Avenue of Giants - Oil painting

The 33-mile Avenue of the Giants drive which parallels U.S.101 offers one of the most spectacular views of the Redwoods. Though we have stayed in the cabins and hiked the many redwood groves in the area, this is by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in the entire 500 mile redwood belt. This breathtaking pillars of redwoods never fails to make our jaws drop everytime we drive this route.

This painting stayed as a work in progress for many months and I finally completed it last week to display in a holiday show. Family is in love with the way this looks on a frame and doesn't want me to take it to the gallery. I am torn between the number of paintings committed for the show and lack of time to produce more. I told them if it doesn't sell, it's theirs :-).

Done on a 11 X 14 Canvas with water soluble oil. Mostly done impasto style with the knife with some brush work here & there. Again, this is one of those painting that I always have trouble photographing the true texture,look & feel. Looks much better in person than what my photo has captured here.



Here is the framed look.

Cypress & Ice plants - Acrylic painting

Cypress and ice plants of Monterey in spring. A big deviation from the reference image. Changed the colors quite a bit to get this unique look. Done on a 16 X 20 canvas with acrylic paint and a combination of knife & brush. Hope you like it :)



Here is a closeup of the iceplants

Two Hydrangeas - Acrylic painting

Getting ready for a holiday show and did these two small hydrangeas. Both paintings are done on a 6 X 6 gallery wrapped canvas with acrylic paint. The flower was done impasto style with knife and the leaves with the brush strokes.

Pink Hydrangea



Nikko Blue Hydrangea

Santa Cruz Natual Bridges - Oil Painting

I started this painting as a demo in the gallery/store that I am showing in Petaluma and just managed to finish it over the weekend.

Another one of my favorite photographic location in Santa Cruz, CA is the Natural Bridges State park. This painting is based on my photo from that location. Two of the three natural bridges responsible for the parks name have collapsed. The only bridge left forms a natural arch near the shore. The arch is a nice backdrop for a tranquil beach scene. And as you might have noticed from the blog, I love painting beach scenes. The wetsand and the waves always lure me in.

Done on a 16 X 20 Canvas with water soluble oil. The arch and waves are done with knife and the rest with the brush.


Details on the arch & the waves..

Another Chocolate Cupcake painting

Cupcake is back on popular demand... Another small 4 X 5 cupcake painting that I did for portfolio sample for a gallery. Similar to my previous cupcakes on a 4X5 canvas, impasto style with acrylic paint.

Here is the painting with it's own easel

Pot of Lilacs - Acrylic painting

A fun acrylic painting experiment to loosen up my painting style. Done on a 18 X 24 Canvas. Heavily textured and done impasto style with knife, softgel & acrylic paints. The background has little bit of gold & silver iridescent acrylic paint. Hope you like it...

Mount Shasta Lavender Farm

Done on a 8 X 10 canvas panel with water mixable oil.

Based on a reference shot taken during my recent road trip to Mt.Shasta. The smell was divine and scenerey was breath taking.

I tried to keep my style loose for this painting. Didn't want to get bogged down by the details like I usually do but focused on the shapes, shadows and color. This whole painting was done in less than an hour.

Little boy and the big lake

"The mountains are calling and I must go."
— John Muir

Little boy and the big lake , 18 X 24 Canvas with Water mixable oil

My latest painting based on a shot that I took @ Tenaya lake in Yosemite. You know how much I love taking photographs for reference and for pleasure. I was setting up the tripod and the angle when this little boy came running in to the frame from no where. The massive granites, the enormity of the lake and tiny little boy was quite a scene to look at and triggered that shot. I have been itching to paint this ever since and finally calling it done. Hope you like it. Here are the details..

The mountains and the trees are done with the knife.


Details on the foreground rocks, done mainly with brush.


Details on the little boy.

Dana Meadows and Mammoth Peak - Yosemite Painting

I cannot get enough of this place. We drove up to Tuolumne during the long weekend and it was beautiful. Missed my easel & canvas but had my camera. Here is my new painting based on a reference shot that I took during the trip.

Done on a 11 X 14 Canvas with WMO. The mountain and some of the trees in the meadow are done impasto style with knife. Sky and the clouds are done with brush. This is the first painting in the high country series that I intend to work on this summer.

Here is the painting,


Here is the reference photo,

Merced river cascade - Painting with WIP

Time for more rocks and water. I did this WIP based on the reference picture that I took during my Yosemite trip. Sorry for the poor quality of the WIP photos - been working on this at night after work and wanted to document the progress. Done on a 11 X14 canvas with water mixable oils. Hope you like it.

Here is the reference picture


Stage 1 : Underpainting with two acrylic colors - Pyroline Orange & Diox purple



Stage 2: Started on Water Soluble oil - Worked on Rocks & Trees



Stage 3 : Here is the finished paitning



More details on the rocks and water