Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Pansies in a Glass Vase


 

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Tinker Bell--Amelia


 





















The daughter of a neighbor asked me to paint a picture of her as she was playing Tinker Bell in a children's production of "Peter Pan."  I think she liked it.




Friday, July 5, 2024

Bubba Miller, Philadelphia Eagles



I had the honor of coaching with Stephen "Bubba" Miller for two seasons at Battle Ground Academy.  His son was on our team.  I also got to know his wonderful family. Bubba played center at the University of Tennessee when Peyton Manning was the quarterback.  He then played for the Philadelphia Eagles and finished his career with the New Orleans Saints.  He is such a knowledgeable coach and I learned a lot from watching him work with our players.  He is a great coach and a great person.

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Odalisque In a Purple Robe (Copied from Henri Matisse)

I was inspired to do this watercolor when I was at the Coffee House in Franklin, Tennessee.  In their Library Room, my granddaughter and I were looking at some art books they had on the shelf.  One was about Henri Matisse.  On the cover of the book jacket was his painting, "Odalisque In a Purple Robe."  Inspired by the color and the relaxed pose of the subject, I thought I'd give it a try.

The original is below.



Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Become a Head Football Coach

 
































This book is designed to give high school assistant football coaches the tools and advice they need to achieve their career goal of becoming a high school head football coach.  The subjects covered include where to look for a job, how to apply, interview suggestions, sample interview questions, as well as how to organize a football program.  The advice is from the author’s experiences in coaching high school football over several decades.                    Available on Amazon.com

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Doug Thompson, Quarterback, Fountain Valley High School

This is a photo of a photo of a painting I did of Fountain Valley H.S. quarterback, Doug Thompson from the mid-1970s.
 

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Wood Carving, Half-Hull Model, "The Sloop John B."










This is a Half-Hull Model of the Sloop John B.  This boat was the subject and title of one of my favorite Beach Boys songs.

The hull is made from Mahogany and is mounted on a pine plaque.
 

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Firing On Fort Sumter--"You Started It"

Having grown up and gone to school in Southern California, the Civil War was just something that we read about in our history books.  Now living in Tennessee, I have found that the Civil War is still going on!  There are many Southerners who still refer the war as the Northern Invasion and how Confederate soldiers were just defending their homeland.  There are a multitude of memorials to the Confederacy honoring the insurrection that only lasted four years.  Somewhere in their re-written history, they forgot that THEY started the war by firing on Fort Sumter.  This is just a little reminder that "You Started It." And General Sherman finished it.

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Three Mile Harbor, Long Island, New York


































      My daughter and her husband went to Long Island to celebrate their 15th Anniversary.  While they were there, they took a photo of Three Mile Harbor.  She then asked me to do a painting from the photograph.
 

Thursday, July 6, 2023

David Crosby




















After a swing and a miss with a previous attempt, I tried again and got a little closer with this pencil drawing of David Crosby.  He has always been an intriguing and flawed artist whom I have followed throughout the years.  Crosby, Stills & Nash have always been one of my favorite groups.  This is my little tribute to him.  I used a painting of him by Joan Baez as a model for this one. 

Special thanks to Ed Jones and Garry Troxell for their suggestions on this project.

Sunday, June 18, 2023

Hunting Hollywood


 

















My latest story is set in the 1930s. It follows two recent graduates from the USC Film School who set out to start their own movie studio.  Along the way, they encounter problems such as a small budget, limited equipment, inexperienced actors not to mention having to deal with the big film studios and their monopolistic hold on the movie industry.  

McKenzie Roberts is a beautiful, confident film student from a well-to-do family from New York.  She grew up around the East Coast movie studios where her father worked.  Now a recent college graduate, she hopes to one day fulfill her dream of being a movie director.  

Craig Johnson is a naive young man from Southern California who discovers his interest in movie making while in college.  

Together they form a business partnership that must deal with one challenge after another.  Along the way, they meet several interesting people—including Mugs Peterson, an ex-professional boxer; Hinky Williams, a homeless veteran looking for a job; and Slate Granger, a cowboy and reluctant movie star.  

Find out if their movies are as exciting as what they endure to make them.


Thursday, June 1, 2023

Jim Gentry's Jeep



Jim Gentry is a local legend in Franklin, Tennessee.  He was a World War II veteran, and later a teacher and football coach at several local high schools in the area.  On patriotic holidays, his family displays a jeep with an American Flag in the pasture of Gentry Farm along Highway 96 across from the community of Westhaven.

