I am happy to announce that I have added a new collection to this site. It is called Beach Umbrellas.

Last summer, when I was at a state beach in Santa Cruz county, I was drawn to the colorful umbrellas that dotted the beach. Each umbrella was unique in its color scheme, size, and placement. These umbrellas added so much color to the beach that it seemed to light up with different colors, designs, and shapes. Some of the umbrellas had colorful chairs, plastic pails and spoons, and coolers that added to the the array.

The umbrella shown here is the first of a collection of five. It is titled "Swirled Colors." I am especially happy with it and love the way the edges of the umbrella are blowing in the breeze. I have received many compliments on it already and may have some interested buyers.

It was framed recently and will be on display soon. If you are interested in learning about the upcoming watercolor show, please visit the "Events."

I am currently working on "Polka-Dotted Colors." It is a picture of two very large polka-dotted umbrellas. The umbrellas are a yellowish green and the polka-dots are gold, blue, and magenta. The polka dots have turned out to be challenging to paint. Who knew?

I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I am enjoying painting it. These paintings are making me want to curl up under an umbrellas with a good book and relax. I hope you come away with that same feeling.

Enjoy!

Recently, I was diagnosed with a rare hand disorder called Dupuytren's Contracture. This disorder affects only 3 % of the population. It is common in people of Northern European decent (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc.). It usually affects men, people who drink and smoke too much, and those over 40.  I am over 40 and none of the rest. It also tends to be genetic although no one else in my family has it.

Dupuytren's Contracture is a fibrous tissue that grows in your palms and spreads outward to your fingers. If untreated, it pulls your fingers inward. You cannot straighten your fingers. There is no pain. It usually affects the little and ring fingers. I was diagnosed with it in my little, ring, middle fingers and my thumb. I had to have surgery or I would lose the use of my hand altogether.

About 2 months ago, I had surgery on my right hand. I was in a cast for 10 days then I needed hand therapy for 6 weeks. I had to file for short-term disability as I couldn't work. Because the surgery was on my right hand (my dominant hand), I had to use my left hand for every day activities, writing, and painting (for a while).

My hand was swollen and the scar was nasty. I was afraid I would never be able to paint again.  Never mind anything else! So, once my stitches came out, I gave painting a shot.

Since I paint watercolors, I have always torn the watercolor paper for smaller sheets. I have never painted a full sheet. I could no longer tear the paper, tape off the borders, or trace images onto the paper. I had to freehand it. I had to go loose.

So I decided I would paint large florals. I used full sheets, hand-drew the images (I used a grid), and used large brushes. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. So far, I have painted Blue Hydrangeas and Orange Nasturtiums. I intend to paint a collection of 5.

Surgery isn't the only option for this disorder. You can also get a needle treatment. But I found out that it wasn't covered by my insurance and my hand doctor doesn't do it. It's risky as it does not remove the tissue and it can grow back. I also found out that I needed another surgical procedure while I was under that the needle treatment woudn't have fixed. Later this year, the FDA ia supposed to approve a collagen treatment that is to be far less invasive.

For more information on Dupuytren's Contracture, please visit this web site. It is the most informative.

http://www.dupuytren-online.info/forum.html

Well, here we are only 2 days before Christmas and already there is a second attempt at to scam me in less than one month. My new buddy, Waheed, is asking me to support him through art school. He is, after all, "talleted." I have begun a series of African Sunrises and Sunsets and, as a result, have gotten quite a bit of buzz from scammers. I am enclosing Waheed's request (he contacted me through FASO's contact tab since I was forced to disable the email link) in its entirety complete with all of the misspellings.

"Hello How are you and i have been visiting so many site before i came accross you ads in artshow .com ,which i read that you are one of the greatest ,i found your artworks so creative and they are artworks that are very skilfull.i like mailing heroes of art like you. And i also read that your artwork is exhibited through out USA,moreso i also see couple of the sculpture work that you creat and they are solovely and adept. Art is a work which everybody like and that make a change in this our world today and you happen to be one of those succesfull people that i have just see who did art for future concern. My name is waheed najeem,i am 19 years old,i am talleted and i need someone who can help me in making my artwork to be well known ,but the most important thing is to show how much people will spell and taste artwork as a high game in the world because i ,love art so much. I paint on canvas and on board also and my artwork is on african art design and i do portrait also. So i wish you can advice me more about how i can go forward on this stuff,maybe if you can allow me send some to you to view.I think if you see some,as a professional you can screen them and observe maybe they are artwork people will like over there. I am not asking for money,but seeking for surviver.It is good to try and fail; than to fail to try.,We can still know better,we can work together. Thanks and god bless you Waheed Najeem +2348053535733"

Please be aware of any attempted scams. Look for horrible usage of English, grammtical errors, and bad spelling. I'm told scammers are especially busy this time of year.

The last blog I wrote regarding scammers, I received several very helpful and sincere comments, which I really appreciated. Thank you to those who commented.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a safe and scam-less new year.

I am starting a new tradition this year. I am going to make my own Christmas cards and send them out to family, friends, art buyers, and contacts. This year, I am sending them out to around 350. I feel that it is a very subtle marketing idea without being overly pushy.

