"Dry Creek" © #placeritacanyon #landscapepainting #wambsgans

Placerita Creek had a dribble of water for about 10 minutes with the brief rains that fell.  California needs more rain, yet with this bit the trees are greening up and the hills are emerald.  I am happy to report my right hand is working well enough after surgery to paint outside again. Standing at the easel in the wilderness without any sounds but nature is pure joy.  

Oil on Canvas, 16" X 20"

"Sycamore" © #landscapeoilpainting #trees #laurawambsgans

Sycamore trees always seem to have a unique and interesting branch structure.  You can get to know one and no matter how long in between visits, you will know your old friend the minute it comes into view.  It may have lost a limb, yet like a friend that is aging you don't really notice, it's the same tree.  I painted this one, simply because I wanted to explore those branches once again.  

Oil on Canvas.  24X20 

"Gate Guardian" ©

For this little painting I zoomed in on this palm tree to really play up how the beard and fronds shifted color in the sunlight.  Hard to believe but this particular palm tree stands right at the back entrance gate to the Phoenix Zoo.   

Oil, 10" X 8"

"Coastal Cypress" ©

The Museum of Ventura County is planning their 3rd bi-annual "Art Alfresco" fundraising event on Saturday August 17th.  I was invited to exhibit my artwork for sale, so all of the construction work on the home front will have to wait a bit, while I paint new work for the show.  Looking at my collection of available paintings I decided a few more coastal/water scenes would compliment the group for the event.  

Oil on linen,  16" X 20"

"Honey Trail" ©

Just around the bend are piles of white bee boxes, filled with busy bees.  Santa Clarita, my town, has just opened this area as a new open space for everyone to hike.  I have been painting here for years, under the radar so to speak.  Fortunately no one has ever shooed me out, unlike the Newhall Land and Farm property on the 126.  Oh, yes, caught by helicopter painting on the side of the road with Lorelle Miller.  The guy wouldn't even let us finish our paintings.

Oil on Canvas,  18" X 14"

"Lazy River" ©

Last minute I jumped into this painting hoping to get it done by midnight to enter in the CAC Waterscapes exhibit.  Once a painting buddy, Rod Edwards, told me that "green" paintings were the hardest of all.  The difficulty was pulling off the different values and temperatures with only the greens. Years later, Scott Christensen explained to me that you can't have a green tree without "reds" within the greens.  Boy, did he nail that one.  So to begin this piece I started out with a Rembrandt Transparent Red Oxide wash, leaving bits here and there within the distant trees.  It's a great tool to give the viewer the illusion that they are seeing into the forest and provided that "red" bounce for the greens.  

Oil on Canvas,  16" X 20"

"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"

"Bits of Gold", © McBean Bridge, Santa Clarita, CA

In between the rain, the clouds broke enough to paint the riverbed.  The storm has been so gentle that the last of the leaves are still dangling, leaving bits of gold in the riverbed.

Oil on panel, 6" X 8"

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"Colors of Sedona" © Sedona, AZ

Taking a quick break from cooking for tomorrow I painted this little sketch, to practice the beautiful colors that cover the land before the sun sets on Sedona.  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  

Oil on panel,   8" X 10"

"Zion, Morning" © Zion National Park, Utah

After 6 years of blogging I have finally reached my goal of 1,000 paintings on this blog.  In this posting I am showing the process working from the small original to a larger studio painting.  Leave it to the family to spot an area that needs addressing.  My daughter suggested that I change the width of the river  as it recedes from the viewer and I agree with her.  Fortunately working in oil I have the luxury of making changes as long as needed to create a decent painting.  So I'll keep after this one.

This is the very beginning of the painting process.  On the left you can see the little study that has all the information for a larger painting.  Sometimes the larger paintings never measure up to the little guys but I am going to give it a go here. 

At this point I have paint all over the canvas and each shape is addressed in large flat color.  

Slowly I am fine tuning each area, checking values , color and design.  If the painting is lacking in any of those areas I have the option of pushing or pulling until the piece works thanks to working in oil paint. 

"Zion, Morning", 20" X 24"  Oil on Canvas  

"Back Road" ©

This scene is the back road to Walker Ranch in Newhall. Just around the corner are several white Bee boxes and it's a good idea to skirt the mass of humming Bees and paint a few yards away.

