Portfolio of Works

A painting trip to North Lake Tahoe in California was a whale of a time.  Such amazing scenery!  This was right on the lakeside early in the morning and is the companion to "A Glorious Day at Tahoe". the title of this is: " Another Glorious Day at Tahoe"!   

The Spanish occupation of Upper California began in 1769 at the site of the first mission, San Diego de Acala.  In the next fifty years, twenty more missions were founded in a chain that stretched 650 miles up the coast of California to 

Sonoma spaced roughly a stiff day's ride apart.  For 68 years these remarkable institutions dominated the spiritual and economic life of this last outpost of Spain, until they were dismantled by the Mexican authorities and ultimately submerged in the tide of Americans that eventually took over the province.  Abandoned, left to disintegrate, the buildings crumbled one after another under the attack of weather and vandals.  In time, all were restored; some well, some inadequately, and today, as they have for decades, they still draw thousands of the devout and the curious to their musty churches and mellowed arcades.   The oldest historical relics in the state. . . indeed, on the Pacific Coast.  

I gravitated to contemporary art early in my career, and the first painting (inspiration from ice cubes in a tall glass) sold. Arriving in California, I pursued that trend, however. the Art Rep I employed told me it was too sophisticated for the West Coast, and I should go to New York. Well, that was impossible.  I have had considerable success with it, in-between the Plein Air escapades.  Currently, my contemporary work is in the A Gallery in Palm Desert, California.

 The title, "the Noble Citrus ", is apt, since there are more than 2,500 varieties, all luscious in appearance.  When the French king first tasted an orange brought from afar, he immediately had an Orangerie built to grow the trees.  The Franciscan Friars planted orange trees at each of their Missions as they trod up the coast of California.  When approached by a citrus company to do a commission, I wanted to do something totally unique. . .I achieved that result.  All the stenciling was delicate work, but it illustrates the Latin names of many varieties, which I find quite educational.