El Presidio Santa Barbara

One of my all time favorites...

El Presidio Santa Barbara / 10" x 10"

moonrise from the ventura pier

"Moonlight, Ventura" / 12" x 6" / Laurel Variation / Moon Gold

I've been working on a series of nocturnes from the Ventura pier. These paintings explore various compositions based on the same full moon evening.  I've been exaggerating the dimension of the canvas to highlight different aspects of the landscape. 

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"From the Pier" / 6,75" x 12" / Alvarado with Lemon Gold

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"City Lights, Ventura" / 9" x 24" / Alvarado / Variation Carve / 22k

wandering companions ~ the external & the contemplative

Winter skies in Ojai are dramatic.  Wandering Companions tell a story about the weight of light and the dynamic movement of these sky-roaming travelers. 

wandering companions / 24" x 26" / oil on canvas panel

veiled moon ~ "the external & the contemplative"

Fascinated by the diversity of skyscapes, I have created a series of paintings based on celestial components.  Featuring the more subtle and airy elements of this minimal sky creates a contrasting weight and gravity to the land-masses below. There is a serene beauty in the brevity of Veiled Moon.

alfa group exhibition ~ "the external & the contemplative"

I have often wondered where inspiration for a painting originates - the internal or external?  While the external holds a vast array of possibilities and may spark inspiration, it is the individual contemplative state that identifies and then translates the essence of a personal observation into a visual statement for others to experience.

The passage of time, how quickly or slowly time seems to pass, is often relative to the time spent.  Twilight feels fleeting - a magical moment too rapidly left behind.  On this particular evening as dusk turned dark, I witnessed a vibrant green cast shadow move ever so slowly across the face of the cliffs.   Dusk, Leo Carrillo was a gift of both passages of time. 

sunrise - 18" x 16"

Mahogany Frame / Batwing Carve / 22k by Chris Kirkegaard

traveling caravan

In celebration of Grandpa's farm, big Kansas skies and a little serendipity, I'm sharing "Traveling Caravan" 12x24, a painting from my last visit.... and as chance has it, the frame was finished yesterday!

"Traveling Caravan" / 12"x24" / Oil on Canvas Panel / Private Collection / Mahogany Frame/ Moon Gold

on location in malibu 2015 opening reception

Frederick R Weisman Museum - Pepperdine University

fire on the ridge - ojai

As the last rays of the sun blushed the skyline, I spied a barely visible swirl of smoke in the far distant hills. 

"On the Ridge" Field Study  / 6" x 6"
Pie crust frame

dusk, leo carrillo featured in beautiful mahogany frame with seaweed carve detail

"Dusk, Leo Carrillo" / 40" x 44" / Oil on Canvas Panel

opening evening at the cac gold medal exhibition usc fisher museum

104th cac gold medal exhibition

lit from within