Snickers, Still Life (click here to bid)

O/b. 2&7/8x5". © 2006.
I haven't eaten one of these since I was a kid, but I remembered how the chocolate swirl looked on top of the candy bar. I bought one, pulled it out of the package & it was just as I remembered it.

Baby Artichoke, Still Life (click here to bid)

O/b 5x7". © 2006.
This was a good painting exercise, from the blue greens to yellow greens, then the touches of umber.

White Onion, Still Life (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
To be precise, this is a Panoche Sweet White Onion from Trader Joe's. Hey, it not only paints well, but it's tasty.

Marine Band Harmonica, Still Life (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
I've played one of these for years. My Father played one before I was born.

Jalapeno Jelly, Still Life (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
I lost my camera over Christmas. Hmmm. So I'm trying some new things for this post. I hope it works.

Parking Structure Nocturne (click here to bid)

O.b. 3-3/4x8". (c) 2006.
Urban nocturne. I like the cool light of the parking structure compared to the warm light of the evening sky.

Christmas Ornament

O/b. 6x6". (c) 2006.
This ornament was hanging on a Christmas tree on Abbot Kinney Blvd.

Laughing Cow Cheese (click here to bid)

O/b. 3-3/4x6".© 2006.
These mini cheese wedges come wrapped in individual foils. You can't miss the packaging- a bright red cow wearing 2 big earrings, laughing. Great cheese.

California Christmas #2, Landscape (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
Winter clouds, lights on the palms...I had to paint them again.

Adobe Wall At The Mission (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
I live in LA. Mom lives in San Diego. For years we've met at the 1/2 way point in San Juan Capistrano. There's a good restaurant at the train station. Sometimes we'll walk over to the mission. That's where I found this terrific, faded old adobe wall.

Palm Tree, A Landscape (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
I painted this palm tree today. Wasn't my first, won't be my last.

Quarter On Edge, A Still Life (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x3 3/4". © 2006.
I'm trying a new format with this painting.

Bronze Nude (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
Mom & Dad got this statuette when I was in high school. I loved it the first time I saw it, and managed to inherit it eventually.

Green Beach Chair, A Seascape (click here to bid)

O/b. 6x6". © 2006.
The sun reflecting off the green plastic webbing on this beach chair caught my eye.

Half Full Or Half Empty? (click here to bid)

O/b. 6x6". © 2006.
Filling this bowl 1/2 with water provided a chance to study subtle tonal & value shifts in color.

Side Door Nocturne (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
This is the side door at the rear of Abbot's Habit, my favorite Venice coffee house. Their blueberry scones are mighty.

Corkscrew (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
I've decided to incorporate more things from around studio/home into my daily paintings.
Here's a handy item with a cool aesthetic.

Rooftop Santa (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
This inflatable Santa sits on top of Ananda, a store in Venice. The way he's lit from inside makes him glow. I like that orange color against the evening sky.

Yellow Hallway (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
My friend Erin used to live in the mid-century housing complex called Lincoln Place. This is the hallway next to her old apartment.

Sentinel (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
Awhile back I went downtown LA at dawn to photograph the urban canyons. I found this guy perched between the first and second floors of a grand old building.

Winter Sea (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
Shades of gray & subdued light. It's a mood thing.

California Christmas (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
Beautiful December night last night. I took my camera & tripod out on Abbott Kinney & snapped pictures. I'm endlessly fascinated by intersections of roof lines and skies. It shows up in these small paintings, as well as larger works on my web site.

Colonnade (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
Nope, it's not Venice Italy. But Abbot Kinney, founder of Venice, Ca. was influenced by Italy. A few remnants of his vision remain. The early 20th C. colonnade on Windward Av. has European influences. That's where I saw this ornate column cap.

Urban Sunset (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
There's one good thing about smog. Strange statement, I know. But smog can make beautiful sunsets. All those particles in the atmosphere can create ethereal, even surreal scenes as the sun goes down.

Looking Northeast (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
Winter storms come in off the Pacific. Afterward, there's a special moment when the storm's blown through & the skies clear, but the clouds settle in over the mountains just East of LA. This is a view from my porch during one of those moments, looking Northeast.

Over & Under (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
The elaborate maze of freeways in LA can become strangely disquieting at night.

Coastal Haze (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
Love how that red skeg stands out through the hazy atmosphere.

Sconce (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
I bought a pair of wall sconces in Mexico a few years ago. I like the way they look...handmade and uneven. I've thought about painting one someday. Today's that day.

Day's End (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
Looking over Santa Monica Beach toward the Pacific Coastal Range.

6PM On The 5 (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
This is from a photograph I took driving down the freeway, with camera to my eye. Not the safest, but I got some good shots and lived to tell the tale.

Pole Climbing (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
I set my camera up on the tripod with the 10-second timer, then climbed the telephone pole. This photo is from the same session as one for a larger painting, "First One Up", bought by Bob Mair.

Chinese Hats (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
Man, Chinatown in LA is a rich visual resource. These straw hats, baskets & straw mats caught my eye.

Venice Streetlight (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
This is an old brick building in Venice called Brickhouse.
They serve great omelets and they're walking distance from my studio.

Here We Go

I'm sending my brand new blog out into the world, first to friends & family, then who knows? If you like what you see, pass it on.
Okay, I'm off to bed, because I've got a painting to do tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. And...

Culver City Scene (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5". © 2006.
LA is full of these old school street lamps. Many were built during the WPA & add a touch of nostalgia to neighborhoods. I found this one in Culver City, which is Venice adjacent.

Purple Cloud (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7". © 2006.
California has some of the best clouds anywhere. Combine these clouds with this light and voila, the seeds of another painting. and another. and another...

Eucalyptus & Chimney (click here to bid)

O/b.7x5"
© 2006.
This is the view from the porch outside my studio. Eucalyptus trees are in many of my paintings.

Elephant Statue (click here to bid)

O/b. 7x5".© 2006.
I know, this is different than the urban landscapes on this site. It's a maquette of a statue in my studio, which led to painting the entire elephant in a large painting recently. To see how urban landscapes and the elephant tie together, watch for that painting on my web site (hyper link in right column).

Streetlight Nocturne (click here to bid)

O/b. 5x7".© 2006.
A night view of Penmar Park in Venice, Ca.

Bamboo, The Wall & The Door (click here to bid)

Bamboo, The Wall & The Door, originally uploaded by msokolis.

O/b. 5x7".
© 2006.

This is our backyard. I walk through this peaceful scene each time I get my mail. Giant bamboo shows up in larger paintings in my next exhibit.

Benjamin's Roof (click here to bid)

Benjamin's Roof, originally uploaded by msokolis.

O/b. 5x7".
© 2006.

Ever changing Venice sky over my neighbor's roof.

Pampas Grass (click here to bid)

Pampas Grass Scan copy, originally uploaded by msokolis.

O/b. 5x7".
© 2006.

These exotic looking plants grow well in Southern California. When certain afternoon sun lights them, they appear to glow. This is the first one I've painted. More will follow.

Maquettes

I will be posting a painting a day. These are small oil paintings on 1/8" masonite.
They are prepped the same way I prep my large canvas. They are fully archival.