The Launch of A New Mexico Cloudscape (Part I)

This week I embark on a journey to create the largest oil painting I've attempted to date.

Am I ready? Yes. Feeling some trepidation? Um, yeah. Curious to see what happens next? You bet!

Here are some shots of me prepping the raw birch panel for conversion into a big, beautiful, cloud-filled Aeroscape.

The Source: An Afternoon of Dynamic Clouds Over Santa Fe

Sanding the 47" x 70" birch panel that will be the foundation for Aero No. 28.

Applying the final coat of tinted Liquitex Gesso to the panel.

Primed and on the wall. The beginning of Aero No. 28 (Santa Fe Cloudscape)

A little grid help to help keep the drawing on point. I am pretty precise with the prep, the drawing, the paint color mixing, BUT…once the paint starts to hit the panel, it becomes an expressive, liberating free-for-all.

Inside The Artist Studio: Shauna Finn

Meet Shauna Finn (www.shaunafinn.com).

Shauna's studio is in Jersey City, NJ just across the Hudson. We met at the International School of Art in Umbria, Italy during the summer of 2001. A Southern California native, Shauna made her way East to study at the New York Academy of Art shortly after I relocated to California from NYC in 2003. The dramatic evolution of her work since getting to NY has been amazing to watch. Her style and technique echo classical teachings, but her subject matter and concepts are purely contemporary.

What a space! If you're gonna have windows, they must be floor to ceiling.

A perfect setup to work big.

My personal favorite.

Thank you, Shauna, for kicking off a great series of studio visits in NYC. Keep up the fantastic work.

LA Artist Takes Manhattan

Meet Kelly Reemtsen (www.kellyreemtsen.com).

I've known Kelly, a Los Angeles-based artist, since 2004. She exemplifies the working artist life and has been a role model and inspiration for my art career.

I was thrilled to find out that her latest show, "America's Sweetheart", opened at the De Buck Gallery (www.debuckgallery.com) at the same time I was visiting NYC. So proud of her and in awe of Kelly's productivity, the quality of the concept of her series, and the execution of the paintings themselves. See for yourself…

Busy night at De Buck in Chelsea on a chilly Manhattan night!

With my date, Rachel! :) We're both huge fans of Kelly's work.

Up close, you'd swear she paints with frosting.

Catching up with the star of the show and friends.

My personal favorite. That orange…amazing!