s of America Paint Out. I so enjoyed this opportunity to get together with fellow artists and paint as fast as you can for a day. I am going again at the end of this month to Art, Texas (near Fredericksburg) for “Art in Art”. This is the perfect time of year in Texas to get out in the Spring sunshine and just let the paint fly and hope for the best! I’ll get back with you on the results.

Available at Harris Gallery, Houston

Problem Solving

Jane is one of my friends with a rose garden, which she graciously let me harvest last Spring. I was so enchanted with this embarrassment of riches that I forgot one of the cardinal rules of composition. “Paint the shapes, Not the objects.” Off I went painting roses without asking myself the question, ” Is the shape of the bouquet pleasing? Does the bouquet work in the picture plane?” Alas, I ended up
re-streching the canvas and then painting out some of the beautiful roses to make the shape of the bouquet more pleasing. Sad examples below…

Hopefully I won’t do that again.

2008 flowers more

2009 Mark