McKittrick
36 x 36 Oil on canvas
(private collection)
About an hour north of Oji on route 33 the road descends upon the far southwest corner of the San Joaquin Valley. Here, nestled up against the Carrizo Plain and the coastal mountain range is one of the most intense oil-producing regions in California. As far as the eye can see, endless oil pumps move rhythmically in the late afternoon haze.
The title of this painting, McKittrick, is a small frontier oasis for the oil workers that is just down the road from this oil field.
McKittrick was selected by the California Art Club to be in their 107th Gold Medal Exhibition held at the Main Gallery of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
Sky Tower II
12 x 12 Oil on linen
At the base of this tower there is a signh that reads "Danger, High Voltage"
Harbor Haze-II
8 x 16 Oil on linen
It is a pouty Winter afternoon in Southern California as the San Pedro cargo ship cranes keeps the sky full of activity.
Into the Light II
36 x 36 Oil on canvas
New York, the city of steel. Girders and tresses, stacked over time as the needs of the city grew. Above it all, the light penetrates down into the depths, leaving an interesting play on light and shadow.
Concrete Crochet
15 x 30 Oil on canvas
(private collection)
A material yard in Irvine's industrial area is all aglow in the twilight of an Autumn evening.
Crossing II
20 x 16 Oil on linen
Whenever I go to New York I am fascinated by her bridges, both large and small. Here, a ways out from the city, on a cloudy summer afternoon is one of the many rail bridges across the Hackensack River in New Jersey.
Crossing II was selected by California Art Club to be in their 106th Gold Medal Exhibition.
Birdbath
8 x 16 Oil on linen
(private collection)
Birdbath depicts the western part of California's San Joaquin Valley known as "Cotton Country." Here, amidst a power distribution grid so vital to the valley's irrigation network, a flock of birds bathe in a puddle of water overflowing from a clogged irrigation ditch.
Birdbath was purchased by the Festival of Arts for their permanent collection.
All Is Safely Gathered In, Ere the Winter Storms Begin
16 x 12 Oil on linen
(private collection)
My son and his family now live in Kansas. I love to drive across the state, following lines that the prairie railroads laid over a century ago, which followed the covered wagon trails laid even earlier.
Every 15 to 25 miles or so one finds what remains of a small farming community. Their local co-op grain elevator served as the epicenter of the region's economy.
Here, on a cold, overcast day, an early winter storm approaches. So, here's to all of the brave men and women who lived their lives on the prairie, and each year, gathered the fruits of their labors into this grain elevator.
