"Los Gatos Plein Air 2014" #losgatospleinair #vasonapark #pleinair #laurawambsgans

Last week I was one of 34 painters from all of the U.S. to gather near San Francisco, California, painting in the Los Gatos Plein Air 2014 event.  Our mission was to paint the town and surrounding areas starting on Tuesday morning until Friday evening, when we turned in our favorite painting for the VIP Artists Choice Reception and Silent Auction.  The event was put on by the tireless volunteers of the Morning Rotary Club and the proceeds will go to support art and science education to the youth of the Santa Clara County.  

The painting above was painted in Vasona Park, on the first day.  (12" X 16" oil on linen)

I found this view on an on/off ramp to the freeway.  Early in the morning the sunlight was drifting over the hillside with such drama I knew I wanted to paint the scene.   Of course by the time I finished the painting the light and view were entirely different, with the passing of the sun overhead.  

On Saturday morning each artist checked in their paintings and hung their 2 walls with all of their work.  I painted 9 pieces during the week and chose to hang the 6 best, in the photo above.

John Guernsey is a one of the terrific artists painting in the event and you can see him here hanging his walls. 

We sold many paintings, while folks enjoyed live music, sipping wine all day Saturday.  I drove home Sunday tired and happy.

"Waiting for Rain, Eaton Canyon" #eatoncanyon #landscapeoilpainting #laurawambsgans

Oil on Canvas, 24" X 30"

After teaching a workshop full of fun artists in Lake Arrowhead a couple of weeks ago I started this painting for an exhibit next fall.  I am still sneaking up on the light this painting slowly, too much too quickly and the painting will be ruined.  

Next week I will be competing in the Los Gatos Plein Air 2014.   If you want to read more about the event click here.  It's an area unfamiliar to me and I am looking forward to painting the land south of San Francisco.  If possible I will try to blog from the event.  

A bit of good news, I was juried into the California Art Clubs exhibit, "Quintessential California".  The show will be exhibited at the Santa Paula Art Museum until November 2nd, with an artists' reception on Saturday June 28, 4pm - 6pm.  There is a slight admission fee, just so you know.  To learn more about the museum visit Santa Paula Art Museum 

"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"

Tuolumne Meadows DEMO #Tuolumnemeadows #landscapepainting #yosemite

I had the opportunity to paint a demonstration painting of Tuolumne Meadows at sunset recently and enjoyed the memories of painting in the meadows a few years ago.  Just as the sun is setting the whole mountain glows for a brief moment and then the show is  over.  I'll keep working on this concept, until I have a successful painting.  

"Carmel Valley Afternoon", #CarmelArtFestival #carmelvalleyoilpainting

Last week I was in the area of Carmel-By-The-Sea painting in the annual plein air event.  About 60  artists participate from all over the country.  Our canvases are stamped on Wednesday night and we have until 8pm on Friday night to paint, paint, paint.  The painting on my easel is almost done.  It's a 16" X 12" canvas,  that sold during the silent auction Saturday.  I thought since the weather was so nice not too many artists would venture into the Carmel Valley to paint.  Garland Park is the go to spot when fog has blown into town or when you want to paint the unusual view on a sunny day.  Other the a few hikers I was all alone, thinking how lucky I was to be painting such a beautiful spot.  

While I was painting on the deck for viewing the Pebble Beach Lone Cypress every 20 min. or so a tour bus would arrive, unloading people from around the world to view the tree.  My photo with my painting will be all over China, Japan and India.  Some people even took my paint brush and pretended to paint on my canvas for photographs.  It was wild.  I didn't paint the actual Lone Cypress because it is copyrighted by the Pebble Beach Corporation, so I painted looking north along the coast from the deck.  

On Friday night all of the artists hung their 2 favorite paintings under the white tents on the panel with their names.  If your paintings sold on Saturday you were allowed to hang 2 more on Sunday.  I was a lucky lady and was able to hang 2 new paintings on Sunday. 

Here is the finished painting of "Carmel Valley Afternoon",  hanging on my wall.  You can see that all of the artists must bring frames for their work, frame up the wet painting and hang the paintings on their walls quickly.   

Pretty typical view at Point Lobos.  We were encouraged to paint up and down the coast but Point Lobos offered such great views there really was no need to hunt around for another painting spot.  

Here is my whole wall on Saturday.   The bottom painting was painted at Cypress Cove, Point Lobos.  Both paintings sold, so Sunday I hung new work and sold more.  

