Oils – Leslie Landers

Sailing Past Scoma’s

14″ x 11″ oil on linen panel

This piece is all about the warm reflections in the water at dusk in Sausalito.

Rose Garden in Gold and Purple

9″ x 12″ oil on linen panel

I painted this at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden and just loved the combination of the sunny colored roses in the foreground with the purple ones in the background.

The stretch between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz is sometimes called the “Slow Coast.” It’s a wonderful area to spend a day painting. In this view I am looking down on a stretch of beach as the waves gently roll in.

Heritage Apricots

16″ x 20″ oil on linen panel

Before it was called Silicon Valley, this area was known as Blossom Valley. This painting reflects on this agricultural legacy. I love the twists and turns of apricot trees as they age.

Coastal Cypress

12″ x 16″ oil on linen panel

In this plein air piece (painted just north of Half Moon Bay) is focused on the shape of the trees and profusion of foreground texture. I decided to make room for a sliver of the ocean in the distance to give us a sense of place.

Rocky Shore

11″ x 14″ oil on linen panel

This view of the convergence of ocean and coast brings us to Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach. As a painter it’s so fun painting the mix of colors and shapes of our coastal shallows.

Beyond West Cliff

11″ x 14″ oil on linen panel

I’ve painted at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz many times. In this piece, there is only a hint of the archway. Instead of focusing on the opening in rock formation, I’m taking in the effects of the sunshine bouncing everywhere and the colors reflected in the water.

Above the Beach

9″ x 12″ oil on linen panel

In this painting, with a focus on early summer wildflowers in the foreground.

Gathered Sycamore

8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel

This was painted in a shady spot on the shore of Alamitos Creek in San Jose. I didn’t paint the creek this time. Instead, I was attracted to the intermingled trunks of this collection of sycamore trees. This piece was done with a palette knife and no paint brushes.

Spanish Bay Beach House

8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel

I remember the beauty of driving along the 17 Mile Drive in the backseat of my parent’s car. These days, it’s a favorite painting destination. Usually I focus on the rocky shore. This time I took in the view of the bay with the white beach house set amongst dark coastal cypress.