Pear and Knife

9" x 12" Oil on mounted linen.

Available.

It is just past harvest time in the orchards over the pass from us. We visited a couple of stands and bought about 100 lbs of fruit. Most is now canned applesauce, but I also got a few pears for painting subjects. I wanted to show how small this bright red pear is, so I posed it with a silver butter knife. It is always fun to paint a "shiny thing"!

Jens About to Win

20" x 30" Oil on linen on panel.

In a Private collection.

Checking Behind is a favorite of my paintings for me, so this summer I have been working on a larger revisit to the same subject. Only this time, I put a Leopard Trek Jersey on the rider to update it for 2011. I like to think that this is Jens Voigt about to win after a daring breakaway.

Chris and Tod

8" x 10" Oil on Linen on Panel

Chris Horner on his attack up Sierra Road in this year's Amgen Tour of California. This painting is based on a Jono Devich photo (thanks!) with a lot of editing. The whole scene includes Alex & Casey, Levi, and two more motos further in the background. This was the attack that won the race on a beautiful and hectic day climbing the mountains overlooking San Jose.

In this composition, I wanted to have the focus balanced between the camera lens and Chris' figure. I also wanted to capture the "likeness" of Tod on the moto. If I was to revisit this, I would give the scene more space to breathe inside the edges of the painting. I also would want to downplay all of the details away from the camera lens. I really enjoy how the cool shadow on the bright pavement looks and want to repeat that success.