New beads - after!

Here are some of the new beads after being etched -- the etching cream is a bugger to get off completely but I'm happy with the end result. Don't they look like sea glass??

New beads - before....

I've been torching like crazy these past couple of weeks and have stumbled upon a new look that I'm excited about. These are all freeform, transparent beads made from Moretti 104 glass -- many with spirals (one of my favorite symbols and one you'll see in a lot of my work). Here's a photo of some beads after they've been annealed in the kiln but before the final etched finish......

Mira M. White workshop

Last weekend I took an abstract painting class from Mira M. White in Walnut Creek. She does incredible work in pastels, watercolors and acrylics. I loved working with the various techniques she taught and have several pieces started from the class that I'm still working on. Here's one of the paintings I finished during the workshop -- it's approximately 8" x 8" on 4-ply illustration board with acrylics; watercolors; and copper leaf. It's called "The Light Within."

www.miramwhite.com

Bliss at the beach

Last Thursday we went to Bodega Bay to escape the heat.....the weather was foggy and overcast and a beautiful change from the brutal 100+ degree weather in Sacramento. Saw some amazing tide pools with huge starfish attached to the gigantic rocks. Here's a painting I did yesterday that was inspired from the welcome albeit brief respite from sunny (and hot!) Sacramento. The painting is acrylic and charcoal on 300 lb Arches paper -- size is 7.5" x 15.25" As most of you know it's really difficult for me to paint or make anything with black, white and shades of gray but I really enjoyed this challenge and was happy with the results. Of course I had to throw a little bit of color into the mix -- hence a light wash of yellow ochre in the sky where the sun kept threatening to pop out.

Gregory Kondos workshop

Last week I was in Tahoe taking a 5-day workshop from Gregory Kondos. The man is a legend in Sacramento as well as internationally. I love his contemporary landscapes and it was an honor getting to know and paint with this man. I'm still working on the paintings I started in his class and will post one or two of them when they're finished.

In the meantime here's a photo of Greg and a link to his website:

http://www.gregorykondos.com/