Tools

The tools for drawing are,of course,
often the tools for writing. I have a
few examples of my grandfather's
handwriting, which is really beautiful
drawing. I don't think that there are many that can use the pen in this
fashion today.

Mystery Mullen

I was out taking some photos this morning and came across this plant that grows wild around here, but just in this certain area.

I always thought that it would be neat to have one in the garden ( these are at least 8 foot tall ). Maybe it's the Common Mullen ( Verbascum thapsus), sometimes called the Flannel Mullen or the Cow Paddy plant.

There seems to be all kinds of interesting lore about it. The Downy Woodpecker is especially fond of it; the flower gets rid of warts; and smoking the leaves is supposed to relieve asthma, and it is a curative for gout. Alas, my transplanting successes are not impressive.

Original Watercolor Painting: The Narcissist

I had a minor altercation with a wasp, such as this, the other day. It reminded me of a study that I did of a friend of my little nemesis admiring himself.

Original Watercolor: Smallmouth Bass

Bass fishing has been a favorite pastime of mine. We used to fly fish for the smallmouth variety on Cache Creek near Capay, California. This watercolor painting was a study of what I thought the fishes point of view might look like.

Red-winged Blackbird Painting

This painting of a red-winged blackbird is presently up for auction on ebay. The image is also featured on a T shirt in my giftshop.

Chicken Squash

If you have ever grown zucchini you know that if you take your eye off of it a gargantuan speciman will appear overnight.

A friend's mother used to call them "chicken squash" when they achieved that state, and feed them to the chickens.

An old rooster that I painted used to help the hens devour these delicasies!

Limited Edtion Print: Golden Koi

The koi is a variety of carp, which is very common in the warm waters of the central California valley. Most of the carp around here are well camouflaged with a brownish green coloration. However, occasionally, I have spotted individuals entirely of a golden color or with bright orange spots!






Clicking on the title will take you to my ebay auction for a limited edition print of this image, and clicking on this image will take you to my gift shop displaying a white T shirt with the Golden Koi.

Yellow-billed Magpies and West Nile Virus

The Yellow Bill is definately one of my favorites, and certainly seems plentiful around here; however, according to this article the research shows a really alarming decrease in the population. The fact that the central valley here in California is their only habitat makes it even more disturbing.

Rumsey, California

I took a photographic expedition up the Capay Valley this morning and found this interesting little farm on the back streets of Rumsey.

Old Barns

Here is a typical old Hay and livestock barn from around here in Yolo county. I'm starting a photographic catalogue of these structures for painting studies, and for a rembrance of the old ways.

Killdeer Painting on Ebay

I recently completed a painting of "Charadrius vociferus" ( a great name for this noisy little character), and have put its Limited Edition Print up for auction in my eBay store.

Buteo booteo

A friend of mine, while driving this road, time after time sees the object on this fence post to be some unidentified little hawk. So ....... I named it for him.

Sunflower Forest

I've been watering an interesting vegetable garden for a friend. Not only is it very productive; it is also a veritable forest of sunflowers, some of which are over 14 feet tall. I think that he might have won a prize or something for the tallest around here.

Meadowlark Auction

I've just placed a limited edition print of my new meadowlark painting up for auction on ebay. You can click on this image if you are interested in the details. Thanks!

Windmill

This is a favorite spot of mine to just hang out for a time. It is in the Dunnigan Hills of Yolo county,CA., and sometimes on a hot summer day a little breeze may pick up and this old windmill will break the mid day silence with it's creaking gears and the splashing of a bit of cool water being pumped.

Mission Fig

The Mission Fig tree in my back yard just had it's first crop of figs (very tasty!). I'm looking forward to the second crop, which should be ripening soon.

This is a photograph that I took of an interesting old Mission Fig from an area way back in the hills out of Capay Valley, California. The area appears to be an old homestead.

Over 100!

It's been a little warm here in the Valley. I expect it will be over 100 again today!

Purple Owl's Clover

I just recently discovered the name of this little jewel, Purple Owl's Clover. Supposedly, you can see the face of an owl there somewhere. I found this sample in the Pacific coast foothills, just off of sand creek road.

Catfishing Summers

In years past, I've spent many pleasurable hours with my friends Ranse and Thurb fishing the local creeks and sloughs for the likes of these.

Limited Edition Print: Three Jacks

Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lupus californicus )


As young boys, my friends and I were engaged by a farmer to reduce the jackrabbit population with our 22's. As it happened the first one we got was about to give birth. So with a hunting knife, and total ignorance, we proceded to deliver three furry little jacks. The farmer wasn't too happy. but I kept mylittle Jack as an amazing little friend for almost three years.

Limited Edition Print: Red-tailed Hawk

I put this painting up for auction on ebay this afternoon. It is a limited edition print on acid free watercolor paper with archival inks. The paper is 13" x 16.5" and the image is 11.5" x 14.75"

Limited Edition Prints: Yellow-billed Magpie

Here's a real California bird, one not found anywhere else. I've painted a few of them emphasizing the blacks and whites: "Magpie," "Yellowbill 1," and "Yellowbill 2."