"Golden Poplar Trees" ©

 Usually I would paint and post the plein air piece first but in this case the studio piece was painted and posted first (see the previous post).  I went back to Pine Mountain Club on Saturday to actually paint the Poplar Trees from life.  The golden leaves rained down with each gust of wind, people passed by with their dogs curious about the 5 ladies painting and we, the painters (Marian Fortunati, Sharon Weaver, Diane Nelson Gold and Nancy Angelini Crawford) were in heaven.  

12" X 12", oil on linen

"Autumn Poplar Trees" ©

Earlier this week I had a few days to explore Pine Mountain Club near Frazier Park, California.  The Cottonwood and Poplar trees are just ablaze with golden light, contrasted against the deep blue distant mountain ridge the word "glory" came to mind.  

Oil on canvas, 14" X 18"

Last weekend while I was exhibiting and selling paintings at the Craftsman Expo in Pasadena, my painting "Canyon Trail" won Best of Show at the Santa Clarita Artists Association, 2013 Art Classic XXIV.  Here are the judges comments:

*​​​​​​The Best of Show was awarded to the one painting that simply took our breaths away. It is a stunning landscape that excelled in all criteria. The color was impeccable, beautifully muted tones with lots of atmospheric perspective that led us round every bend, over the hills to the mountains beyond. The brush work was evident and it energized the painting. It felt as if the artist loved his/her subject and it showed.*
​ *Landscape breathes of the local back country's light, shapes and textures. There was a slight haze in the air as the light rose or sank in that canyon. Composition, foreground, mid-ground and background, shapes, colors, tones, textures all blended into one true experience of the power of nature. Not a Wagnerian nature of huge mountains and fluffy white clouds but the nature we visit to renew our spirits and come back from with our perceptions elevated.

"Eaton Canyon Evening" ©

This weekend I will be exhibiting 22 paintings at the 22nd Annual Craftsman Exposition at the Pasadena Convention Center.  The Craftsman weekend includes tours of local Craftsman homes, lectures on antiques and art collecting, besides the Expo full of venders of all things Craftsman.  If you want to learn more about the weekend please visit the Pasadena Heritage website.  

Oil on Canvas,  16" X 20"

"China Cove" study

China Cove in the Point Lobos State Reserve is a tough spot to paint.  It's hard to find a place along the trail that won't interfere with hikers and at the same time offers a good view of the cove.  The trail sweeps around the cove and out onto the land mass so you are looking back at where I am standing for this painting.  The pristine water and pure white sandy beach, untouched by humans lets you dream of what this hidden cove would have been like to discover 100 years ago.   This painting is the "first draft" of an idea.  Lately there has been a lot of discussion online of the value of plein air paintings versus studio work.  Every artist works differently but I need a balance of both painting outside, observing nature first hand and studio work.  Without the direct study paintings I think my studio pieces would suffer.  

Oil on canvas, 12" X 16"

"High Desert Highlights" ©

The rabbit bush is blooming!  This is one of those paintings that I spent hours moving bushes around.  Now seeing the image on the computer I am questioning the bunch on the right.  Generally it's frowned upon to have a grouping that is set apart without connecting shapes and this is a good example of why you would want to keep to the rule.  Having an element floating like an island just "feels" wrong.  Tomorrow morning I will solve the problem by adding some more rabbit brush on the right.  

oil on canvas, 16" X 20"

"Eucalyptus in Cambria" and don't do what I did....

Oil on Canvas, 16" X 20"

After painting oceans for a week it was a pleasure to paint dance in the eucalyptus trees of Cambria California.  Now for the bad news and a lesson to pass on.  I painted a nice little study of a wave with the master Ruo Li.  He had requested a long canvas which I didn't have so making "do" I took some linen and taped it to a panel with black tape.  So far so good.  Then at the end of the day I slide the wet painting into my new Raymar wet panel carrier facing the back because I had a bunch of other panels flopping in the front sections.  For those who are unaware of Raymar's wet panel carriers, they are light weight and have inserts down the sides to accommodate different panel sizes.  

Upon arriving home I slide the painting out of the carrier, only to find the corrugated walls of the carrier left nice straight lines across the painting.  It was my fault completely, since my taping job wasn't tight enough to keep the linen tight to the panel.  Even so, I was very disappointed.

Here is the painting on my studio easel with it's lines.  I took a soft brush and tried to obliterate the lines.  Later on I may try to save the piece.

Here is the panel carrier.  Again it wasn't the fault of the carrier, I have them in all sizes and have used them for years without a problem.