Rachel's back

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel

Jennifer

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel

Belly Dancer

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel

Model with pillows

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel
from a recent life painting session -- about 2 1/2 hours of work.

Arroyo stream

Kevin Turcotte
6 x 8 inches
oil on linen mounted on panel
I did this one last weekend in the 102 degree heat. About half way through I noticed the little camp stool I was sitting on started listing to the rear, then it broke and deposited me on the ground.  I finished the painting on my knees, but not before  accidentally knocking my roll of paper towels into the water where they sucked up half the creek, rendering them useless.  Remember, painting outdoors is fun...

Noir cover

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel
This setup looked like the cover to an old noir paperback novel -- it just needs screaming yellow type above the image.

Gouache landscape study

Kevin Turcotte
5 x 7 inches
gouache on illustration board
Mike Hernandez gave a little gouache class on campus last week and we painted as the sun dropped rapidly in the evening sky. By the time I was done with this one the light had changed completely. Still, it was lots of fun and inspiring as well.

Experimental Drawing

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
pastel, watercolor on colored paper
One of the best things about working at an animation studio is the variety of art classes offered. This was from a recent class emphasizing freedom of expression over accurate depiction. Quick and direct -- and fun.

Rabbit

Kevin Turcotte
5 x 6 1/2 inches
watercolor on cold press paper
A really quick sketch -- trying to keep it wet and flowing.

Canoe Rack

Kevin Turcotte
9 x 12 inches
oil on linen mounted on panel

Keith

Kevin Turcotte
8 x 10 inches
oil on canvas
From a recent life painting session.

White plane

Kevin Turcotte
8 x 10 inches
oil on linen mounted on panel
Another of the paintings in the current group show at the Easton Gallery in Santa Barbara. Painted from a visit to the Santa Paula Airport.

Amy

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel

In the surf

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel
This is one of the new paintings included in the upcoming group show at the Easton Gallery in Santa Barbara.

Carpinteria lagoon

Kevin Turcotte
20 x 20 inches
oil on canvas
One of the paintings in an upcoming group show at the Easton Gallery in Santa Barbara -- starting July 27.

Orange tree on hill

Kevin Turcotte
6 x 8 inches
oil on panel

Turkeys

Kevin Turcotte
5 x 5 inches
watercolor on hot press paper

Red plane

Kevin Turcotte
8 x 10 inches
oil on linen mounted on panel
From a trip to the Santa Paula airport on one of their open house days.

Stacy on red

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel

Sara sitting

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on canvas panel

South of Jasper

Kevin Turcotte
6 x 8 inches
oil on panel

Observatory

Kevin Turcotte
16 x 20 inches
oil on canvas panel
In honor of the solar eclipse that just occurred over Los Angeles. Not much to see, just a little dimmer than usual.

Vasquez acrylic

Kevin Turcotte

10 x 12 inches

acrylic on illustration board

Acrylics can be tricky when painting outdoors, especially in the desert as they dry almost as fast as you can put brush to panel.

Amy

Kevin Turcotte
12 x 16 inches
oil on panel
Great pose from a recent session.

Victorian

Kevin Turcotte
6 x 8 inches
oil on panel
From awhile ago. I came across this painting recently and it brought back a lot of memories -- of Saturdays in a workshop, of Clark, the model, who since passed away, and of the  constant struggle to simplify and make the cleanest artistic statement possible.

Dead Finch

Kevin Turcotte
6 x 8 inches
watercolor on hot press paper

Railroad culvert

Kevin Turcotte

9 x 5 3/4 inches

watercolor on cold press paper

a lunch time sketch from the nearby San Fernando Road rail line.

Red Kimono

Kevin Turcotte

9 1/2 x 13 inches

oil on panel

Foggy day at the beach

Kevin Turcotte

10.25 x 7 inches

watercolor on hot press paper

Sometimes a bad day for swimming is a good day for painting.

Riverside Bridge watercolor

Kevin Turcotte

6 1/2 x 9 inches

watercolor on cold press paper

From a lunchtime excursion a while ago.

watercolor figure

Kevin Turcotte

18 x 24 inches

watercolor on cold press paper

This is from our lunchtime watercolor class held at the studio -- too bad it ended this week. It was fun.

Gator studies

Kevin Turcotte

7 x 10 inches

watercolor on hot press paper

I found a cache of old watercolors -- this one from an alligator zoo in Florida. The nice thing about gators is they don't move very much -- until they want too. Then they're terrifyingly fast.

Red cloche hat

Kevin Turcotte

12 x 16 inches

oil on canvas panel

When Aycil arrived wearing the red hat I asked her to keep it on -- I think it really helps the painting.

Aja

Kevin Turcotte

12 x 16 inches

oil on canvas panel

Yes, Aja, like the Steely Dan song.

Piper Cub

Kevin Turcotte

8 x 10 inches

oil on linen mounted on panel

This is the six-year anniversary for Paintopolis -- 410 posts so far. The very first post was of an airplane from the Santa Paula airport and so is this one.

Lotusland

Kevin Turcotte

3 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches

watercolor in moleskine sketchbook

There's an estate in Santa Barbara called "Lotusland" that has all sorts of painting and art possibilities in it.

River sketch

Kevin Turcotte

8 x 10 inches

oil on panel

This is the Los Angeles river in all it's natural beauty. I painted it while standing in the river basin, on a slight rise of concrete. While I painted I noticed an old man walking up the shore of the river, reaching into the water and pitching things up onto the concrete bank. He seemed surprised to see me, but continued on. Walking, stooping to grab in the water, and throwing things onto the bank. Minutes after he passed I suddenly noticed water flowing under my feet -- under my paint box and under my tripod bag, all resting flat on the concrete. Somehow he had diverted the flow of the river, causing me to beat a hasty retreat. So if this has a less finished air than most of my work, it's thanks to an old guy trying to clean up the LA river.

Beach fires

Kevin Turcotte

9 x 12 inches

oil on canvas, mounted on panel

cow skull

Kevin Turcotte

6 x 8 inches

oil on panel

an older one -- from a trip to an old ranch in northern Los Angeles county.

Tiffany

Kevin Turcotte

16 x 20 inches

oil on canvas panel

First painting session of the year.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Kevin Turcotte

20 x 20 inches

oil on canvas

Santa Monica sketch

Kevin Turcotte

3.5 x 5 inches

sharpie marker on paper

Trying to keep it simple -- only two values and no preliminary drawing.