"Classic Sierra Hwy View" ©

As you drive from Santa Clarita to Agua Dulce the road winds though this landscape.  The terrain is dry and roughed with a sprinkling of ranches, a famous cafe and a very nice French Restaurant, named Le Chene.  No matter the season, you can always find a beautiful painting location along the road.  

Oil on canvas, 24" X 36"

"A New Day" © #WhidbeyIsland #oilpainting #Wambsgans

This studio painting was created using the plein air painting as the reference.  This weekend Saga Gallery in Monrovia is opening an exhibit of the gallery artists work, plein air to studio paintings.  I will have 6 paintings in the show and look forward to seeing how everyone else approached the project.  The reception is this Saturday evening from 5pm - 7pm and all are welcome.  

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

"Ponds Edge" and "Taking A Break", #thelakehouse #Bear #animalpainting #laurawambsgans #pondpainting

11" X 14, oil on linen

Just for fun, I painted a bear for my upcoming show at The Lake House near Lake Arrowhead.  The bear will add a nice break to all the landscape paintings, as people view the show.  

16" X 20" oil on canvas

"Ponds Edge" will also be available and I hope it speaks to the mountain residents.  Here is the show information:

5th Annual Season of the First Friday at The Lake House (notice this month it's the Last Friday)

Friday August 29th 4pm - 7pm Wine, Hors d'oeuvres, Friendship & Fine Art!

Lisa Mozzini-McDill will also be exhibiting lots of beautiful paintings.  The artwork will stay at the gallery for a month, so if you can't make the reception but happen to climb the hill stop in and see our paintings.  The Lake House is full of fine things from furniture to specialty jams, there is something for everyone to enjoy inside their doors.  

The Lake House

29866 Hook Creek Rd.

Cedar Glen

(909) 337-7676

www.LakeHouseCollection.com

"Dry Creek" #Placeritacanyon #Quigleyopenspaces #Santaclaritalandscape

I am all packed for the workshop trip tomorrow morning, so this evening I painted this little sketch as a possible demo painting that I can paint Saturday morning on a larger canvas.  The scene has several elements that I can discuss to help the students see issues that might crop up in their work.  Next stop, Lake Arrowhead, California.  

Oil on canvas, 9" X 12"

Matt Smith advice.....

This week I had the opportunity to study with Matt Smith, a painter that I have admired for many years.  A long time ago I was told by a top painter that it's a good idea to study with another artist once a year to kick up your artistic game.  Matt has been on my wish list ever since I saw his original work in Scottsdale at Trailside Galleries.  One of the many gems that Matt told the group was to spend a month painting in the field, 6" X 8" panels.  I photographed the little painting with the easel so you can see how tiny the panel is, yet the scene is huge.  Here are the main nuggets that Matt passed along:

• Use the best equipment and materials you can
• Always work large to small shapes, dark to light and thin paint to thick paint
• If there is a warm light source, the shadows will be cool
• Earth colors are only used as modifiers
• Save the painting of the sky for the end, otherwise it may be too rich/dark
• Value does all the work and color gets all the credit
• Rules can be broken / laws cannot
• Balance the painting front to back, not just left to right
• Always, always establish your horizon line, even if does not show in the painting
• Study the masters / look at and learn from great art
• It's easier to rich a gray color then gray a rich color

Here is a list of the artists that we showed take a look at on Google images he mentioned:

                                                              Frederick H. Waugh

Michael Karas

James Reynolds

Odgen Pleissner

Alan Bean

Frank Tenney Johnson

Remington

Sir Alfred Munnings

Carl Rungis

Stanislaw Zoladz

Eugene Bracht

Scott Burdick

William Herbert Dunton Frederick H. Waugh

Michael Karas

James Reynolds

 

"Lake Los Carneros Park Trail" ©

This little painting is in the same area as the last one, near Santa Barbara in the small town of Gaviota.  The lake is just to the left, surrounded by paths meandering around the lake and across the golden fields.   The houses that boarder the park are invisible once you start walking and it feels as though you are in the middle of no where, all alone with just bird songs breaking the silence.

Oil on canvas, 14" X 18"

"Cliff Hanger" ©

Rounding the bend of the trail, high above Elsmere Canyon this lone tree lives clinging to the rocks.  It has such great character and seems to defy nature, buffering wild winds and tough weather conditions.  I had to paint it.  

Oil on canvas,  24" X 30"

"Corriganville Park, Winter" © Simi Valley, CA

Every month George Malone, fellow member of the California Art Club arranges a paint out for one and all.  Today when the sprinkles puddled up on my panel I packed up my gear and figured I had enough work on the panel to stop on this one.  Corriganville Park was a gem that George had found for us.  The area reminded me a bit of Vasquez Rocks with the addition of trees, paths and elevated spots.  Even with the flat light of an incoming storm the park had views to paint in every direction.  

Oil on panel, 12" X 12"

This is the best plein air location organizer and all around nice guy, George Malone, painting under sprinkling skies.

