Glass Globe Gas Pump

Here is a little history on the gas pump.
The first gasoline pump was invented and sold by Sylvanus F. Bowser in Fort Wayne Indiana on September 5, 1885. This pump was not used for automobiles, as they had not been invented yet. It was instead used for some kerosene lamps and stoves. He later improved upon the pump by adding safety measures, and also by adding a hose to directly dispense fuel into the automobiles. Many early pumps had a calibrated glass cylinder on top. The desired quantity of fuel was pumped into the cylinder as indicated by the calibration. Then the pumping was stopped and the gasoline was let out into the customers tank by gravity. When meter pumps came into use, a small glass globe with a turbine inside replaced the measuring cylinder but assured the customer that gasoline really was flowing into the tank.
6x8 oil on panel

Draft Horse

I love Draft horses! They are spectacular beasts and crowd pleasers wherever they go. Drafts and draft crosses can make the perfect trail horse, carriage horse, or show horse. Their willingness to work and quiet pleasant disposition come out in every cross breeding. No one can deny the grace and gentleness of these noble steeds, that were the original warhorse of knights. I tried to capture this in my painting.
6x8 oil on canvas board. sold

Visiable Gas Pumps

I remember going to Colorado as a child in the late 1940's and driving into a gas station with these visible gas pumps. I loved watching the gas being filled into the cylinder by manually pumping the side handle. The glass tanks held 10 gallons and cost 0.21 cents a gallon. Once the glass cylinder was filled, gravity fed the fuel from the pump to your car. We've come a long way from the "good old days".
6x8 oil on canvas board

Yellow Cab

I've always thought that Yellow Cabs were adorable and when I found this photo reference I just had to paint its portrait. This one is especially cute because of the grill, the chrome bumper and the running boards.

6x8 oil on board

Camping Tents

I thought it would be fun to paint the same subject several times so I chose camping tents. I came up with the tent idea when I watched Oprah and her friend Gayle go camping in Yosemite on TV the other day. Of course, their pop up tent was much more glamorous than these, but I like the color that a canvas tent has to offer when the sunlight hits it

Here are three 6x8 oil paintings of camping tents

Old Gas Pumps

I love the look of these two gas pumps, still standing tall at the curb, where they had once been a convenience to drivers years ago. The pumps of today are faster and sleeker but these pumps had a certain friendly sound, as they did their job, that can never, in my mind be replaced.
6x8 oil on board

Babe and Farmer Hoggett

I love painting portraits of people and animals. When I ran across a publicity photo from the movie Babe, with the farmer and his prize pig, I went right to work capturing their images. I think Farmer Hoggett ( is there a pun there?) who was played by James Cromwell is a very handsome man and Babe, well what more do I have to say, but adorable!
6x8 oil on canvas board sold

Poultry Alarm

With another rainy day here at home. I wanted to paint something colorful. This crowing rooster has all the colors of the rainbow which was fun to paint. The feathers were the real challenge and fun to tackle with this old bird. sold

Teamwork

I recently saw the movie Secretariat and was moved by relationship that exists between a racehorse and the people who work with them. I cropped this reference photo so I could show the common cause that a jockey and horse have to win a race. They both have their eyes on the finish line and the heart to get there first.

Melon and Peaches

Something bright and colorful is what I wanted to paint. So, I chose a silver coffee pot, a slice of cantaloupe and a couple of peaches. I think I'll paint a colorful crowing rooster for my next victim.

Low Tide

These gloomy rainy days make me paint in low key soft colors. When we finally have some brighter sunnier days, I should go back to this area and repaint it in the sunshine. Maybe I should set up a still life with lots of bright light and paint something colorful!

Thristy

We've had a lot of rain on and off here and little puddles have still not completely dried up. Here is a painting of a thristy cat using one of the puddles as her natural water dish . 6x8 oil on canvas board.

Cowboy and Draft Horse

I had another reference photo of the same cowboy.
This time he was curry combing his draft horses which
turned into an interesting painting. 6x8 oil on canvas board.

Cowboy

Here is a working

cowboy moving some supplies the old fashioned way... with his draft horse and wagon. I loved the light casting wonderful shadows that defined the figure. 6x8 oil on board

Dump Truck

I love interesting vehicles so this old dump truck was a subject I wanted to paint. The late afternoon sun made for warm yellow light so I chose to use a cool green for the trucks paint job. I like the way it turned out and will try to find another truck to paint and handle differently.

Repeating the Same Subject

I love cactus so this was a fun theme to paint over and over. Even though the subject is the same, each one is so different from the another that it made it interesting.

Country Farm

Here's a quaint farm scene that appealed to me because of the composition. Lots of repeating triangles that take your eye all around the subject. You go from house to house, to hay bales, back to the family graveyard. When I looked at the painting again, after I had posted it, I thought it looked like it was missing something. Since I love to put people in my paintings I added the farm boy and his dog to give it more life. I like it much better now.