After the quick draw all of the artists set up their easels in the park and offered the painting for sale by silent bid.  Any artist that was awarded a ribbon was expected to participate in the quick draw.  Unfortunately I didn't get one, so I was sidelined for the quick draw.  My goal next year is to break the ribbon barrier and earn one because I love painting in quick draws.  

Heading home down Highway One, the coastal views were stunning. I arrived home, happy, tired and ready for the next event.  I'll be teaching a workshop in Lake Arrowhead the weekend of May 31, so now I am preparing and so excited to meet all the artists and teach them everything I know.  Well, maybe not everything but all I can in 2 days.  

"Canyon de Chelly" © #canyondechellypainting #navajoreservation #laurawambsgans

Last weekend I was showing paintings at the Sierra Madre Annual Art Festival and had a great show.  While unpacking the truck, writing thank you notes and all the stuff we do to wrap up a big show I slipped in another painting of Canyon de Chelly.  Next week I am off to Carmel California to paint in the annual plein air event.  It's going to be a huge shift from painting the Southwest Desert to the Northern California coast.  I am looking forward to wearing a jacket and painting cypress trees.  

Oil on Linen 20" X 24"

"Shallow Water Shadows" © #canyondechelly #oilpainting #laurawambsgans

The first time our Navajo guide drove up the shallow wash water we were surprised that the water was used as the road.  We traveled across the shallow water as much as on sand.  The reflections of the canyon walls and the lit trees against the backdrop of the shaded cliff was just stunning.  I thought I would give it a go at painting the scene.

Oil on Linen,  18" x 24"

"Junction Overlook, Canyon de Chelly" © #canyondechelly #painting #laurawambsgans

Canyon de Chelly is often called the "sacred canyon."  After painting on the edge of the canyon for a week I agree with this name.  Hawks soar, small squirrels scurry and in general life moves on without considering all that people at home seem to be distracted with.  Cell phones do not work, the television news seems distant and home feels like a globe away, not just a days drive.  Truly, I can't wait to return to this sacred canyon.  

Oil on linen, 18" X 24"  

"Canyon Morning" © #canyondechelly #desertpainting #Navajoreservation

Oil on Linen

Last week I had the luck to go to Canyon de Chelly to paint with 5 other Southern California painters, Marian Fortunati, Debra Holladay, Sharon Weaver, Linda Brown and Nita Harper.   Canyon de Chelly is a National Monument located in the north east corner of Arizona and part of a Navajo reservation.  We experienced wild weather from a desert dust storm, to 33 degree mornings to perfect sunny days on the reservation.  

Here is a photograph of Nita and Linda painting along the South Rim of the canyon.  The views were endless and painting the canyon is easy.  You can find spots to paint out of your trunk or you can hike a bit, depending on your comfort level.  

Nita Harper, Marian Fortunati and Sharon Weaver in the 3rd seat.  

To explore the canyon floor hiring a Navajo guide is necessary.  We used Canyon de Chelly Tours, Leon Thomas Skyhorse is the owner and Irene was our guide.  She couldn't have done a better job, making sure we made it to all the best spots for painting.  We were riding in a Suburban with the 3rd seat and rotated seats clockwise with each stop so everyone had an opportunity to see well.  Irene told us that clockwise is the Navajo way and she was surprised we came up with the system as none of the other groups had ever suggested it.  Although we spent the night outside the canyon in the Best Western and Holiday Inn, we felt like Irene was able to give us the canyon experience that people talk about after camping overnight in the canyon.  

If you ever have the opportunity to see or paint Canyon de Chelly, go for it!  

"Pink Mountain Moment" © #BorregoSprings #desertpainting #pleinair

For a brief time each morning the mountain in the west that hovers over Borrego Springs turns every color of orange and pink.  It is a free light show the sun offers the desert residents, until the evening show at sunset.  

I have been on the road painting Canyon de Chelly, Arizona and will start posting that adventure when I get all the paintings and cameras unpacked and unloaded.  It's funny when I am out painting far from home it's easy to forget what I have painted until I start opening the wet panel boxes.  I enjoy the surprises and reliving the painting experience.  

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Hopper Creek Heritage Valley", #Heritagevalley #paintingprocess #onmyeasel

 

 I must have painted this spot 10 times, at least.  Sometimes you will hear collectors comment on artists painting the same locations over and over again.   It's been done for centuries.  And really, how can anyone blame us?  The place is easy to get to, lovely to paint no matter the season and as we grow as painters the paintings evolve, always ending up quite different.  

