Painting & Laundry

Today I worked a bit on 2 paintings I started en plein air a few months ago. I couldn't finish them then because I was with my old dog and he was extremely restless that day. I hope to finish them this week.

Art for Life

"Laguna Colors" (9 in. x 12 in. oil) has been donated to the Art for Life auction. This auction raises money to fight AIDS, and is being held this year on September 19th at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Last time I donated a piece it sold; hope it will this year as well! This piece was painted in Sebastopol at the Laguna of Santa Rosa.

Oysters & Painting

My friend and fellow painter Kathleen DePuydt and I went out to Bodega Bay to enjoy two of our favorite activities not long ago: painting & eating oysters. I tried out my new cigar box painting setup. It worked out great...and the cigar boxes only cost $2 apiece!

"Freestone Beauty"

Went out plein air painting awhile ago to the coast with friends. The beach got too windy, so we packed up and headed inland. Wound up in Freestone where the sunlight was shining brightly on the barn across from the Wildflower Bakery. This image over-saturates the colors in the painting, but you get the idea. The painting sold yesterday! 

Showing at Lifvendahl Gallery!

I am very excited to be showing my paintings at Lifvendahl Gallery next month (opening reception is Friday, May 2nd, as part of Guerneville's 1st Friday Art Walk). All the paintings I will hang there have never been shown before. This painting is of a view from Duncan's Landing.

Spring Morning in Armstrong Woods

I love this spot in Armstrong Woods Park. It is breathtaking. I went there to paint one morning over my spring break. It is one of the most challenging vistas I try to capture because there must be 95 different shades of green. I think I will keep trying to paint it for the rest of my life....

Dry Creek Barn

This was painted over my Spring Break. It's a barn in Dry Creek. The colors in the spring are truly amazing!

River Aflame

This was painted in the fall. I sat on the beach in Monte Rio. Painting has made me appreciate the colors of all the seasons more fully, as I pay attention more.

Ready to show at Studio Blomster

These are two of the paintings that will hang in my first solo show at Studio Blomster, in Guerneville, on August 2nd. I am excited about this opportunity!

Painting at Flowers Winery

My friend Dar works at Flowers Winery in Cazadero. Yesterday, I joined her for lunch (unbelievably delicious wild Alaskan salmon grilled on a cedar plank) and after lunch I painted. The landscape everywhere you look around this winery is breathtaking! While I painted, I got to watch a big hare hopping along through the vines.

Two views of the Russian River

Lately, I've been going down to the river to make quick studies. I like this practice as it helps me to avoid overworking the paintings. The first photo shows a study done on the riverbank close to my house. The second photo shows a study I did on Johnson's beach, looking west. The pillars are the first part of the summer dam to go in. 

Back to Armstrong Woods

Yesterday morning, I went back to Armstrong Woods Park because it had been so beautiful the day before. I painted from the location you see pictured for about two and a half hours. I really like it when a painting is successful, but yesterday I kept thinking, "I get to spend the morning in this landscape; who cares how the painting turns out?" Still working on the painting; will post a picture when it's done.

"River Nest"

This tiny cottage is in the tiny town of Rio Nido, which means "river nest" in Spanish. I've been planning to paint it for awhile, but wasn't sure at what hour the light would be best. Yesterday, had only about an hour to paint, so I decided to go check it out. Got there around 12:40pm and began the painting in the light you see above. I was so happy for the patterns of the shadows. Tried to quickly get down the light and shadows as it was changing rapidly. An hour later, the house was in total shade. I needed to see the lighting more, so went back today at around 11:30 and painted for about another hour. Not sure why my photo is so fuzzy; couldn't seem to get a good one today. I will probably work some more on the foliage, but the house is done, I think.

Pepperwood Preserve

This is a new version of a study I first painted two and half years ago when I took a plein air painting class at Pepperwood Preserve. It was a very hot summer day, and I was drawn to paint the curved pathway that led away from where all of us students had set up to paint.

"Morning Light"

This is a closer photo of the first painting I did with my new pochade box, which I wrote about in an earlier post. I am pleased with the sense of light in the scene. This was painted in the morning along the Sonoma coast, looking inward. When I paint en plein air, I always try to get the shadows down first, and after that to get the lightest areas painted in. Then I build the rest of the painting around those parts. I love the red-orange, rusted roof on this old barn.

Painted en plein air at Pepperwood Preserve

This was painted on a very hot morning at Pepperwood Preserve. We were all set up to paint across from some dramatic mountains, but I kept looking over my shoulder to where the path veered off to the left. Finally, I turned my easel to face the path and painted it instead of the mountains.