I love the way aspen groves come alive in the spring sparking with lemon lime shimmering leaves. It’s that movement, I am most trying to catch here.
Exuberant Aspen
8″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
Leslie Landers
Garrapata Glow
8″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
I have mixed feelings about the iceplant we see along the Northern California coast. I know it isn’t native and that it’s invasive. Still it can be so beautiful. In this plein air piece I’m drawn to the backlit glow brought on by the rising sun as the fog lifts.
Exhibited …
2024 – Coastal Arts League “Iconic California”
Wave Action
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
The sliver of blue sky only made a brief appearance when I was painting this from a bluff in Half Moon Bay. Still, that was the moment I had to catch.
Tenaya Spring
16″ x 12″ oil on linen panel
Tenaya Lake is magical. For me, it marked the end of a week long endurance-testing backpacking trip, the spot I first painted en plein air and the scene of a hasty one time only skinny dipping experience. Here I am catching the lake in spring as the impossibly pink penstemon flowers make their appearance in nooks and crannies between granite rocks and in shaded lakeside patches.
Rebecca’s Hollyhocks
8″ x 10″ oil on panel
Most Monday’s, I paint outside painters affiliated with the Los Gatos Art Association. I met Rebecca when I first joined the group. She’s the group’s heartbeat. These Hollyhocks and hydrangeas were painted in Rebecca’s backyard a couple of years ago. I pulled this painting out of a group of paintings with happy memories on a recent cloudy and added in a few more hollyhocks just because.
Tahoe Speedboats
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
I painted this from a small dock in South Lake Tahoe just before Memorial Day weekend. I always think of that as the launch of the summer season in Tahoe. I hope these boats and their people have enjoy a wonderful summer on the lake.
Tahoe Sketchbook
Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff for the Tahoe summer season. I was so fortunate to be invited to stay with good friends the week before this summer start. There was lots of time for hiking at favorite spots and enjoying the rush of waterfalls after our wet winter.
I was able to spend time painting before breakfast. These three paintings were done from a beach with a pier that was just steps away. Lucky me!
May Roses
6″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
I painted these sherbet-colored roses at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden. May roses always remind me that summer is on it’s way.
Nola’s Irises
10″ x 8″ (private collection)
The eastern foothills of San Jose is home to a delightful iris grower managed by Nola. They have graciously hosted a group of painters from the Los Gatos Art Association each spring during peak bloom. You can visit too and you are able to order your favorite iris varieties online. If you can manage to choose amongst them.
Miramontes Afternoon
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
There are so many places to paint along the California Coastal Trail. This spot is just spot is just south of the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. In this piece, I am particularly interested in the subtle variations in the reflections as seen in the wet sand.