6x8 oil on board.

Red Barn

I had a photo of a red barn at sunset with fresh bales of hay in the foreground. The time of day is late afternoon when the barn in the background was in very low cool light and the hay bales were still in warm sunlight. I think it made for a interesting little 6x8 inch oil painting.

Boy Fishing

This started out to be a landscape painting but then I decided it needed some human interest so I added the dock and the boy fishing. I think, now that I look at it again, his rod is big enough to bring in a swordfish. Oh well, I'll fix it later or maybe I like it that way. There is a fisherman's saying that goes"big bait, big fish" so maybe that holds true for big rods as well.

Canadian Red Bus

When we toured the Canadian Rockies a few years back I was fascinated by these red buses. I had first seen one when I, as a little girl, went through my Grandmothers vacation photos. She and my Grandfather had taken the "Red Bus Tour" while vacationing in the Glacier National park many years ago.
I have since learned that the White Motor Company, between 1936 and 1938, built glacier’s red-with-black trim vehicles. This fleet of Red Buses is considered the oldest intact fleet of passenger carrying vehicles anywhere. These 17 passenger convertible touring sedans are cherished, elegant icons of Glacier National Park. With their multiple doors and rollback canvas tops, the Reds are a sight to see. Here is my 6x8 oil portrait of the "Red Bus".

San Juan Capistrano Mission

The Mission of San Juan Capistrano is beautiful and this day, the garden was spectacular. All the roses were in full bloom and the humming birds and butterflies were delighting in the nectar that the flowers were providing for them. There were three artists who were painting this view so I took a photo and painted from this reference shot back in my studio. Someday I will travel up again and bring my easel to paint right in the garden as well.

San Juan Capistrano Relic

My daughter and grandson and I went on the train to San Juan Capistrano last week to see the historic Mission. After we had done a tour of the Mission, we had a delicious lunch at a little Mexican restaurant right across the street. When lunch was over we walked around and found a petting zoo just west of the station. Alpacas,llamas, pigs, goats, sheep...are real zoo right there in Capistrano. As we were walking back to the station, to wait for our train, I found this wonderful old home and took a snapshot because I thought it would make a fun painting. Imagine if those walls could talk I bet they would have a lot of history to tell us about the area. 6x8 oil on panel

San Diego Botanic Garden

The San Diego Botanic Garden is having a two day fundraiser this weekend and I am going to participate this year. I and am hoping the weather will cooperate for all of us and not be too hot or too cold. This summer has been crazy so there is no telling. At one point in the planned activities there will be an auction and the artists were asked to donate a piece. I decided to paint the Victorian Gazebo that is on the grounds and add some people to give it a little human interest.

I hope it sells well!

Hotel Del

This was the other painting I did that would remind one of San Diego. It's the famous Hotel Del and located on Coronado Island. It's a very unique looking building with its bright roofs and a beach that stretches forever. It was a little challenging to paint because I kept it on a 6x8 inch canvas board.

Coronado Bridge

This painting is going to end up in Texas as a wedding gift for a couple who came to San Diego for a visit recently. The gift giver was looking for an image that would remind them of their trip here and I thought....Coronado Bridge or the Hotel Del. This is the painting that was chosen.

Border Collie

The workaholic of the dog world, the Border Collie is the world’s premier sheep herder, prized for its intelligence, extraordinary instinct and working ability. Medium-sized and athletic, the breed controls stock with stalking movement and an intense gaze known as "eye. This dog has just finished corralling a herd of sheep into a pen following it's handlers signals in record time. So now, a cooling off dip in a water bucket is his deserving reward.

Rowboat

There was something that so appealed to me about this little rowboat that I felt like capturing it on a 6x8 inch canvas. It had definitely seen years of service for its owner and still looked like it could be of service for many more. Ahoy there you darling little dingy.

Dakota's Horse

Our whole family went to Wyoming for a week and stayed at dude ranch called Spotted Horse. The Ranch had lots of horses and wonderful guided trial rides that took you into the scenic mountains. Dakota was one of the wranglers at the Ranch and she rode a gorgeous little paint that posed for me by the barn one day. I promised I would paint a picture for her and here is the finished work. 6x8 oil on canvas board.

Spotted Horse Ranch

We took a family vacation in July to Jackson Hole Wyoming and stayed at the Spotted Horse Ranch for a week. It was a wonderful spot and full of interesting things to do so finding time to complete some plein air painting was tricky. My son and I are both artists, and we decided to give up a couple of horseback rides and go out with our painting gear to have some fun. There is no end to the scenic vistas to commit to canvas in Jackson, so the sky is the limit as far as subject matter. This was a tent that was permanently set up at the ranch over in an wooded area where we ate two of our evening meals. I painted this 6x8 canvas board image when the afternoon sun was making some interesting light patterns on the tarp roof.

