“Every painting I start I hope is going to be the best painting I’ve ever done. That doesn’t necessarily come true, but it can, so I keep going.”

Spoken by some artists, these words might scan as overconfident, even boastful. Coming from Dennis Doheny, though, they sound like a simple statement of possibility, offered up in a playful spirit of optimism and a willingness to stretch as an artist, even after 40 years in the business.

Doheny’s artistic outlook and philosophy are as sunny as the warm California landscapes he’s best known for painting. He wakes up in the morning excited about painting; he ends each day thinking about what he will paint tomorrow. When asked about the best and worst aspects of being an artist, all he can invent for the “worst” column is this: “I think about nothing else! I’m always thinking about art. I’m constantly thinking about what paintings I’m working on, or what I’m doing next, or what I should’ve done on my last painting.”

Dennis Doheny

Gentle Seas
Oil
36″ x 36″
“The coast of Big Sur can have an infinite variety of moods. Some days the sea can be loud and intimidating, as huge swells roll over this area. Other days are calm and inviting.”

Dennis Doheny

Still Dawn
Oil
20″ x 24″
“This is a painting of the The Andree Clark Bird Refuge in Santa Barbara. Early one morning I was on my way to the harbor and passed this spot at just the right moment.”