"Morning Fog" © San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival

During the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival I left my hosts home at dawn every morning so I could set up my easel for the early morning light.  I was driving out a ranch road in Arroyo Grande and saw the fog just lifting allowing the sunlight to backlight the distant trees.  All the color in the fog was too much to pass up.  The original painting has subtle hues of violet, viridian and ochre in the fog.

Oil on Linen Panel, 9" X 12"

This is how the little "Morning Fog" painting looked after I framed it for exhibition in the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.  

"Placerita Trail Head" ©

We had some clouds this evening, which is very rare.  Usually, if there are clouds or a summer thunder head by sunset they are blown out to nothing.  This spot is the back trail head to the Placerita Nature Center, down the road from my house.  I bought a new EasyL easel from Artwork Essentials and wanted to give it a whirl.  If you are an artist looking for a super plein air easel that won't set you back a set of tires, I would highly recommend an EasyL.  I have been using one for many years and the support that Peggy gives is above and beyond what any company should do.  Once I broke a piece and called her from Laguna Beach where I was painting and she delivered a replacement part the next morning personally.  What more can I say, other then these little lightweight easels make painting plein air a breeze.  It's hard enough to paint a painting in the great outdoors, without having to struggle with your equipment.  So having an easel you don't have to wrestle with is worth it's weight in gold.  

Oil on Linen panel,  9" X 12" 

"Heritage Valley Farmland" ©

Next month I will deliver 40 paintings for a solo show at the Segil Gallery in Monrovia. This place looks like a studio / gallery / framing store, anything but a home where people actually live. I didn't realize until a couple stopped by to pick up a painting today and I saw all of it with their eyes. What can I do? So, I am back at the easel, painting "Heritage Valley Farmland".

Oil on Canvas, 14" X 18"

"Aspen Road" ©

Aspen lined dirt roads meander up and down the Teton Valley in Idaho. It would be interesting to see the valley in December with snow on the ground. If you would like to see good paintings of the Teton Valley in the winter, check out Bart Walkers work at www.bartwalker.com/.

Oil on Canvas, 6" X 8"

"Alpine Summer" ©

This painting is about 75% done, but I was feeling neglectful about not blogging, so I am posting the process. The location is a mystery to me, the image was a gift from another artist. Actually she gave me 1,000's of landscape slides, a treasure chest of beautiful locations around the world.

Once the painting sets up a bit, I'll paint the detail. At the same time I will look at the tree tops to make sure they have some interest and add some rocks in the grass to balance the rocks right to left and lead the viewer a bit.

Working large (for me) my first goal was to get paint all over the canvas, to see how the patterns and values would work out. I have the mountain and sky pretty well figured out at this point.

After the line drawing I painted a local color wash

over the whole painting, very loosely. This is the really fun part, big brushes and great music playing.

Here is a little close up of the clouds, that you really can't see in the big photo. After I took this I did soften all the edges and did a little blending with my fingers. Just don't tell anyone, I don't want any lectures on safety.

This is the initial line drawing, in cadmium red light. It's a pretty rough road map for the painting but it allows easy movement of elements.

Oil on Canvas, 24" X 36"

"One Lane Home" ©

Painting along side this one lane dirt road, some folks drove slowly past giving us the one finger raised off the steering wheel greeting with a nod of their heads and some drove past at 50 miles an hour leaving us in a huge dust cloud.

Oil on panel, 12" X 12"

"Eaton Canyon" ©

Late in the day, Eaton Canyon is still hot in the shadows, small critters skitter around and the hawks make their last passes. It's a peaceful time to wander the canyon, saying goodbye to the day.

Oil on Canvas, 11" X 14"

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"Creek Demo" Valencia Fine Art Festival

Last weekend at Valencia Fine Art Festival the organizers encouraged artists to demonstrate their media for the public. While visiting with folks I painted a small version of "Heritage Valley Creek" as a demo. It was a perfect weekend of showing, visiting with artists, good weather and best of all, great company.

Oil on Linen, 8" X 10"

"Whitney Canyon Trail" ©

This scene in Whitney Canyon, is just before you come to the water falls. One of the newer protected spaces of the Santa Clarita Valley it's a great place to hike. I photographed this painting while painting a few times so you can see the progress.

At this stage the entire canvas has paint on it. As I paint each element I will adjust the value and color, to support the idea of the piece and be assured of variety.

Large masses of color notes begin to create a road map of how the painting will proceed.

Beginning to find the composition, I roughly marked the canvas as to where the big elements would be placed.

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

"Canyon Creek" ©

It's no wonder Sedona is known as home to stunning red rocks. Late in the day the stone reflects the sun and radiates the heat collected as the sun passed over head.

Oil on panel, 9" X 12"

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"Winter Day" ©

First day back at the easel in three, the longest I have gone without painting since I can remember. I shot a couple of images of the progress, to show my thought process. Any thoughts or critique welcome (yeah you Bart).

Oil on canvas, 12" X 12"

"Golden Reflections" ©

After the storm today all of the golden leaves will be blown onto the lake, bare trunks and branches will wait for spring.

Oil on linen panel, 9" x 12"