'Silver Surfer' and 'Sunbather'

Finally it's warm and sunny! The California of dreams. In 'Silver Surfer' I wanted to commemorate my 20 years in California by describing my experiences with the water. Originally there was a figure in this painting but I changed it to a more iconic image and strong graphic shape to pare it down to universal forms. Today would be a good day to be a sunbather myself.

'Sunrise Over Emerald Bay', 'Ridgeline'

The strong ray of sunshine (finally!) streaming into my office reminds me of 'Sunrise Over Emerald Bay.' When we go hiking you can see Emerald Bay from the hills above our house. One morning there was a single ray shining on the cliffs, illuminating the houses below.

Another hike shone a spotlight on Newport Harbor at dawn to inspire 'Ridgeline'. It’s amazing to me that you can look at the same thing over and over yet you can still see something new. There was a lot of cloud cover this spring that created dramatic lighting effects on the landscape. I was training for Mt. Washington and later Mt. Whitney so I did a lot of hiking.


 

Opening Night

Thanks to all the friends and collectors who braved the rain to come to my opening last night! It's always a fun event and nice to have so many wonderful supporters of my work.

Mt. Whitney

Climbing Mt Whitney was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It wasn't the hardest trail I've ever been on but the combination of the distance and the altitude made it a challenge. 14, 494’ doesn’t sound that high but it sure feels like it when the lack of oxygen robs you of energy and mental clarity. The 22-mile hike was supposed to take us 14 hours but it took longer than expected. I felt great up until 12,000’ - after 13, 000’ we slowed down significantly. But we made it- not bad for people that live at about 20’! 

‘Do you feel LUCKY?’ While LA posted the highest temps on record (110 degrees) we experienced 60-degree temps even at our start time of 3 am. The warm desert air rose in gusts and throughout the day we were blessed with clear skies, mild temps (40’s-50’s) and a few wispy clouds providing a perfect scrim to ward off heat stroke. In comparison: two weeks before our climb the temps were about 13 degrees and 3 days after brought thunderstorms! It’s also not uncommon for it to snow in September. So yeah- we felt very very lucky.

The views were STUNNING. After you pass over the saddle at 13,500’- King’s Canyon and the Great Western Divide are suddenly revealed below. To the north is Yosemite, to the south Sequoia. The mesa-type mountain formations resembling eroding sandcastles were in stark contrast to the sharp vertical monoliths of the rock formations at Trail Crest. ‘Wotan’s Throne’ really does look fit for the deity. Further still are the aptly named ‘Needles’- appearing sharp, unfriendly, and potentially injurious. Against a solid blue sky they were beautiful with their raspy, crags emerging defiantly. The range appears almost violent from a distance like a massive rip in this dimension as they try to escape. They are sheer on one side and slightly sloping on the other as if a giant snowplow had pushed the rocks aside. Occasionally the sun would cast a spotlight onto the whitish rocks below in a playful game of Searchlight Tag. When we were on the summit, it illuminated an area just beyond a razor-like rock wall: a massive stone curtain setting an enormous stage? Perfect for modern descendants of Dionysus re-emerging in California.

As always, the moon went with us. It was nearly full on the ascent- we hardly needed our headlamps as she brightened our path. The sunrise cast the white rocks in hues from pink to orange…. as she winked from above.

You can only prepare for so much in life- sometimes you just have to jump in. We made it- with a little help from our friends: Doug, Warren and Beth thank you so much. The Sierras will continue to inspire me even more now that I know them intimately. 

 

'Surface Tension' Series

Another water-related body of work is The Surface Tension Series. It describes that transition point between water and air. When viewed from under water, many lines of color converge in an undulating motion that is both tense and fluid. Several of these paintings capture that convergence from my favorite bodies of water.

'Swimming to the Moon'

With summer finally here (on the first day of October) and warm ocean temps I am reminded of one of my favorite swims. Last year on Labor Day a friend and I swam from Main Beach to Crescent Bay in the early morning. As the sun was rising behind us and starting to light up the landscape, the moon was setting in front of us; hence 'Swimming to the Moon.' The water was warm, flat and crystal clear- we saw Garibaldi; it was a magical swim.

'Swimming to the Moon' is the study for the larger piece titled, 'Moonlight Over Laguna'.

From Mountains to Surf

The classic So Cal thing is to ski in the morning and catch a few waves at sunset. To celebrate Labor Day weekend I took a beautiful (but long!) 22 mile hike in the San Bernadinos, then followed up with the 81st annual Oceanside Pier Swim. I love the diversity of the Southland.

The hike offered breathtaking views of the basin and we were lucky with clear weather. From the top of San Gorgonio, we could see Catalina and San Clemente Islands- a good 70+ mi southwest of the summit. At 11,500' the mountain offered challenging hiking for our Mt Whitney preparations! 'LA, just like I pictured it' popped into my head as a Stevie Wonder mash-up. The shapes and colors of the surrounding mountains were stunning- each with its own palette and distinctive character.

I was WISHING for the 95 degree heat we had on the mountain when I hit the beach at Oceanside two days later. The 59-degree water was cold but not as bad as the crisp breeze in the air! Even though the race was only a mile the currents were strong and had their way with me- I veered off course and had to swim up current just to round the first buoy. I swim almost 2 miles several times a week but there's something about ocean swimming that makes it a whole different ball game. The Mighty Pacific has a way of reminding you just who's the Boss!

Mark's Supercoffee and some miso soup chased away the chills and a couple hours later I was good as new.

 

The Sierras

The Sierra Nevadas are my favorite US mountains. They're not as majestic as their cousins the Rockies or as grand as uncle Mt Ranier but they have a playfulness I find compelling. Their young, spiky appearance echos the spunky attitude of my adopted state. I love to see the evidence from the random volcanic spew or the unexpected glacial dump- you can see and appreciate geologic movement in action when driving up the 395.

While hiking near Mammoth Lakes last weekend I was awed by their dramatic presentation. Pre-WW2, the US Parks service commissioned artists to capture the spirit of the Sierras; the images were a kind of advertisement for the West. Ansel Adams took the landscape and made it his own- it's hard not to feel as if you're trespassing in one of his photographs.

 

 

Mt Baldy Photos

Inspiration comes in many forms and the dramatic landscapes of the American southwest are always an inspiration. Since we're training to hike Mt Whitney we have been doing longer hikes in the area and at higher elevation. Mt San Antonio (Mt Baldy) was a 16 mile hike that lasted almost 8 hours and brought us up over 10,000' but provided breathtaking views of the Southland. On one side you could see the Mojave Desert; on the other peaks of Catalina poked out from the fog.

I'm always amazed at the diversity of this area- within an hour's drive you really can be a world away. The cool coastal temperatures gave way to 90+ degree heat and the mellow sands shifted to views of exposed rocky shale reminiscent of the moon. Up above tree line the tundra was a pretty golden hue and a young Osprey or Hawk floated overhead as we caught him during breakfast.