Spotted Horse Ranch

Here was a painting I did of a waterfall called Granite Falls. This location was an adventure to get to in itself. A few miles up the road from Spotted Horse Ranch we made a left hand turn but then slowed down to about ten miles an hour and traveled nine miles on a winding all dirt and road. When we finally got to the the Falls, it was visible from our parking location and was gorgeous. We could see right off it was going to be fun to paint. However, to get to the ideal painting location we had to walk a ways and descend a very steep hillside.

8x10 "Duo aqua oil" on board

Spotted Horse Ranch

One morning we headed out from Spotted Horse Ranch to a cute little area called Moose. We started out early from the Ranch because it was about a forty five minute drive to our destination. We arrived at nine thirty but were told that we had to wait until ten when they allowed us to set up our easels on the roof top eating area of the local restaurant. The morning was a little overcast and the mountain peaks were hidden beneath the clouds but as the time passed the clouds disappeared and were able to see the entire range.

I think if we had had more time, we could have pulled out another canvas and painted several different views from the same roof top.

The Gentleman

There is a local fair going on at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and it is sponsoring a miniature painting contest. The rules say that the painting cannot exceed 7 inches in any direction so since I had a 5x7 inch canvas I used it to paint a rather eccentric looking gentleman. It may not win but it gets me a free ticket into the fair so I figure it's now got a value of $10.

And They're Off

There is something that fascinates me about a race track. The brilliantly colored jockey silks, the gorgeous horses and the diversified crowd of people. I usually don't tackle this many horses on one canvas but this time I wanted to capture the action at the start of a race. Who knows who will win but my money is on gate number two.

Self Portrait

Every once in awhile I see if I can tackle a self portrait. This time I decided to use a posterized pallet of colors and you know what, I like it. If I squint way down it looks pretty good. Try it and see what you think.

I love painting a portrait of a sweet face. Here is a painting I did from a photograph of a complete stranger. I do wish, as I look into her face, that I could sit down with her and have a chat over a cup of tea. Oh, the stories I'm sure she could tell.

I love painting horses so when I found a reference photo of a French Percheron I couldn't resist puting oil to canvas and capturing the look of this breed. This horse is one of the most docile and good-natured of any breed, yet in no way showing any sign of sluggishness or dullness. In stables, or out in the dense town traffic, nothing appears to upset them. Immediately drawn to the powerful lines, shaping muscular bodies that showed great prowess and strength, I found this painting fun to do.

6x8 oil on canvas board

I went up to Oceanside Harbor and painted looking back at the shops and a peek at the boat slips that are there. I couldn't get it entirely painted on location so some of this painting is done from a photograph I took and worked from at my studio the next day. I liked the lighting on the buildings when I started and from the photograph was able to capture that again to finish the painting.

8x10 oil on canvas board

I recently saw a photograph of a Plymouth "woodie" and it brought back memories of my Grandmother's car. I was 10 or 11 at the time and I thought that she had the greatest car I had ever seen on the road. The early Plymouth wagons were called "woodies" because of their construction--some were called depot hacks. Mostly they were just called station wagons. It's a name that stuck--nothing exciting, just a good, plain descriptive title for a multi-passenger, cargo carrying motor vehicle which is a classic today.

My Neighbor's House

For Christmas my husband got me a series of plein air painting lessons. Our group met on Sunday for eleven weeks and painted all over San Diego. I loved the experience because I had done very little painting outside my studio. I will definitely take the class again but I feel I must go out and work on my own for awhile to see what I have learned so far. For my first subject, I chose to paint the house across the street from us. I'm still a little shy to stray too far away from home but there are plenty of opportunities very near me to paint which will give me some experience.

Industrial Buildings

There was something about this industrial city scape that appealed to me. I wanted to capture the look of two proud old buildings that had seen years of service. I enjoyed the painting process on this 8x10 canvas.

I've been taking a class in Plein Air painting and our group has gone to several sea scape locations these past few weeks. I've been trying very hard to study wave patterns, ocean colors, and rock formations and I must say it's intriguing but not every easy. I took the easy way out and painted this canvas from a photo.

Horse Power

There is nothing more nostalgic for me to see than a farmer doing a job the old fashioned way. That's why this painting is of a farmer plowing his field with real "horse power".

Tugboat

There is something about tugboats that fascinates me. Historically tugboats were the first seagoing vessels to receive steam propulsion, freedom from the restraint of the wind, and the capability of going in any direction. They are a small, but powerful boat used to push or pull barges or to help maneuver larger vessels. When I was on a cruise I loved watching them maneuver our big ship around. These little boats are truly little workhorses. I'll probably paint another one very soon because they are such fun subject matter.

Horse Trailer

I thought these two horses that have been trailered in for an event made for an interesting little 6x8 inch painting. I certainly enjoyed working on it.

Art for Sale

I would like the viewers of my Blog to know that each of the framed paintings I post are for sale. They are $200 with an additional $10 for shipping and handling anywhere in the USA. Additional postage will be added for outside the USA.
For inquires please contact me by email at suzys@att.net