It has been a long time since I posted any process photos so I took a couple on this one.  When I started the painting I was sick with a sinus infection and I had a very difficult time making decisions.  After fighting the little cooties for a week I was able to finish the painting to some degree, which you see in the image above.    

Here is the "start".  I painted a rough line drawing of where all the elements would be placed and started just throwing in big colored areas to find the rhythm of the painting. I am painting the main  areas in their local color and value.

At this point the painting is all there.  Now is the really fun part of pushing the paint around and defining the scene for the viewer.  I used some quick dry medium, so that I could paint layers, leaving enough of the initial layers that they peek though in broken color.

This is the final painting.  I took the photo, just now, on the floor of my bedroom, trying to find a spot in the house that wouldn't create a glare.  The actually painting isn't quite this "hot", especially the mountains but it's pretty close.  

Oil on canvas,  24" X 36"

A couple more Borrego Springs paintings.... #Borregosprings #desertpainting

On Church Street, where you can find a variety of church services I painted this view one afternoon, while the bells rang out every half hour or so.  The singing bells kept me in line from staying too long in one spot by reminding me that time was marching on.

This little painting of a Palo Verde tree was done at the Anza Borrego visitors center.  Usually I don't post paintings in frames but I had not photographed the painting before it was hung in the Borrego Art Institute.  Below is the Institute with the sunrise reflecting in the glass windows.  I a few minutes later the whole mountain lit up in shades of pink.  

  

This is very typical of the terrain in Borrego Springs, surrounded by the Anza Borrego State Park.  It really is quite beautiful in it's understated hues and ever changing skies.  

#Borregosprings #desertpainting "Sunrise Serenade" ©

The desert is complimented in the morning by birds, roosters and coyotes serenading the rising sun.  I believe it's the nosiest time of the day.  All the other creatures that venture out as the sand heats up are very quiet.  A ranger told me that when the little lizards do push up's, it helps them to determine how far away something is.  It is as though their bodies are just too low to the ground for them to judge distance.  The things you learn out painting are endless.  

Oil on Canvas, 20" X 24"

#Borregosprings #palmtrees "Sun Lovers" ©

Outside the Anza Borrego visitor center gates, these palms seem to spring up out of the desert floor soaking up the sun and loving it.  I painted this early one morning before the crowd arrived to visit the park.  This painting is one of the 10 I painted during the Borrego Springs Invitational last week.  

Oil on Linen, 11" X 14"

This is the gallery walls before the final hanging.  As the artists finished the paintings we brought them into the gallery framed, ready to hang.  The artwork was hung so that visitors could see the work accomplished each day and decide which paintings they would like to purchase.  There were 15 artists and we produced 158 paintings, in 5 days.  It was worth stopping into the Borrego Springs Art Institute to see the wet paintings and different views of the desert.  The paintings will hang and sell through the end of the month.  

#smoketree #Borregosprings #oilpainting , "Desert Beauty", Borrego Springs CA

Last week I had the opportunity to paint in Borrego Springs California, during the annual plein air event hosted by the Borrego Springs Art Institute.  This image is my favorite painting, out of the 10 that I painted, shown as it hangs on the gallery wall.  Painting in the desert it was so quiet you could almost hear the silence.  I was smitten with the subtle colors and constantly changing light.  The main mountain that Borrego Springs is nestled up against, Indian Head, starts out a brilliant pink with each sunrise and ends the day in shades of blue.  

Oil on Linen,  11" X 14"

#pleinair #oilpainting #Towsleycanyon #Keltyredwing44 "Towsley Canyon Plein Air" ©

Saturday I am driving down to the Anza Borrego State Park area to participate in the "Borrego Springs Invitational".   As a necessary treat (is there such a thing?) I bought a new plein air backpack to replace my little Ross Store backpack that only holds paint and paper towels and is ripping apart.  The new one is a  Kelty Redwing 44 .  I wanted to take it out on it's maiden painting trip, so we headed out for a quickie at Towsley Canyon.  The pack will hold an EasyL 11" X 14" easel and everything else needed to paint.  I have graduated from carrying 3 items (backpack, easel and tri-pod) to just 1 item on my back, leaving me hands free.  This is a great feature if you start to fall while hiking or just need to grasp rocks/trees for balance.  So far I give the Kelty a 5 star rating....

Oil on panel,  8" X 10"

Oil Painting #Farmland #Santa Paula, "Santa Paula Farmland", ©

I painted this scene as a trial for a larger painting.  The process helped me see how to create a better design and decide what to feature in the landscape.  Now the real work comes, going big.  

