"Palms At Sunset" ©

Coming up with titles for paintings can be really tough, especially at the end of the day when your spent in every way. Today at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, Jean Stern gave a lecture on the history of the club. He mentioned that artist William Wendt used epic poetry and the Bible to inspire his titles. "Palms At Sunset" will have a better title, I'll just read with titles in mind.

Oil on panel, 5" X 7"

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"Spring Evening" ©

I waited to post this little sunset study until it was dry enough to lay on the scanning bed and be scanned. I am looking for a more accurate way of producing images, rather then the digital camera that depending on the light, time of day, if I am standing on one foot singing, whatever, they never look true to the original. Maybe this is better, the image on my computer screen shows the foreground and trees much darker then the painting and wipes out all of the work. Still searching.....

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Over Grown Trail" ©

You can still pick your way through the brush to the creek, watching out for snakes and holes. Not long ago this trail was used often by kids on quads, keeping the wild weeks from taking over. I was wandering about 6pm and found myself captivated by the color mix of lavenders and golds.

Oil on Linen, 14" X 18"

Study with J.

A dear friend and fellow artist was lamenting finding an artist to explore painting a sunset. I suggested she find a sunset painting that she admired and we would do a "paint along" using that image. Today we painted this piece together and I enjoyed taking the day off from serious work, learned a lot and feel the exercise was worth the time.

Oil on Canvas, 11" X 14"

"A Nice Place To Ride" ©

Saturday night I painted in the fastest quick draw ever. We all had a great time. The western music floated in the air as guests nibbled on food and sipped wine. The people watching were so kind, not wanting to bother the artists, knowing how precious our time was. At the end there was an auction and all of the art found new homes. As you can see I changed my painting a bit from the practice paintings. Once I arrived and got all set up, I just painted rather then trying to exactly replicate my practice paintings and it worked out fine. This little piece almost painted it self, I would have been happy to bring it back to the studio.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"A Place To Ride" ©

Tonight I am painting at an event called "Art At Hart", Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival in a quick draw. It is quick, 45 min. to paint a painting and 15 min. to frame and sign. Usually I paint from life or at least a study and digital images to support the view. Tonight I have to paint on the fly, so I took the big painting (which is coming along nicely) off the easel and painted this little painting as a possible idea for the evening. The idea I had in my head was paint a scene that would be a nice "Place To Ride".

Oil on Linen panel, 9" X 12"

"End Of The Day" ©

Saturday at the Earth Day celebration I had the chance to paint this little piece. Today and the next few, maybe several days I am painting a larger canvas of the blog "Cold Creek", from a few days ago. This canvas is 40" X 30", so I have the opportunity to add more rocks and details that I left out of the small study. It's all laid out as a value study and ready for paint in the morning. I spent a lot of guilt free time on the composition since it's so large. It's exciting and I can't wait to wake up tomorrow.

Oil on canvas, 6" X 8"

"Descanso Gardens Sycamore" ©

Today artists gathered in the Rose Garden of Descanso Gardens to celebrate the blooms. We exhibited painting of roses and painted, while visitors watched. It's always fun to field questions, especially from kids. I painted this little piece from under a willow tree.

Oil on Linen Panel, 8" X 10"

"Sundown" ©

This little painting is a myriad of ideas, a gallery wants a few small sunsets, an artist buddy and I have been looking a sunset paintings for a paint along and I need an idea for a quick draw in a week. So after a day of hauling gear and paintings for a show tomorrow, I just sat down at the easel and played. A nice way to end the day.

Oil on canvas, 6" X 8"

"Old Road" ©

Today I was running around, delivering paintings and frames. Then this evening I am painting with a group, so this afternoon I painted a small study to figure out a color problem on a larger canvas of the same view. It's interesting how much information the small paintings provide. Usually I paint small as a study for a larger painting, figuring out all of the issues before tackling a larger canvas but in this case I worked backwards. I have painted the larger canvas and it has a problem in the transition of light in the trees. Now, I can see where the larger canvas needs work and know exactly what needs to be painted. Never ending learning.....

Oil on panel, 5" X 7"

"Once A Farm Field" ©

Out the 126 Hwy, fields of orange trees are being uprooted and tossed aside in huge piles. I can almost hear the trees crying. I've been told it's all about money, what isn't.

Oil on panel, 5" X 7"

"Cold Creek" ©

Over the next few months I am painting solely for a solo show at Segil Fine Art Source in November. Today I experimented with "Cold Creek", looking for a scene that would warrant a larger canvas. This creek is truly freezing water, headed to the sea. Moss and lacy ferns are members of the surrounding forest and on the larger canvas will play a supporting roll to the rocks and water. I think this scene would also thrive with elegant grays.

