Christmas House Porch View

There is a local bed & breakfast inn which is a turn of the century Victorian house - lovely inside and out, and named Christmas House. I was there for plein air a couple days ago, and decided on this narrow view of a portion of the front porch. The light was just right.

Jerome Building

This is the last painting from the Sedona trip. Our group spent a day in the little town of Jerome, about 25 miles southwest of Sedona. It's like we saved the best for last! The town is about 100 years old - a mining town with many dilapidated buildings. The town is still very much alive, with a bustling population, many quaint restaurants, many shops, and lots of painting opportunities. This building was condemned, and I just loved the shapes and colors in it.

Karen Painting and Slide Rock Sedona

This painting is the result of painting in the cold, (44 degrees) the rain, the hail, and the sleet. And all of this mixed in with intermittent sun. Very difficult. There are a few major things I learned while in Sedona: that I can paint in plein air in any kind of weather; that my new guerilla box and tripod work perfectly for me; to always block in the largest shapes first, and to stick to my original value sketch, and never chase the light. Whew!

I'm back from Sedona, having had a wonderful week with my good friend, Karen Werner. This is a photo of her painting, under the cover of a women's restroom at Slide Rock. My easel is to the left. It was so cold this day, that at times I would look at the scene (see it above), load up my brush, go into the heated restroom, and paint. I would also heat up my hands and hat under the hand dryer!

Cathedral Rock and Slide Rock

This one was a simple value study, using only 4 values and massing in large shapes. This is from day 1 of the workshop with Jennifer McChristian.Today was FREEZING - about 40 degrees and pouring rain and hail, when our group went to Slide Rock. A beautiful place! The only problem was the light that changed every 1 minute!

It was really tough to capture anything at all with the values just fleeting constantly. So this view was one of my attempts.

This is a view of Cathedral Rock in Sedona. Again- this is all about values first, and color second.

No details - just large shapes. This was one of yesterday's paintings.

Plein Air in Sedona

This week, I am in Sedona Arizona studying plein air painting with Jennifer McChristian. Today was day 1, and I had such a great time. It was all about values, and simplifying shapes. These are two of my studies - and I am generally pleased. And being in Sedona is just amazing, and I feel so fortunate.

Rains House

6x6 oil on Raymar panel

$70.00 plus s&h

I enjoy plein air but am fairly new to it. Wow - it's a whole different game out there! The bugs! The changing light! Forgeting your turpentine!

This house, the John Rains historic home in Rancho Cucamonga, California, was built in the 1840's. It is the oldest house in our area, and was built with handmade bricks. It's a beautiful home with an interior courtyard. John Rains and his wife, Dona Merced, owned much of the area where we live, until his murder, which is unsolved even today. The house, abandoned and dilapidated, was set for demolition in the early 1970's, when a school teacher and her students (my husband was one of them) stood in front of the bulldozer that would start the demolition, and stopped it in it's tracks. It was saved, restored, and is now a county museum.

Tied Down - SOLD

8x6 oil on Raymar panel

Another scene from Balboa. I loved the repetition of the similar shapes and angles, as well as how they lead you into the composition. Painting the shoreline in the distance was fun - just showing some simple shapes and value changes does the trick. The sailboats were the last thing added, as they started sailing by in a little parade just as I was finishing.

Ferris Wheel At Balboa

6x6 oil on Raymar panel

$70.00 plus s&h

Yesterday was plein air day at Balboa Island, Newport Beach. What a beautiful day!The ferris wheel seemed to be a must do - so I had a great time simplifying the details into bigger shapes. The contraption in the foreground - I put it in because the colors were so primary and gorgeous - I'm pretty sure it had to do with boats coming by to get gas. I like how those little spots of primary color are unifying the image.

Flowin' - SOLD

6x6 oil on Raymar panel

This is the same day as my previous post - just a little bit later. I loved the colors of this day - the blues reflecting in the water, and the clean greens. You know how you get to a certain point in a painting, and wonder if it's going to come together or not? Well, that's how I felt about the tree in the foreground - but I like how it suddenly turned out.

Down to the River - SOLD

6x6 oil on Raymar panel

I did this little one on a breezy afternoon in Sacramento, at the Sacramento River. People were fishing, and floating along in little boats. For this scene, I just waited for it to be clear of people. I love the blues seen in the water and the greens in the foliage. I had a delightful time!

Aunt Elaine's Front Door

6x6 oil on Raymar panel

This is the view of my husband's Aunt's front door in Sacramento. It was late afternoon, just before dinner, and I had just a little time to paint. Lots of family members were around, which, surprisingly, didn't bother me. I think the better paintings happen when I am slightly distracted, and not trying too hard!

I have to explain that I haven't been posting often because of SUMMER, and the family needing my attention more than usual. Even though I love summer, I look forward to the quiet alone moments of Autumn, when I can paint uninterrupted.