California Winter

I had lunch with my parents and my brother in Malibu today. It was a beautiful day to sit outside on the patio at Cross Creek and soak up a little sunshine.

Rainy Day Cats

It was a rainy day, so the cats slept inside.



Even Alex, who is mostly feral, and rarely comes in the house. I felt like a paparazzi trying to get this picture of her without scaring her off.

Graffiti Update

Here's the graffiti on one of my favorite rocks, almost two years after it was tagged. You can see from my earlier post that it has faded quite a bit. I wonder how long it takes for the graffiti to disappear completely?

Pierre Paul Art Gallery

I shipped three more paintings and six studies yesterday to Pierre Paul Art Gallery in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They're going to feature my work in another show next month.

These are the three paintings that they selected to go with the four that they still have there from the last show. They're doing really well with sales of my work.


Midsummer Night, 24" x 30", acrylic latex on canvas



Fall Evening, 22" x 30", acrylic latex on canvas



Illusion, 30" x 24", acrylic latex on canvas

Hike in Mountains

I went on a hike yesterday. I felt like I had to get out of the city for a bit, so I went to the hills above Pacific Palisades.

The ceoanthus were in full bloom, as was the wild cucumber vines.









It's beautiful there, and quiet. I wish I had the time to hike more often.

Busy Busy Busy

This is my desk.



It's a bit of a mess right now, because I have about twenty things that I'm working on at once. Updating my art consultant mailing list, consulting with a homeopathic vet for the cats, making a sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project at Art House in Atlanta, taxes, The Art Connection project, bills to pay, appointments to keep. Who has time to create art?!!

Los Gatos Mio

I haven't posted any pictures of the cats in a while. This first one is Enzo, who is 16 and recently recovered from a stroke. He had left-sided paralysis and couldn't walk without falling over, but he's doing very well now.



Next is Nelson, another miracle cat, who recovered from a serious case of cryptococcal meningitis a few years ago. He was completely blind and could only walk in circles, but has since recovered almost completely.



Then there's Alex, a feral who has been living here about two-and-a-half years. She's still very cautious, but lets me pet her as long as I don't touch her belly or chin.



This is Luci, being stalked by Nelson. Luci is the neighbor's cat, but spends most of her time here.

Marina del Rey

Reflections on the water in the marina.



It was a beautiful day for being by the water.

Clutter Begone

I cleaned out my studio yesterday. I should have taken "before" pictures so you could see how bad it was.



Possums had built nests of leaves underneath the shelves last spring, and lived there for months.



My work table was covered with half-finished projects, and there was hardly any room on the floor to move around.



Now I feel like I can work again! The clutter is gone, and I can move on.

Egrets in Lagoon

I went on a walk with my brother, and we saw quite a few egrets in the lagoon. I thought they hunted for fish, but this one seemed more interested in whatever was in the bushes.

Here's another shot of the lagoon with a single duck in the water, looking towards LAX. You can see a plane taking of in the background.

House as Art

I spotted these pirate sculptures on the roof of a house in Marina del Rey. The cannons are an interesting touch!

Wisteria Seed Pods

These wisteria seed pods are amazing. When the weather gets dry, like it's been, they snap open and send seeds the size of dried beans flying. It sounds like popcorn with kernels hitting the windows at high speed. Then they end up twisted into a corkscrew shape like this, even though they start out flat. They're so fast that I've never caught on in the act of snapping open, but I'd sure like to see it.

Norfolk Island Pine

This is the Norfolk Island Pine in my backyard -- the tallest tree in the neighborhood. It started out as a tiny houseplant over thirty years ago, and when it got too big for the house, I put it in the ground.

Rust

I found this car parked in the driveway of a house near me. It looks like it's been sitting there forever. I wonder what they're planning to do with it.

Winter

One perfect rose bud amidst an abundance of rose hips.

Late in the Day

This is a succulent in the late afternoon sun, just before sunset. The sun is very low in the sky this time of year, and the light is more yellow.

Haircut

I cut my own hair yesterday! I thought -- how hard can it be? And it's not, as long as you're OK with hair this short. I really like it short. It's not all over my face anymore, it looks good when I wake up in the morning, and I don't even need shampoo -- just plain soap is fine. I also like the feeling that I'm not hiding behind my hair. It's just me -- plain and simple. No pretenses, nothing to hide. The only thing that's kind of strange is that my head gets cold now, so I have to wear a hat more often. Other than that, it's great!

Bird on a Wire

It's that time of year again when the crows gather on the telephone wires and in the trees at dusk, waiting for the sun to set before settling down for the night.



Sometimes there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of them, and as they fly in it looks like a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds.

Signs of Spring

I know it's nowhere near spring yet, but I'm seeing signs of it in the yard. The camellias are blooming, and the wisteria won't be far behind. There's hope that winter will soon be over -- at least here in Southern California!

Oxalis Take Over

The Oxalis in the backyard is really thick this year, almost obliterating the walk. I love the fluorescent yellow flowers. It's considered a weed, but not in my yard.

Topanga

I was in Topanga yesterday morning for an appointment with my acupuncturist, and I was reminded of how beautiful it is there. It's nice to get out of the city once in a while and see some green.

More About Enzo

For those of you who have been wondering about Enzo . . . he's doing good! He has almost completely recovered from the stroke. His walk is still a little wobbly, and he can't hear at all. But his left eye is back to normal, and he can eat on his own again. Except that he has become extremely picky, and won't eat most foods, so I still have to do some syringe feeding. He plays and fights with the other cats, and has really made a remarkable recovery thanks to homeopathy. Here he's enjoying the afternoon sun in the backyard.

Painting in Israel

One of my paintings made it all the way to Israel! It took a while to figure out the shipping, because it's a large piece, and it's expensive to ship work internationally. But the recipient of this piece was motivated, and he found a way to get it there and to get it re-stretched. I just got this note from him today, along with this picture of the painting in its new home:

I finally have the painting and wanted to say thank you again. It's absolutely beautiful. I've attached a photo so you can see as well.

I wish you the best of luck and happiness.

As you know things are not easy in Israel today, and I hope that fighting is going to end soon and both our peoples can build their lives again after the terror stops. So I also wish you peace.

Alex

Very sweet, and I'm happy that the painting found a home where it's so appreciated.