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Buster Posey
























I try to do baseball paintings for my brother-in-law, Keith and my 
two nephews, Anthony and Nick.  They are all into baseball.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Portrait of Madame X (A Figure Study)




In 1884, John Singer Sargent painted a scandalous (for the Victorian Age) oil painting of Virginie Gautreau.  Below is a figure study in watercolor that he did prior to the oil painting.  I used this for my model.


 

Saturday, January 14, 2023

Rancho Rico Creek Ranch




This is a map of the Pancho Rico Creek Ranch where I have gone wild pig hunting.  It is located in a beautiful area along Highway 101 in California near the town of San Ardo.  Kathryn and Dave Rossi are fantastic hosts and have always made our trips to their ranch so memorable.

Friday, December 2, 2022

Pine Needle Basket

I took a Native American basket weaving class many years ago and always wanted to try a pine needle basket which they had taught us, but we didn't have time to complete that day.  This basket is 12 inches in diameter.  It is kind of like a Black-Hole.  Each time around, it requires more and more needles.  I figured I would need a lot of needles but I would estimate I used a whole tree-full of needles.  The Native Americans must have had a lot of patience to complete projects like this. 

 

Friday, November 25, 2022

Balloons over Paris



After seeing the beautiful print (left) at my son's house, I decided to use it as a model for the watercolor and ink picture above.
 

Monday, September 12, 2022

Lester Hayes, "Press Corner"

I have wanted to paint a picture of Lester Hayes for a long time.  I wasn't sure how to capture his intimidating presence against a Wide Receiver.  I don't know that I accomplished getting that intimidation down on paper.

I dedicate this to Mike Milner who is my coaching mentor and who coached Defensive Backs throughout his career.


 

Monday, September 5, 2022

For this watercolor, I used a 1935 painting called, "The Flower Carrier" by Diego Rivera as my model.
 

Monday, June 13, 2022

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Huntington Beach, California

This is my first attempt at painting a wave.  I was very intimidated because they are so difficult to do.  The painting was inspired by the photos I receive from my friend, George who takes daily walks on the beach.  This is supposed to be Lifeguard Tower #4.  Catalina Island is visible on the horizon.


Saturday, March 12, 2022

Ashlin-Moore Family Cemetery, Westhaven Community, Franklin, Tennessee

This is a pen & ink drawing of a small family cemetery in the middle of the Westhaven Community in Franklin, Tennessee.  It was established in 1821 and contains the graves of family members and slaves.

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of this community, it is a peaceful, yet stark reminder of where we will all end up some day.

Thursday, February 24, 2022

My Poem about Convict Lake


 I was always inspired by the beauty of the Eastern High Sierras.  My great friend Mark and I would often go fishing for several days at Convict Lake.  I tried to put my feelings down on paper and came up with this poem.  I gave a copy to the people at the Convict Lake General Store.  Click on the photo for a larger view.

Sunday, February 20, 2022

Steampunk Football Player

 















I have always wanted to do a "Steampunk-style" painting.  I thought I would combine that style with a football player.  I used an old photo of Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, who was a seven-time all-pro Center for the Chicago Bears.

Saturday, January 22, 2022

Burning Covered Wagon

 














This is a pencil drawing from a promo ad for the TV series "1883."  I tried to capture the starkness and loneliness of the scene.

Saturday, January 8, 2022

Orca II













This is the second Orca that I've done.  I incorporated the rust-colored paint on this one.  I really enjoy the artwork of the Pacific Northwest Native Americans.  I am NOT trying to pass my artwork off as being Native American, but it is so interesting to replicate their style.
 

Monday, January 3, 2022

Moses Football Player

I always thought that the pose that Michelangelo used could have been a football player.

Friday, September 17, 2021

Fisher Anderson, Franklin High School

Fisher Anderson is a Senior at Franklin H.S. in Franklin, Tennessee.  He is 6'7" and has a 4.2 GPA.  He has committed to Stanford University.  (Posted with permission from the Anderson family.)
 

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

License-Plate Roof Birdhouse


 

After replacing our California license plates with ones from Tennessee, I hated to just throw the old ones away.  So I built a birdhouse and used one of them as a roof.  I don't know how functional it is, but it is nice to look at and recall my old home state.















