Thomas Van Stein

12x18  oil/canvas  2014
Price available upon request

12x12  oil/board 2014
Price available upon request

16x20  oil/canvas 2014
Price Available upon Request

I was hoping for another foggy night, however the fog merely hung around off shore and never came inland.  Thus this painting shows more city scape and Crescent Moon, than I'd anticipated.

30x40 oil/canvas

Painting available for sale through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara California. (805)637-8632

One of the largest plein air nocturnes I've ever done on location. Painted in Port Hueneme California of the power plant, on a cold winter night.

40x70  oil/canvas
Contact James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara

Richard Henry Dana wrote of his seafaring exploits in his classic novel, "Two Years Before the Mast: The tall ship he was on, the"Pilgram", came into Port not too long ago. I grabbed my gear and headed out into the darkness before dawn, and painted  this scene from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara.

Please see my "Thoughts and Ideas"  blog which show's the painting in progress.

22" x 44"  oil/canvas  2012

Painting is availble for purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, (805)637-8632 

Another Night above the fray. The sounds of the seedy echoed up the canyons of buildings surrounding the Skidrow district. Painted from on top of the Santa Fe Building in Los Angeles on 6th and Main

9x14oil/board

Painting Available for sale.  If interested please contact James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California 

  (805)6378632

I had a year to create a body of work for my first solo museum exhibition at the Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard. One of my journeys took me to the City of Vernon, California. where, with my artist friend Ray Sutton, I found this view looking under the Lincoln street bridge. My easel and I were about as close to the tracks as one could be without getting hit by a passing train.

Painting Status: Available for Purchase. Contact: James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara California. (805)637-8632

30x30 oil/canvas

The Metrolink Train comes to rest at night near Victoria Street and the 101 Freeway in Ventura. When I came upon this scene I saw the two lights on in the cab of the engine, making them look like demon eyes. Remembering back to the old Batman TV show and the tilting of the camera to add dynamics to the composition, I did this to my painting to add that dynamic. During the painting some man came up on me from behind and started yelling at me saying I was trespassing (I was in a parking lot) with no fence, or barrier. It was 11:30 pm. Rather than argue with the man, I calmly gathered my easel and painting gear. I lifted it up and moved it from the edge of the parking lot, on to the dirt, nearer the tracks, (a distance of about six feet).

This painting was included in my Master's Thesis Exhibition. at Cal State Univ., Northridge

22x28 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632

I painted this on location at the Filmore and Western Railroad Museum in Filmore, California. It was painted toward my Master's Thesis, however it was juryed out by my committee advisor, Bruce Everett. It didn't make the Thesis Exhibition as it was critiqued as being, "Too Sellable".

22x28 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632

This was one of two large paintings I did in 2005 for my first solo museum exhibition at the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard. I painted it on location in a large field in Port Hueneme. Knowing the reputation of the nearby city of Oxnard, was like the city Cuidad Juarez, It was the only time I've set up on location, armed. Fortunately, because it was a Sunday night, there were very fiew people on the steets.

The steam from the recycling plant is seen billowing up in the sky, obscuring the moon.

30x60oil/canvas

Painting Available for PurchaseJames Main Fine Art and Antiques, Santa Barbara California

Pasadena, the city of my birth, as a few wonderful moody and darker locations still left for artists to lurk about and imagine. I painted this toward my solo Museum exhibition at the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard. I visited the sight not too long ago, and found there is now a fence blocking this view, and a Commuter Rail Line running across the road.

22x30 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632

This painting made it into my Master's Exhibition at C.S.U.N. This Pumping Unit, aka; Beam Walker, or Grass Hopper. was not working when I painted this painting. In fact it was stuck in this position, making it easier for me to capture it. I was painting with my friend and student at the time, Donn Longstreet. We finished painting around 9:30pm, and left the location (Near Sea Cliff) where we could see something on fire, up the coast, in Santa Barbara. It turns out that Stearns Wharf was in Flames. Donn, a fireman, had to immediately go to work and fight the fire. I, went home to bed.

16x24 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632

This was one of the largest plein air nocturnes I've ever painted on location. Painted down on Hill street in Ventura near the Train Bridge that crosses the 101 Freeway. I was amazed by the bizarrness of the neighborhood; the comings and goings of people in transit, like homeless, hookers, gang bangers, and tourists. 

The painting took eight hours on location (Four Hours x two different sittings) Artist Paul Cumes, joined me on one of these sittings. On the last painting secession a train slowly passed by. As Paul and I stood on the opposite side of the tracks, the train picked up speed. Helpless, I stood there and watched as the draft blew painting, easel, and palette over. Fortunately no holes were punctured in the canvas, however, it did break my glass palette. Lesson learned: never abandon the easel.

33x70 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632

Up in Goleta California,  the"End of the Line" exists for the commuter train run by Amtrak.  When it passes the depot it moves on to the siding throughtwo spraying units, before it comes to rest for the night. I spent around three hours painting the surrounding area and then waited for the train to come into the station, to capture it, and the affect of light on this silvery beast.

This painting was featured on the banner which hung outside on the pillars, announcing my solo museum exhibition at the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard, California

30x24 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632

Another trip down to the darker side of L.A., I set up under the bridge carrying the Amtrak train overhead. A homless encampment near by. One can see a switch house, and the L.A. skyline in the distance. I was intrigued by the design of the pillars and beam in front of me. It resembled the symbols of Pi, or even a shinto, or Tori Gate. All ideas of reference to add depth to the work.

Painting exhibited at the Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard California, in my first Solo Museum Exhibition

26x36 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632

This victorian era house flanks the area I call the Twilight Zone, on Hill street in Ventura. It remembered the painting done by Edward Hopper. I set up in the field across the railroad tracks to do the painting. During the painting, the owner of the house came outside and sat on the porch. Someone upstaires peeked out the window, then flashed their red lazer pointer on me, making me want to hit the deck. After recovering from the thought of being shot, I gave a hollar, and he put it away. I still decided to document the experience by adding that dash of red.

Painting exhibited at my Carniegie Art Museum Show.

25x30 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632

My Surreal Bounce colleague, author Robert Eringer, wrote a book about his ancestry in a book, "A Tale of Two Genocides". I was so moved by the story that I created this painting from imagination. It is darker, moodier, in content, but I wanted to depict this atrocious site in that ominious light. The moon is a constant. It has circled the Earth for milliniums. But it is neutral. We as a species just haven't gotten it right...yet!

10x20 oil/canvas

Painting Status: Available for Purchase through James Main Fine Art, Santa Barbara, California. (805)637-8632