Sunday, November 29, 2009

New Zealand Studies

Here are four of the studies painted from my recent New Zealand paint trip.

Avon River, Christchurch -  In my previous post, you saw a video clip of this scene with a punting boat going by just as I began to paint. This is the finished 5 x 7 study. I will paint a much larger version in my studio that will include punting boats.

View of Lake Hayes - I painted this study on a beautiful afternoon. New Zealand is about as long as California and with the many lakes, rivers, islands and oceans in and around this beautiful country, water will be featured in many of my New Zealand collection paintings.

TSS Earnslaw - This is a coal-fired steamship in Queenstown which has been operating since 1912. Seeing it instantly takes you back a century.

Kennedy Point Winery - This was the first of many wineries I visited during my trip. You didn't think I only painted, did you? It overlooks Waiheke Island's Kennedy Bay and is built around several pohutukawa trees which are sacred to the Maori.

Friday, November 27, 2009

New Zealand Video Clip

I will post some of the quick sketches I did during my New Zealand paint trip in subsequent posts. For now, I thought I would share a clip of me starting a painting in Queenstown, NZ. The Avon River flows through the city and the punting boat operator tipped his hat for the video.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

New Zealand

Well, I'm leaving for New Zealand in a few days. If anyone has been to NZ and has a recommendation of a place I must paint, please let me know. If you follow my work, you know I enjoy painting vineyards and harbor scenes. Fortunately NZ has plenty of both.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Saturday in St. Helena


One of the benefits of living so close to the wine country is having more frequent visits from dear friends. Saturday began at breakfast with Lisa and Victor. We ate at the Silverado in Napa. When Victor left for golf, Lisa and her friend Claudia watched while I painted this autumn vineyard scene. The weather was perfect and they had some inquisitive questions during those two hours together. Then, we enjoyed shopping in St. Helena which has several boutique and specialty stores. Having worked up an appetite, we ate an amazing meal at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen. I'm already planning a return trip for their Oysters Bingo with cheese, garlic and spinach.