Ardenwood Farm

Just 3 of us in the hot sun being over-run by a wedding party today. But I'm getting more of the hang of oil painting. Can't say that I like it as yet, though.

Promoting Samaritan House

Pen Voice - 145 - Bart Charlow from Peninsula TV on Vimeo.

Jack in a 'Yak!

Jack went for his first paddle in my kayak, Goldie. He had a blast!
At one point he decided that he was "catching a fish." When I asked where the fish was, he said, "Swimming away." Yeah, sure, the one that got away...
Row, row, row your boat.

Full Moon's A-risin' Over Foster City

This year is supposed to be the big year for moon gazing, as there will be 4 or more "super moons", when the moon is brightest since it's closest to earth.
Kunal and I took a kayak paddle at sunset in Foster City to catch the moon rising over the lagoons.
We waited....and waited....and waited....and got bored and docked. As soon as we were on land, lo and behold, the moon rose!

100 pictures?????

My painting friend, Rebecca told me that it takes 100 pictures before you feel like you're getting somewhere with oils. I can't wait for 100 pix! That's not my style.
Mark Monserrat (our "ringer") who is clearly an Impressionist pro, gave me some good pointers.
But overall, though we had some good times painting the flower fields in Half Moon Bay today with some old and new painters to the group, I'm not really satisfied with my work so far in oils.
OK, so it's only 2. But 98 more? No way!
And to make it worse (insult to injury), the cell phone photo below is a very bad representation of a mediocre painting....

What's Old Is New Again

I have stayed away from oil paints. Never took to them the few times I used them. But recently in decorating my new office I found that one painting I'd done 15 years ago looked good enough to frame and hang. Plus, many of my painting group do oils. So I thought I'd try once again. Something new to play with.

Bought a student grade wooden box and a tripod. Needed a handy friend to rig it up to work the way it should (which it now does), because this was the $60 version of a $160 kit. Took out the old water mixable oils.

Went out for a "test drive" on the oil kit yesterday. The setup worked fine. Takes a little time getting it all set up (and take down), but works as expected.

As to oil painting, I have a ways to go!

As usual with a new medium the first couple of times, it came out a bit naive to my eyes, though others liked it. Found that I need to learn how to handle the medium and water (this is mixable oil) better. Paints were also old, so not as buttery as expected.

And handling the wet painting at the end, it fell into dirt twice, and as I tried to brush it off I only destroyed some nice brush strokes! I need to figure out a lot here.

But I suppose it will all come together, as the other mediums did pretty quickly. Anyway, the ice is broken.

Let's see where this goes.

Vincent, you have nothing to fear from me.....yet!