Oil on panel, 5" X 7"

"California Poppies" ©

The poppy reserve in Lancaster is an austere, desolate place, without the dusting of orange, people would pass though looking forward to what is around the next bend. This is one of those paintings that was lurking unfinished and I tied it together today. The change I made after photographing it, just so you know, is fixing the distant purple mountain on the left into an interesting shape, not a pointed triangle. What was I thinking? Now it's OK.

Oil on canvas, 14" X 18"

"Shades Of Roses" ©

This is the second painting for the Descanso Rose show. It's not my usual work, so it was fun, hard and I had to drudge up my experience from a workshop years ago that fortunately included painting roses. Learning is never wasted.

A note for painters: The key that I was after here was gathering the "light" by using series grays. Without the grays the light would be diluted, creating just a bright painting without any teeth. Because it's out of the box for me, it was a bit difficult, but I am sure that the same principle would work in a landscape. Once I have finished the few paintings that I have in process, I want to take a landscape and key the whole thing in grays first, then add the light and see if I can't create a more interesting landscape then my usual job. Usually I use a value range to gain depth and light, using grays will be very interesting. If this works and I can grasp the concept, my painting will hit a new level.

Oil on canvas, 24" x 20"

"Glorious Roses" ©

Today was the ninth day since I lifted a paint brush. Bronchitis struck with fury, knocking me flat. Boy, did I learn a lot. Days are not short at all, I just pack to much into each and every one. You can be off line for a week and nothing horrible happens. And finally I learned what it's like to be sick and will have more compassion and understanding.

In a couple of weeks I'll be participating in a Rose only show at Descanso Gardens. So a nice way to get the brush moving without too much thought was to play in the petals.

I am still off, and from the amount of effort it took to paint today, I know it will be a few more days till I am "me" again.

Oil on canvas, 24" X 20"

"Serenity In The Afternoon" ©

This painting was named by a Signal Newspaper writer, Alicia, at the "Love Is In The Air At The Hyatt Valencia" art and music show yesterday. I was one of 3 artists painting live during the event. This scene was familiar to me and a good choice to paint while chatting with the guests. I enjoyed the day completely.

Oil on Linen, 14" X 18"

"Sierra Spring" ©

If you go back a few days I painted a small (5" X 7") study of this scene. Some changes have been made and now that it's up on the computer screen I see more to do but it's on it's way to being a painting. It's just a bit to "organized", and landscapes in general never are. Another way to say it is, random is much more appealing.

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

"Lyons Canyon Ranch" ©

My plein air buddy Lorelle and I ventured into a new canyon. It's a toss up when we go somewhere new, whether to just hike in and check out the views, or haul our painting gear and just see what we can find. Both of us were anxious to paint, so we opted to haul the gear. We ended up painting about 25 feet from each other, yet picking completely different scenes to paint. I was tickled by this palm tree that was completely alone and out of it's element. Lorelle picked the distant oaks surrounding a silver meadow. We both agreed that this lovely canyon has many more paintings to offer. Spring hasn't quite sprung yet, so we'll be heading back for the wildflowers very soon.

Oil on Linen panel, 8" X 10"

"Reflections" ©

Hard to believe but Legoland is a wonderland for painters. There are lovely vignettes of waterways, trees and gardens. It would be a great location for a paint out.

Oil on canvas, 6" X 8"

"Eaton Canyon Oak" ©

This morning the "Thursday Morning Irregulars" went painting in Eaton Canyon, near Pasadena. At the end the lovable ring leader, Walt McNall offered suggestions to each painter. He suggested I make my painting more colorful and less spooky, which I attempted to do this evening. Tomorrow we are packing for a railroad trip in our Speeder in Linden, California, called the "Blossom Run" and we will be back Monday.

Oil on Panel, 8" X 10"

"Sierra Study" ©

As a possible larger painting I tested out this view in a 5" X 7" study. It has potential so I started in on a 18" X 24" of the same view. Here are the thoughts that I hope will be running around in my head. #1 watch the harmony between the most distant mountain and the sky, in this study there is a slight battle. #2 pick out a few of the close rocks to create a focal point. #3 make the sunlit patches in the mid ground interesting and more of a diagonal rather then the V. #4 make sure that the light source is obvious. And of course other things will pop up as usual.

We had to get ready to evacuate today because of a broken gas main, so my painting time was interrupted but I'll continue on this larger canvas for the next couple of days and then post the resolved painting.

Oil on panel, 5" X 7"

"Cruising" ©

Another of the white duck gang that cruises in and around the Venice Canals. I really liked the expression of serenity on this one.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Whitney Canyon" ©

The Santa Clarita Artists' Association had our monthly paint out in Whitney Canyon today. Every where your eye landed, a possible painting was in view. The morning chill stayed with us as the sunlight slinked in between the trees. We all painted within in a short distance of one another but in the end every painting was so very different as often happens in groups. Thank you to every one that came and a special thanks to Janet and Jean, the photographers from the Santa Clarita Photography Club and finally thank you to Henry Schultz, the Sierra Club guide that lead us into the canyon.

