#72 Jeff Buckley 30x24 oil on canvas

This is a work in progress and is the largest painting I've ever done! I painted a very similar painting last year and decided I'd like to try it on a much larger scale.  

Jeff Buckley was an American singer songwriter who tragically died from drowning in 1997 at the age of 31. He recorded only one album  entitled, "Grace." Chart success came posthumously with his famous cover of Leonard Cohen's song, "Hallelujah" he attained his first No.1 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs in March 2008.

Jeff Buckley 30x24 oil on canvas

Click on the arrow below to hear Jeff Buckley sing this awesome rendidtion of "Hallelujah."

#71 "The Broad Ripple Canal" 9x12 oil on canvas board

Last September, the day before flying back to California, I was in Broad Ripple. As I passed over the bridge early that morning, I couldn't help but notice the shadows and reflections. I found a place to park and took a few shots.

This is also a favorite spot of my good friend CW Mundy. He has done some amazing paintings of the canal.

"Landlocked" Series from Alaska

I decided to group the three completed paintings from the, "Landlocked" series and place them on the blog. A couple of summers ago while we were visiting my sister Deb in Alaska, I snapped a few photos in both Ninilchik and Homer, Alaska of boats. These particular vessels were no longer in service and had found themselves in disrepair and for the most part, forgotten. 

We had originally gone to Ninilchik to see and photograph the old Russian Church. As we drove thru the village, my eye just continued to drift over to these old boats. We stopped the car and I walked thru the tall grass and approached each of them. I thought they were visually fascinating! Each of them evoked feelings of wonderment.  Both "Forgotten" and "Ninilchik" were found in the village of Ninilchik while "Bumpers" was one of many found in an old boat graveyard near Homer. 

"Forgotten" 11x14 oil

"Bumpers" 9x12 0il

"Ninilchik" 9x12 oil

"Landlocked"

If these ol' boats could talk what stories they could tell! Where have they been? What have they seen? Who were the folks that depended upon their seaworthiness...

#70 "Forgotten" 11x14 oil on canvas

"Foregotten"

Rainy day here in So Cal so I decided to paint another boat from the "boat graveyard" in Ninilchik, Alaska.

This is the third in a series of paintings I'm doing that involve boats that don't float, at least in their current condition and location. Just wonder where that ol' boat has been???

Santa Barbara Island Sunset

This is the third year in a row that I've videoed this awesome event! This is the sun setting behind Santa Barbara Island. It's a small island far off the So Cal coast and I would bet most folks from LA are totally unaware of it's existence. Every year at this time as earth rotates on it axis, the sun sets behind this tiny jewel making for a spectacular sight. I've put CW Mundy's, "Climbing Higher" from his CD, "Road Trip" as a background song. CW's CD can be purchased on his website, CW Mundy.com  Check it out.

Watch for the green flash!!!

Enjoy...

#69 "Identified Performers" 16x20 oil

"Identified Performers" having what we call, "A Moment."

This is the second large painting (16x20) I've done of the, "Identified Performers." Steve Guidone from Manhattan Beach, CA has the first and this one is now in the hands of Ron Mayes down in Beaumont, Texas. I've played music with these guys most all of my adult life and I can't tell you how much fun it's been! I wanted both to have a painting that would always remind them of the great fun we've had and our lasting friendship!!!

* For the history behind these paintings, scroll down to entry #61.

Here's another song from our band, Turkey Run that we had back in the 70s. This is Ron Mayes (owner of this particular painting) singing, "Tell Me Baby" live at McCabes in Santa Monica, CA. We always called Ron, "The Dove." In the actual photo from the front that is displayed in the video, Gene Libbea was  playing bass that day... Doesn't get much better than that!

CLICK ON THE ARROW BELOW....

#68 "Foxen Canyon Road" 11x14 oil on canvas

Jim and I at the Foxen Winery

For Linda's birthday, we went to one of our favorite places up in Santa Barbara County. Along with my sister and brother in law, we headed for, "Sideways" country. We stayed in Solvang but headed out to Los Olivos and points beyond! This is a view off Foxen Canyon Road. Took this shot while on our way to Foxen Vineyard to do a little wine tasting. Foxen Vineyard is one of the many locations used in the movie "Sideways."

Here's a pic of my brother in law Jim and I "recreating" a scene from the movie. We decided it was in ours and everyone else's best interest to steer clear of the acting business! Wine tasting is more fun!!!

Off Foxen Canyon Road

I did this painting in, "Sideways" country, upside down while standing right side up!  Think about it....

"Silver Pitcher" 5x7 oil on canvas

"Silver Pitcher"

Getting back to it! Very quick still life. It's been awhile so I needed to try something! Hopefully gonna be able to spend some time in the studio this next couple of months. It's been too long!!

Painting at Sweetwater Lake in Indiana

#1 "The Point" 8x10

#2 "Red Canoe" 8x10

These are the two 8x10s I painted on the dock. Both took about an hour each. #1 is a view of the point across from mom's. #2 is the canoe on Bill's dock. I did #2 entirely with a palette knife. That was fun but struggled. Really needed to go back in on this one and clean up that mess of a reflection of the canoe! That is problematic as both paintings have found themselves on the wall at the Ah Kum On Inn back in Indiana! Maybe next time I'm back I can clean that up a bit. Fun day!!!

It was a great day! Victoria Gillieron and I headed south to mom's cottage at the Sweetwater Lake in Brown County, IN. The weather was perfect and we both completed two paintings......