Thursday, May 20, 2021

My Mother's Hands




   



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took this photo of my 90-year-old mother's hands as she held my sister's hands shortly before her passing.  Orange County Catholic Magazine used this photo in an article in their May 16, 2021 issue.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

George Harrison


This is a drawing that I did in 1974 for Tracie Lipton, while up at Humboldt State University.  I haven't seen this picture for forty-five years.  Tracie sent a photo of it to me recently after she came across my blog and my article about my year up at HSU.  I am humbled that she has kept it for all these years.

Friday, February 19, 2021

Left Coast Coach--a novel


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            So many times throughout my coaching career I have had coaches tell me one crazy story after another about dealing with players, parents, the press or administrators.  We would always say that this could be a chapter in our collective book about coaching football.  Well, I tried to take some of those tales and incorporate them into this novel. 

            This story follows two high school football coaches; one from New Jersey and one from California; who end up coaching at Elam Academy in Georgia.  Not only do they face tough competition on the field—they face racism, politics, and cancer.

            Available on Amazon.com

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Wind Chimes

 
This was a recycled art project.  The copper pipes were from an old water heater from my parents' house in Fountain Valley.

 

Monday, February 8, 2021

"It's Okay"

My wife found this picture on the internet.  We both felt that it was a very tender, comforting  moment--maybe between siblings or friends.  I tried to capture it in watercolors.

 

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Maori Warrior


 

 

This is a watercolor of a Maori Warrior.  I used a photo by Art Wolfe as a model.  His photograph was of George Hare at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii.

Monday, October 19, 2020

Super Bowl XIX


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

I have always admired Manny Rubio's photo of Super Bowl XIX.  It is very complex with a lot of details in it.  I felt like I was painting little toy soldiers.  I think it is best to look at from a distance and just feel the swirl of colors on the paper.  I dedicate this one to my good friend,  Joe Rea who is a big 49ers fan.

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

The Edmund Fitzgerald ("The 29")


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 1976 song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot has always had a big impact on me.  I wanted to do a painting of that ship.  It was difficult to find a photo that I thought I could use as a model for my painting.  I looked at a stern shot for quite sometime.  The very talented artist, Stephanie Moran used the same photo for her painting, "Sailing Away."  I was reluctant, but gave it a try.  Because of the ship's detail, I used pen and ink as well as watercolor.  



Sunday, September 27, 2020

Pacific Sunset

I did this painting for my granddaughter, who loves dolphins.  I have always been a big fan of Bob Wyland.  He seems to be able to put a few splashes of paint on a canvas, and then add a dash of white for the reflection of light off the eye, and "boom," you have a whale, or a dolphin, or a mermaid--in perfect perspective, and underwater lighting.  He is amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

California, A Poem

 

      CALIFORNIA

FAST AND PRETTY

SHINY AND NEW

 

ANCIENT REDWOODS

PACIFIC BLUE

 

HER LONG TAN LEGS

AND GOLDEN HAIR

 

WARM SUNNY SKIES

AND DAYS SO FAIR

 

DOLPHINS SWIMMING

THE SURFING GREAT

 

MAJESTIC BRIDGE

THE GOLDEN GATE

 

OFF NEWPORT COAST

THE SUN SETS LOW

 

IN THE DESERT

THE CACTUS GROW

 

SIERRAS RISE

TO GRANITE PEAKS

 

IF YOU CLIMB IT

IT’S QUITE A FEAT.

 

VERDANT VALLEYS

AND RUSHING STREAMS

 

AN ARTISTS’ REALM

A SPORTSMAN’S DREAM

 

THE SAN JOAQUIN

CROPS GROW SO TALL

 

THE RICH FARM LAND

IT FEEDS US ALL

 

OLD JEANS, LOOSE TOP

AND FLOPPY HAT

 

SHE COULD BE RICH

HOW ABOUT THAT

 

CASTLES AND KINGS

ONLY THEY’RE REAL

 

CASUAL DRESS

IS NO BIG DEAL

 

THE YOUNG AND OLD

CREATE THE DREAM

 

CALIFORNIA

ALL THAT IT SEEMS

 

Monday, September 7, 2020

The Creek Fire


 

This is a watercolor of The Creek Fire in California.  I used a dramatic photo from the Associated Press as my model.   As I post this, the fire is still burning.  I dedicate it to Cal Fire and all the people working to put out the many fires in California right now.