Oil on Canvas, 16" X 20"

"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"

"Early Morning Light" ©

One of the many things that Matt Smith taught me was to not work the whole painting to death, something I am very good at.  On this one I tried so very hard to keep a lot of the painting rather loose and just have fun in the paint.  If it flies with collectors, this is just a super fun way to paint and I'll do more.  

Oil 

14" X 11"

"End of the Road" ©

This is another painting that Matt Smith critiqued for me.  His suggestion was to simplify the tree mass in the background and add some interesting color here and there in the foreground.  He also commented that the sky I had painted was the right value and that many artists paint their skies too dark.  Of course I took his advice and here is the finished painting.  

Oil on panel, 11" X 14"

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

 

Having a little fun....

Yesterday I installed new paintings for sale at Gale's Restaurant in Pasadena.  A new artist has been added to the mix, Jose de Juan.  His brilliant street scenes got me all excited and I you know how it is, as an artist you can't wait to hit the easel and quench that desire.  What could be brighter and more fun the a giant sunflower?  Now looking at the painting on my easel, it really does bring a lot of sunshine into the room. 

Oil on canvas, 18" X 14"

"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"

"Los Carneros Lake" ©

Lake Los Carneros is located just above Santa Barbara in Goleta, California.   The spot is a great painting location, safe, quite, lots of different views all day long.  As I was just about ready to leave the little fellow on the other bank showed up to fish, so I popped him into the painting.  

Oil, 16" X 20"

"Huddled Up" ©

Herd animals have a unique way to huddle, some facing out, others buried deep in the pile of hide.  This little study explores the idea of a small group of cows huddled up in the warmth of the early morning light glazing the snow.  Anyone that had ridden a horse can imagine the amount of heat generated by a large animal and appreciate the "huddle".  

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

"Wintery Morn" ©

This week I traveled up to San Francisco to view the Anders Zorn exhibition at the Legion of Honor Museum.  Zorn is considered Sweden's Master Painter of all time and viewing the exhibition, it was easy to see why.  A friend asked me what I learned from the exhibit and I made a short list, sharing it with a few artists.  They seemed to appreciate the reminders and observations so I'll share it here for everyone.  

1.  Be really thoughtful about what you leave out of a painting or add to support the main idea.   

2.  Use diagonals to add drama, whether it be a stream of light or a shape etc.

3.  Don't be shy about painting the odd part of the scene, embrace it.

4.  Notan is the foundation to the composition

5.  Thickest paint on the lightest highlights

6.  Big painting, huge brushes

7.  Paint as if from 20 feet away from the canvas

8.  Be sure the painting has it's "own" light and isn't dependent on room lighting

9.  Paint fearlessly, confidently and with a main idea in mind

10.  Never loose sight of the main idea and emotion you want to depict, another way of putting it, never let the painting take charge of the outcome, stay in control till the end.

11.  Use every tool (paint, composition, brushes, color choices etc.) available to tell your story in paint and then know when to stop, earlier is better.  

The little painting above is oil on panel, 8" X 10" 

"Red Rock Creek" ©

 Recently I read an article by Marc Hanson  about focusing on the one thing that inspired you to paint a particular painting, especially in plein air work.  It's so easy to get distracted with the world around you painting outside that you can easily get lost.  This piece is a studio painting, created while also painting crown moulding, floor moulding, walls and so on during our never ending remodel job.  Even so, I kept Marc's words of advice up front and really concentrated on the brilliant golden tree.

Oil on canvas,  14" X 18"

"Sunset Splendor" © and books, books and more books......

Years ago Maggie Price taught me how to paint water using pastels.   For this painting I used her method and painted this scene of Hansen Dam just as the sun was setting.  Maggie passed away, a huge loss to the art community, but as so many great teachers her lessons continue to benefit all the artists she instructed.  

Oil on Canvas, 16" X 20"

I LOVE books, real books with pages to turn and weight to hold in my hands, especially art books.  Yesterday we pulled all the books off the shelves and re-organized the titles.  It's so hard to not sit down with one and dive in.  

The art books are sitting pretty in the case and now I know where each title is for quick reference.  It's a nice way to start 2014.  Here are some of my favorites books on painting methods:
"Brushwork" by Emile A. Gruppe,  "Composition of Outdoor Painting" by Edgar Payne, "Problem Solving for Oil Painters" by Gregg Kreutz,  "Alla Prima" by Richard Schmid and "Oil Painting, The Workshop Experience" by Ted Goerschner.  Happy painting, reading and New Year!

"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"