~ On Location
Harvest Time in the Grape Vines

We will soon be coming to one of my favorite seasons here on the North-central coast of California—late summer, early fall: harvest time in the vineyards. It is a time when the grape leaves start to turn gold and red and rust and compete with the multitude of shades of green to create a kaleidoscope of colors. It is during this coming season that I like to head out into the countryside with my paints and travel easel and paint on location. So be looking for postings of the paintings that are soon to come. Or sign up for my newsletter to be notified when new paintings are posted.

~ On the Wall
Dj's Artwork Gets Smoky
October 31, 2005, Brian and Susan Telford, owners of Telford's Pipe & Cigar of Mill Valley moved their shop from its long time location in the Strawberry Village shopping center to a stand-alone building a few miles down the road at 664 Redwood Highway, and shortly after Brian and Susan asked Dj if he would paint a mural on the five foot by fifteen foot space over the lockers in the members' lounge. So, in February of 2006, he climbed the ladder and began slinging paint. In April of that year Dj added the final brush stroke and called the work done. Then he waited to see what effect the years of accumulated smoke would have on his creation. And now, in September of 2008, he is pleased to see that the cigar smoke is doing what he had planned: adding a nice patina of gold to the final images. “I was conscious of the mellowing and yellowing effect pipe and cigar smoke would have on the painting so I decided to use that to my advantage,” the artist said in a recent interview. “I used colors that would become enhanced and enriched by the smoke and add a golden glow to the mural over time. But the one area I was concerned with was the blue of the sky. I had to mix a combination of colors that would remain blue throughout the life of the painting, otherwise over time Jeff and Leslie [the models] would be sitting under a sky of green.” To see the mural visit Telford’s Pipe & Cigar, 664 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, CA. To see the development of the mural see: Dj’s Artwork Goes Up In Smoke, on the mural page.

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