Birdbath #1

My first attempt at building a birdbath was a complete disaster. I attempted to remove it from the mold too soon and it fell apart. Number 2 (pictured here) was (is) semi-successful, but it really is too small to really be a good birdbath. And...There was the sort of unfinishedness about the base which I built up using 2 lengths of old terra cotta drain pipe. Well I tried again and the new one is a good size and will hold about 3/4 of a gallon of water. I'll put a picture of that one up as soon as I can. Meanwhile back at the easle...I've been adding the final touches to the painting "Deja View", which will probably be finished today. So that will be coming up soon as well. Aloha for now, Timo

I've been experimenting with a different pallette and brush for several weeks now and it's kept me away from the computer...so I decided I'd better do some catching up on this blog. The new pallette is wave tumbled beach rocks that I've been gathering over the last 20 years or so. I started putting them together with concrete and mortar and making things like stepping stones for the garden and trivots to put hot dishes on. Yesterday I finished my first (semi)successful birdbath complete with base. I have had quite a few failures during this learning process. probably close to one third of all projects so far have been broken for one reason or another...mostly because of my lack of experience with the materials, but also due to a character defect called "impatience". Every time I think I've learned the lessons well enough Great Spirit shows me another angle on all the different ways I can mess it up. At this point I feel extremely grateful for all the successes I have had.

Deja View (amost done)

A Few more hours at the easle have advanced this painting "Deja View"to the state you see here. That is, almost done. Aloha, Timo

Night Work

A view of my nightime work scene on the back deck with "Tomales Morning Light" and the current work in progress that I'm going to call "Deja View" on the easle. I like working larger...it frees me up initially and then gives me the space to add the details as the painting progresses. Aloha, Timo

Along the Way

A bit of painting progress yields this update on the new one in progress. It's not the best photo I ever took, but you should be able to detect a little progress along the way. More later.. Timo

Beginning Anew

Well...I'm finally getting this image up on the blog! I've started doing this at least three times and had to abort each time when something came up or I hit the wrong key, etc. So...this is the first stage of the new large piece (32" x 60") I started a few days ago and was able to work again on yesterday. This reflects about three hours of painting. A large (#12-#14) flat being the primary applicater used. This stage is fun because of the loose, boldness of the early process. I didn't get all of the canvas covered in this session, but it is a large canvas. Aloha, Timo

"Kunde Ranch Spring"

Here's one I forgot to show you that I did a few weeks back on a wood panel that I found covering a cat's grave here in the back yard of the new place. I replaced it with a rock monument and prepared and used the panel for this new piece done from an old photo I took at Kunde Ranch vineyard in Kenwood, California back in the early 90's. The mountain to the left is "Hood"with "Sugarloaf" to the right. Springtime in the vines. The size of this oil painting is 18" x 26 3/8"and it is available for purchase through my agent Vangie Lyndon at Aurora Colors Gallery on Kentucky street in Petaluma, California. I'm preparing to begin a new large version of the painting I donated to Face to Face for the Art for Life auction coming up in August at the Mary Agatha Furth center in Windsor, California here in beautiful Sonoma County. Summer grasses and eucalyptus. Mahalo for stopping by! Aloha, Timo