"Pacific Palm" ©

Near the park and ride, late in the day in San Clemente this palm was waving goodbye to the sun.

Oil on Canvas, 10"X 8"

"Floating By" ©

In a few weeks I'll be installing several paintings at the Creative Arts Group Gallery in Sierra Madre. I thought a couple of "Ducks" would be a nice addition to the land and city scapes. It has been a long time since I painted one of these feathered beauties and I had a great time.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Days End" ©

I shot this painting showing a bit of the easel so the whole canvas would be included. Also during the painting of this piece, I shot a video of the process. Now I just have to figure out the steps to put it up on U-Tube. The learning never ends.

My husband is working on a tiny island in the Caribbean and I hope this is what he is seeing each evening at the "Days End". We miss you Mikey!

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

"Drifting By" ©

Clouds, clouds and more clouds have been "Drifting By".

Oil on Canvas, 8" X 10"

"Lingering Light" ©

This evening for the first time, this new year, the whole world glowed, promising longer days and warmth soon.

Oil on Linen, 12" X 16"

"Alejandra" ©

Another attempt at a live model. This is Alejandra, a strong face and lovely person. Three hours of painting from life ends with an exhilarated exhaustion every time. As I get more comfortable with the process hopefully the ending will only be exhilaration!

Oil on Linen Panel, 12" X 16"

"Rock Study" ©

Once in a while the tasks of everyday living become more of a priority then you might desire. Today, was one of those days. A short reprieve, painting rocks.

Oil on Canvas, 6" X 8"

"Snowed In" ©

My brother and wife sent this image via email and I played with it in paint, thinking about their gift of the morning snow. No, they don't live in So Cal anymore. They escaped to greener pastures up in Washington, less traffic, people, taxes, just simply a better life at a slower pace.

Oil on Linen, 12" X 16"

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"Canyon Walk" ©

Walking out from under the canopy of leaves, the brush opened up enough to see the distant mountains and the late afternoon sunlight grazing the trees.

Oil on Linen, 16" X 20"

"Sierra Madre Villa" ©

The gold leaves, red roof and burnished walls attracted me to this view. On the other side of the Villa is a long reflecting pond surrounded by Cypress Trees. It was a toss up of which view to paint. The golden leaves won.

Oil on Raymar Panel, 8" X 10"

"Pico Trail" ©

Once in a while you luck out and have a receptive and interactive audience when your speaking in public. Today was my lucky day as I was the guest speaker for "60 Minutes With An Artist", in Valencia. The Santa Clarita Artists Association sponsored the event and I had my fingers crossed for at least a few warm bodies in the seats. We had a full house and they were awesome. The time flew as they asked perfect questions to spur me on. To calm down from the fun after arriving back home, I painted a little piece of the Pico Trail.

Oil on canvas, 6" X 8"

"Winter Clouds Passing" ©

This scene is so typical of California, with the exception of the clouds. We have been treated to an extraordinary display of storm clouds this month.

At night it's tough to shoot a painting this large, so I backed off and shot from a distance. My easel is Oak, so you can tell this painting isn't as "hot" as it appears. I did want to post this piece as best I could just so you a glimpse of the concept and what I have been painting for the last couple of days. Painting on linen again I am reminded of the elegance and again wonder why I drift away.

Oil on Linen, 20" X 24"

"One Ear Up" ©

Once a Shepard owned our family, Sadie. As a pup one day one ear popped up, a few weeks later, the other followed suit. When I saw the same changes going on as Kila was growing, memories of Sadie came flooding back.

Oil on panel, 9" X 12"

"Mt. Wilson Trail" ©

Mt. Wilson Trail heads out above the small village of Sierra Madre. After leaving the lush growth, due to the lower elevation and homeowners generous sprinklers you come face to face with this Palm Tree. Completely out of it's element, flourishing, beating all odds.

Oil on Canvas, 16" X 20"

"Canyon Quiet" ©

Someday artists will visit Eaton Canyon and talk about the old days when all you could see is wilderness. Thank goodness it's the "old days" now.

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

"Fox Field" © revised

I promised artists to post this painting again after fixing the echoed shape in the sky that the original painting demonstrated. Look back a day or two to the first version of this piece. The smaller tree had a perfect halo of sky, then the larger tree had a perfect batch of leaves making an arch, following the shapes. I didn't see this until posting, which happens a lot. One of the many advantages of blogging. It would be fair to say I tweak 90% of the paintings after posting to this blog. It's another source of critique.

"Sierra Madre Wash" ©

Here is the first look at the larger version of the Sierra Madre Wash. If you notice the small study that I worked from sitting to the left of the larger canvas, you can see how valuable the little paintings become. Without the color notes and reminder of a place and it's much more difficult to paint the larger piece. I will let this painting, set up before going back in to punch some of the river rocks and bright spots in the painting. The show it's going to isn't for a couple of months so I have lots of time to tweak.

Oil on Canvas, 24" X 20"