While I’ve highlighted the sailboats in the title, my primary interest in this scene is the interplay between the between the oranges of the rocks and particular blues of the waters in the Caribbean.
Caribbean Sailboats
9″ x 12″ oil on linen panel
Leslie Landers
Dock Mates
11″ x 14″ oil (private collection)
The Spirit of Tahoe is berthed at a dock in South Lake Tahoe where it is ready for day long cruising excursions. Early in the morning it sees the arrival and departure of several smaller fishing charter boats. I painted this scene from a nearby dock with a great view of all the comings and goings. In this piece, I am working to capture that moment early in the morning when the sunshine catches the boats and brings on a glow. This was painted as Memorial Day was set to kick off the busy Tahoe summer season. Coming after a very snowy winter, I also enjoyed painting the mountain backdrop still covered in all its snowy glory.
Exhibited …
2023 – Coastal Arts League “Seasons of Beauty”
Yosemite Sketchbook
My mom and I were so fortunate in the timing of our recent visit to Yosemite arriving between closures for spring flood risks and early summer overcrowding. The weather was perfect too. Mostly the visit was a chance to enjoy the beauty that is Yosemite with mom, but I did have a chance for a little painting.
The painting on the left was painted near the Big Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite Park in the early morning. I was struck by the variations between rust and olive tones in the dark water as it flowed over granite slabs. The middle piece was painted mid-day at the point where Teneya Creek leaves Mirror Lake. There was considerably more flow than I’ve seen in previous spring visits yet the water is shallow in this spot passing over a sandy bottom. This is what gives rise to the pronounced chartreuse colors. My final plein air painting for the trip was alongside the South Fork of the Merced river near the Wawona Lodge. These willow bushes usually line the shore. Here they find themselves stranded in the midst of the rushing water.
River Willows
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
I painted this in June along the banks of the South Fork of the Merced River near the Wawona Hotel. Most years, the willows would be defining the banks of the river. With the super wet winter we had, the willows now find themselves knee deep and in the midst of rushing water.
Below Devil’s Slide
6″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
I was drawn to the churn of the surf around this collection of rocks just below the Devil’s Slide area near Pacifica and the way the colors changes in the sunlit and shadow areas.
Morning at the Lake
11″x 14″ oil on linen panel
I painted this early in the morning from a small dock in South Lake Tahoe just as the sun was inching above the treetops. A flag was up alongside the small cabin on the left and with Memorial Day Approaching, I had to include it.
Exuberant Aspen
8″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
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.
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.