You are cordially invited to my show at the Knowlton Gallery:

The Colorists: Works by Ann McMillan and Peggy Kroll-Roberts
Knowlton Gallery, Lodi, California
February 2-28, 2010.
Reception from 1-4 pm, February 6.
More information: www.knowltongallery.com

Sunset in the Big Valley, 24 x 30 inches, oil.

Please join me for the show! I will demonstrate alongside
Peggy Kroll-Roberts during the reception.

Nothing but Blue Skies, 6 x 12 inches, pastel.

Point Lobos on a lovely winter day

Point Lobos Splash, 8 x 10 inches, oil.

Point Lobos Cove, 8 x 10 inches, oil.

These two paintings were done on a recent delivery trip to the Portnoy Gallery in Carmel--the last warm, gentle day before the storms rushed in. I spent the afternoon painting in the company of White-crowned Sparrows and Audubon's Warblers, both of which species were pretending to be intertidal species for the day and hunting for brine flies among the tide pools.

Tools of the Trade, 9 x 12 inches, oil.

View of the Valley, 9 x 12 inches, oil.

Painting from Treasure Island

San Francisco from Treasure Island, 9 x 12 inches, oil.

Robin Knowlton from the Knowlton Gallery was participating in a fair at the Pavilion on Treasure Island and asked me to be there-- this is the painting done on site as the Blue Angels flew over in celebration of Fleet Week.

California Afternoon, 11 x 14 inches, pastel.

Here is a bit more impressionist experimentation. This composition is created from my imagination--always fun to see this actually work out. Usually I need source material of one kind or another.

Carmel Beach plein air

Walk on the Beach, 10 x 10 inches, oil.

I am working on a 30 x 40 version of this painting--and will post when it is done. Carmel Beach is always a great place to paint. The close color and value harmonies in the shadowed sand are fun to work on.

Pear Lake Paint Trip

Pear Lake Basin, 12 x 12 inches, oil.

Alta Peak Moon, 9 x 12 inches, pastel.

Here are two rough field sketches from beautiful Pear Lake in Sequoia/King's Canyon national park. I was fortunate enough to go on this trip organized by Bill Cone into the back country for 5 days. Five painting days above timberline was just what I needed. I have several other paintings, but need some studio time to bring them up to publication levels.

Book Recommendation: Renaissance Faces

National Gallery et al. Renaissance Faces: Van Eyck to Titian. 2008.

This fabulous book delves into the processes and procedures behind the portraits we know and love. It has several good essays recounting the interactions between models and artists in the renaissance; the problems and rewards have not changed in centuries. One of the best illustrations compares two artworks--one sketch of Charles V Hapsburg as he truly was, against a painting of him politely idealized by Titian. The difference is startling, and the text delves into the practice of idealizing the sitter. This is a great book, not only for the pleasure of looking at the interesting faces, but also for the careful research done by the authors.

Scenes from Alameda

Fog over the City, 10 x 20 inches, pastel.

This painting was done during the Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout in Alameda this July. This is one of two favorites that I did during the event. This one has the impressionist shimmer I have been working on lately, especially in the foreground water and wetland.