Each year, I will paint a new holiday scene and take it to the nearby printer. I ordered 500 of this year's Christmas Angel and it cost me less than if I had purchased 500 retail cards. So, it's quite a savings. On the back of the card, I have included a little history of the Christmas Angel, my copyright, and my web site. On the front page of my web site, I am encouraging people to send me their name and address if they would like to receive a card in the future.

I think it will become a fun tradition and I recommend it to any artist who wants to build up their clientele. Whether it will bring me more business has yet to be seen.

Another fun idea for an up and coming artist to try out!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

I am writing this blog today to warn all artists to stay away from any any potenital art "buyers" from South Africa. I received an email last week from a man by the name of Sean Jerry who was in South Africa and wanted to buy one of my works of art. He said the he was traveling to the "U.K." and wanted to settle the transcaction quickly. He wanted to send me a check and asked for my address which I gave him. He also wanted my phone number, but I did not give that to him. At first, he said he wanted the piece framed, so I gave him the quote for both the artwork, the frame, and the shipping charges. This totaled nearly $800. I am asking $500 for the painting ("Sunset at Kruger Park" in my African Sunset/Sunrise collection).

Sean decided he would frame the piece himself and he told me he would need the dimensions of the artwork so that his "framer" could make the frame. He requested that I send an email to his "framer" and copy him with the dimensions. After I did that, I got an email from Sean stating that he was going to send me a cashier's check for $2000. I was to take the $500 for the painting and send the remainder to the "framer." I then received an email from the "framer" who told me to deduct the $500 from the check and send him the remaining $1500. He also told me to hang onto the painting as his workshop was full of shards and they might damage the painting.

I felt like an idiot after I realized that I was being scammed. I had remembered a blog about art scammers and finally found the one that Clint Watson wrote. What Clint described was exactly what was happening to me. I have not returned any emails .

After discussing this situation with my family during the Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to report what I could to the FBI. The FBI has a cyber crime link on their web site where you can file a complaint online.

Thanks to Clint for the newsletter article. I am afraid what might have happened if I hadn't remembered that. Evidently, the cashier's check is bogus and somehow you're out both your money and your artwork.

 I have not received the bogus check yet and don't know if I will, but I have since heard that South Africa is teeming with scammers.

The only positive spin I can put on this is that the scammer thought my work was worth $2000!

Artists, be warned!!

I  entered a juried show and found out recently that my piece "Cypress and Sunrise" has been selected. I am very pleased with this work and I think it will show well. This scene is an actual sunrise that I caught one morning on my way in to work. It was absolutely spectacular!

I am very excited about this show and hope that it is the first of many. This is a dream that I've had for many years.

The gallery is called "Coastal Arts League Museum and Gallery and is located is a quaint town south of San Francisco, California called Half Moon Bay. More information about this gallery is on my Events page.

If by chance you are near Half Moon Bay, or are visiting, please stop by the Coastal Arts League Museum and Gallery to view "Cypress and Sunrise."

I am happy to announce that I have created a new collection of paintings called "African Sunrises and Sunsets."  These paintings measure 15 1/2" x 22." They are commonly called "half-sheets."  I am finding that these larger sheets are allowing me quite a bit of freedom in my painting.

I only have two uploaded now. They are completed and ready to go. I plan to have a collection of 10 and will upload each painting as I finish it.

Please look for another collection soon on lighthouses.

I was fortunate enough to have my son and his wife take their honeymoon to Africa last year. As a result, they came back with some beautiful pictures. This picture, Tents at Sunrise in Namibia, was a photo that his wife took early one morning before everyone woke up. The result was spectacular and I asked to permission to paint it. They were pleased and I ended up giving it to them as a gift.

That inspired me to start a new collection. I completed two African sunset paintings and will be posting the new collection soon. The paintings are on "half-sheets," or measurements of  15" x 22." All are different sunrises or sunsets around Africa, but mostly Namibia where my son and his wife spent the most time.

I have found that half-sheets allow me the freedom to use large bold brush strokes and I'm enjoying painting this collection.

I would love to receive comments on this painting, Tents at Sunrise in Namibia.

Even though I advertise that I paint mostly California scenes, this little painting of Downtown Littleton is in my portfolio.

I used to work for a company that sent me to Colorado regularly so, as a result, I was able to get some wonderful photographs of different places in Colorado. This picture of Littleton's "main drag" was one of them.

Littleton is a small town outside of Denver and has a very quaint downtown area. Some of my friends and colleagues lived in Littleton. I was told that at Christmas time the entire downtown is lit up with small lights in the trees and sidewalks and it looks like a magical land. Although Littleton is home to Columbine High School and the tragedy that struck there nearly 10 years ago, Littleton remains (at least in my eyes) a very wonderful and tight-knit community.

I'm afraid this painting doesn't do Littleton justice. But I still like it as it brings back fond memories of Colorado and the friends I made there.

San Carlos Beach Park is a small park that overlooks Monterey Bay near Cannery Row. It has a small pathway where you can walk along the shore.

This particular painting was done during my lunch hour. I knew I only had only about 30 minutes to finish it so I could back to work on time, so I quickly did a reference sketch and painted this scene. I have gotten used to people walking by and watching me while I paint. Sometimes people stop to ask questions but for the most part, they continue about their journey and smile at me while I paint.

This scene is from a bench overlooking the Monterey Bay through some shrubbery. I loved the different colors of the shrubs and thought that a peek of the ocean would make for a nice painting.

I am pleased with the result and hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed painting it.