"Hansen Dam Fall Colors"

Hansen Dam recreational area is about 14 minutes from my front door and offers incredible views that seem like you are thousands of miles in the wilderness.  There are many waterfowl in the reeds and weeds along the banks, especially beautiful white Egrets that might really add a nice detail to this painting.  I can add them and welcome any feedback as to whether or not to include the fine feathered beauties.  A rain storm moved in today and may have wiped out a lot of the gold leaves but if not it is a glorious place to paint in between the holiday festivities.  

oil on canvas, 14" X 18"

"Evenings Splendor" ©

It's December, a time full of parties, shopping, cooking and a non-stop march to the 25th.  I have to admit painting on the fly with all the distractions is not a skill I am gifted with.  Three paintings all poorly executed lay taunting me, around my easel.  To quell any thoughts that I am not at the easel this month, today I took charge, blocked the Christmas carols and decorations out of my mind and brought this painting to an end.  The scene is the trail heading down from Elsmere Canyon to Whitney Canyon in the Santa Clarita Valley.  The evening light is truly lovely.

Oil on Canvas,  18" X 24"

"Nuestra Sra de Belén" 18th Century Sculpture at Mission Carmel

Today is the entry deadline for the California Art Clubs exhibit, "California's Heritage: The Mission Trail." I decided to enter at the last minute and painted this sculpture from a digital image I captured last May during the Carmel plein air event.  On a break from painting I slipped into the Carmel mission to explore what I had heard was one of the most beautiful of the 21 missions.  This sculpture display of the Virgin was the one thing above all on the property that I wanted to paint, so I photographed her and filed it away.   As a landscape painter it's hard to justify slipping into another subject area and yet the call for entries from CAC opened the door.

Oil on canvas, 20" X 16"