Fishing Boats

This is one of several watercolors of Greek fishing boats I've painted. It may be trite subject matter,  painted hundreds of times, but what painter can resist?  All that light !  all those reflections !!
This small watercolor is 9" 12"

Sonoma Landscape

Premium wine grapes are grown everywhere in Sonoma County, marching across the landscape in pleasing geometry, climbing the  hills with gentle contour. This view is of a hillside vineyard protected at the top and bottom of the hill by large trees.
12 1/2" x 11"

View from Methana

Standing on a deck, looking down at the sea and out at the coastline of the rocky Peloponnese you can't help but sense the long history of the Mycenaean civilization of this part of Greece. It's part of the current paradox and very compelling. What a long story !

Old Olive Tree in a Stoney Field

Olives are a major crop in Greece, many orchards are very old and are pruned so that the fruit stays close to the ground. The result is massive, characteristically twisted trunks, with low slender branches that bear heavily. To this painter, they have strong personality. This study is one such character in a grove next to an old church.
13 1/2" x 9 1/2"

View of the Sanctuary at Epidavros

Back home after a month in Greece, where I was visiting family during a hectic time for the country. The base of family love and the glories of the country were in strong contrast to the current political and economic turbulence.
This was painted as I sat under an olive tree ( and on fallen olives ! ) next to an old wall , with the columns of an ancient sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of healing, on a slope in the distance.
 The artifacts of the ancient civilization are everywhere, history lives strongly next to the present in Greece.
15" x 11"

Magnolia Blossoms III

 

It's amazing that these delicate blooms survive spring storms - they must be tougher than they look

This is painted on a very soft watercolor paper, which encourages soft transitions.

the size is 30" x 22"

This will be my last posting for a while - I will be in Greece for most of April, returning in May,  and will continue this  blog when I return.

Sycamore Tree (again)

A few weeks ago I posted this painting on the blog of the sycamore tree in my front yard, and as it sat in my studio I realized it wasn't really finished. So I have been working on it intermittently since then, and now re-post it. I wonder if anyone beside myself sees the small but significant  differences ?