#64 "North Shore Surfer" 8x10 oil on canvas

This "dude" just came off a 22 foot plus wave at the "Pipe" on the North Shore of Oahu. These guys are amazing athletes! Spent hours watching these big wave surfers risk it all during the "Back Door Shootout."

#63 "Grace" 11x14 oil on canvas

I lost my sister Sharon Cahill Leavitt on June 19th, 2012. She died of non smoker lung cancer in which radon gas is the leading cause. So, if you haven't had your home checked for radon gas... do it!

This is a painting I did of Judith Shea's "Grace Basin."Grace Basin is sculpture that was outside my sister's room at hospice in Columbus, Indiana for the 17 days she was there before she passed. Everyday, my mom, sister Deb, brother in law Mike, and my niece and nephew   gazed upon this beautiful  piece of sculpture as we sat by Sharon's bedside offering what comfort we could. We moved Sharon's bed into the middle of the room so she could share in it's beauty. She had a very calming effect on all of us. Because we gazed upon her face daily, I decided I wanted to try and capture what I experienced. Like all sculptures, she changed with the time of day, shadows and the level of light. She never disappointed.

So this is my interpretation of, "Grace." She is dedicated to my sister Sharon. We love you and miss you. I think about you everyday...

Sharon Cahill Leavitt

#62 "Mom's Flowers" 11x14 oil on canvas

After a week in Las Vegas, I finally got back to my studio. Sister Deb ordered a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my mom's 90th birthday this past February. They were beautiful!!! I took a picture of them so that I could someday paint them. Yesterday I got a chance. When I went to the studio I had something else in mind. I didn't expect to paint these today. Last week while in Las Vegas, I went to the Bellagio and saw the Monet exhibit. It was so inspiring and I tried to carry over some of the things I observed from absolutely one of the best ever! But first and foremost, these are my "Mom's Flowers," and I must say, that was all the inspiration I needed!!

This is the evolution of a painting. The three photos below show you how this painting changed as a result of stopping, living with it for awhile and then going back in and making changes that enhance the over painting.

4/24/2012 After looking at it some more, I decided to go in on more time. I darkened the value in the lower left  side to  put more emphasis on the side of the vase that is being lit. See if you can see any other subtle differences.

Final "Mom's Flowers"

4/12/2012  Update.... Second Mom's Flowers....Saw an opportunity to enhance some of the flowers. I found that the upper right (see below) portion of the painting almost seemed faded. Decided to rework some of that area. The painting is now more balanced than before.    

Second "Mom's Flowers"

4/4/2012 This is the original "Mom's Flowers.

First "Mom's Flowers"

#61 "Identified Performers" 20x16 oil on canvas

"Identified Performers"

In November of 1975, Pickin' magazine  had a photo contest. Pickin was a magazine for bluegrass and Old Time Country Music. At the time I was most definitely in to the music!  There was a bluegrass festival in Santa Barbara, CA so Steve Guidone, Ron Mayes and I decided to enter a play a few songs. Gene Libbea (one of the absolute best) was kind enough to play bass for us that day. Tina Walski, of San Bernardino, CA snapped this shot from behind the stage and entered it in to the photo contest. The magazine dubbed us as, "Unidentifed Performers."

Her photo, and one of Ralph Stanley and Keith Whitley, won honorable mention.  Abount a month ago, Ron Mayes sent me a bunch of photos from, "back in the day."  I noticed one of the photos was from the audience at that same festival! Well, you guessed it..... here's basically the same shot from the front! What are the chances? Sure wish I could remember what we were singing that day!

So today, even though it was 88 degrees and absolutely beautiful outside, I decided to go to the studio and mess with this a bit. Here's a16x20 I'm gonna call, "Identified Pickers."  Might just get back to the studio and really do this one larger and take some time with it....

This above painting of the, "Identified Performers now belongs to Steve Guidone who is on the left. Steve, Ron and I played in the band "Turkey Run" for many years. We loved singing harmony and still do!

This painting 16x20 oil of the, "Identified Performers" I did for Ron Mayes. He's playing banjo in the painting. Ron lives in Beaumont, Texas and is an amazing guitar player. We played music together for many years in a group called "Turkey Run." We still get together on occasion. Those high notes aren't as easy to reach but as we always say,
"We had a moment."

N

#60 "Market Flowers" 16x20 oil on canvas

Every Friday in San Pedro, CA there is a farmer's market on 6th Street which is the main drag and across from my studio. I decided to get some fresh flowers and stick them in an antique silver pitcher that I had purchased from a thrift shop across the street. I always enjoy the thrift shop visit as it is managed by a very interesting women who was a product of the 60s and grew up in the South Bay (Redondo Beach). She's always interesting to talk with.  I told her I would do a painting using the pitcher and when it was finished, I would bring it down to her store.

I really tried to focus on all of the elements that go into creating a successful painting. Of all my still life attempts to date, I feel many of those elements came together. Of course I can always sit back and pick it apart but I think this time, I'll just be satisfied with what I've got!!!

#59 "Greg's Vase" 9x12 oil

My son Greg took a ceramics class when he was in high school and made me this vase. Decided it was time to paint something besides a teapot! Now if I can just learn to paint something besides apples!!!

#58 "9x12" oil on canvas

Another "land Locked" boat in Alaska. While in Homer, we went to a boat graveyard so to speak. This is one I thought was particularly interesting because of all of the colorful dock bumpers hanging over the side.....