The San Fernando Valley

With my views set on a future exhibition I've started exploring the San Fernando valley. Here is my fist piece done while randomly driving away from Encino. Balboa Park has a lot of picnicing people and willing albeit impatient models...like ducks.

2 duds in search of a reason.

We all make mistakes. But mistakes, while frustrating, can be a great source of learning. Here I present two of such mistakes. Now, to be fair, nothing is more uncomfortable than urban plein-air painting but all that means is that you need to adjust and I quite didn't.

In these examples, some things are missing. Whether it is color or contrast or tonal values or brush adeptness I will figure out eventually.
This first example, overcast day but heat galore, light barely peeking. That tower in the background way too detailed and the trees kind of mushy, some errors in the drawing of the jeep with the open hood. You can tell it is a little overworked.

Second case: Good depth but bad color choices in the sky. The dark tree in the middle has not receded enough and there is a messed up perspective in some of the buildings . Weird base for the bottom edge with that car hood peeking through. A re-do. The scene has potential though.

A nice commission piece.

It took me two attempts until I got this right but I am happy I put the extra effort. The owner's of this ranch style beauty wanted a portrait of their house...an the amazing rose bushes in the front. I arrived in the afternoon and the light was ok but did not frame the roses properly. The next morning I arrived early and the piece painted itself. I gave the owners both pieces since not only are they very nice but they already bought two previous paintings.