Oil on Canvas, 11" X 14"

"Through the Trees" ©

Near Big Sur, California this little trail meanders though the trees and down the hill.

Oil on Canvas, 16" X 20"

"Sun Dusted Creek" ©

"Sun Dusted Creek", is another example of using a smaller painting to create a larger studio painting. The little one is 14" X 18", the larger canvas is 24" X 36". Not exactly the same proportions but close enough.

Just starting out on the painting I scrubbed in a warm yellow wash over the entire canvas, lifting off the area that would become the sky with a bit of Gamsol on a white sheet. The white sheet is a tip, in that it doesn't leave any lint on your canvas. You can see my small painting that I am using for the inspiration to the left of the easel.

Mid-way into the painting. I am finding the areas of light and shadow. Painting color on every section of the canvas.

At this point the piece is well on it's way to completion. I'll find little touches and brushwork to add over the next several days. It is difficult to see all the areas that need attention without a break away from the piece. Tomorrow morning I'll walk up the my easel and see all sorts of details that need work wondering why I couldn't see them. Happens every time!

Oil on Canvas, 24" X 36"

"Rolling In" © studio

"Rolling In" on the easel, shows a good example of taking a small oil "sketch" and creating a large painting from the idea captured in the sketch.

Oil on Canvas, 30" X 40"

My small painting is on the little easel to the right of the larger canvas. I knew I wanted the same proportions for the canvas but didn't have a fresh canvas on hand in that size, so I pulled an old canvas with an idea for a commission (long since finished and delivered) turned the painting upside down to lessen the confusion of waves vs. ducks and starting laying out the seascape.

At this stage the ducks are completely covered and I have laid in the general shapes and color patches, here and there. This is the fun part for me, feeling my way around the painting, making decisions and adjustments.

Here is a close up of the palette. I know it looks like a mess and I am constantly scraping down the glass starting over with a big clean space. The palette is custom. Sounds fancy but in honesty a quick inexpensive solution to needing more palette space. My husband cut a piece of wood and I had the fellow at Newhall Glass Co. cut a piece of glass to fit. I painted the back of glass gray and with not too much trouble I had a terrific palette. I have to give a little shout out for the Gamblin Radiants on the lower right side. Love them!

Oil on Canvas, 30" X 40"

"Santa Clara Riverbed" ©

I painted this scene on a 5" X 7" panel a while ago, and I finally had the time today to paint the same scene in the studio on a larger canvas. The sky is a bit strange, with the remnants of smoke from one of our more devastating fires. Originally it was a tough decision, whether or not to artistically document the smokey evening sky.

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

"Kitty" ©

"Kitty" was a member of a family that is dearly missed, as she has passed away. The family asked that I paint her from a few photos that they had taken. Having had many animals that my family has loved dearly I imagined the life that Kitty lead while painting her portrait.

Oil on canvas, 14" X 11"

"Deep in the Arroyo" ©

In Pasadena there is a natural arroyo and stream that runs year round. Even though you're in the city, once deep down in the arroyo it feels as though you have been transported to a distant wilderness. Horse and hiking trails lace their way between the trees, small animals slip into the brush as you pass and all the while you can hear the distant call of birds.

Oil on Canvas, 30" X 20"

"Wild Rocks" ©

When your hiking around Vasquez Rocks the rock structures are totally wild. The landscape looks like another world. This little painting captures the warm December sunlight at the end of the day.

Oil on Panel, 12" X 9"

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"Cooking" ©

When you walk into Gales Restaurant in Pasadena the delicious smell of warm bread and garlic start the dining adventure. There is a show coming up with the theme of daily life in Pasadena. I have painted this interior of a local kitchen over the last few days as one of my possible entries. I'll have to come up with a better title, so if you have a suggestion, let me know!

Oil on Canvas, 16" X 20"

"Simone" ©

Simone is one of the lovely large white cows that I met in France last year. She was mildly interested in me the day I painted her in a small sketch as one of her "sisters" attempted to snatch my backpack. I quickly dropped my brush and rushed over to save my gear from the dear girl.

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 16"

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