9″ x 12″ (private collection)
I could have reached out and touched the vines. Instead I painted them. After which, I enjoyed a lovely estate grown 2015 Grignolino. The vineyard is in Morgan Hill which has retained much of the agricultural feel of long ago pre-tech decades.
I recently visited Wilder Ranch for the first time. This charming California State Park is on the coastline just north of Santa Cruz.
In addition to the farmhouse, a lovely old barn and other farm buildings remain. Sheep and goats are in the pen behind the barn. In addition to preserving the agricultural heritage of the area, the park includes trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding and access to a beach area.
I recently joined a plein air painting group which I’ve really been enjoying. It’s a great group of generous painters and it is wonderful to paint in new locations. It’s also really helpful to get advice on what’s working (and not working) from fellow painters. On this particular day, I also received feedback from a couple of four legged art critics.
9″ x 12″ (private collection)
It was my attraction to the shape of the barn and the shadow it cast that pulled me into painting this rural scene. This Alexander Valley barn also had a prominent sign out with a phone number advertising “Lambs for Sale.”
6″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
October 1 and I was up with the sun the morning to paint at Shoreline Park in Mountain View. It’s close and I’ve painted there many times. This was my first oil painting there though. I love the plein air painting experience. The moment by moment shifting light and the urgency to get on with it.
The tall columnar hoodoo formations of Bryce Canyon National Park are the result of weathering and erosion. The expansion of water as it freezes in cracks fractures the soft (and very orange) limestone.
We enjoyed views from overlooks throughout the park and hiking the Queen’s Garden trail which is named for a hoodoo at the end that is said to look like Queen Victoria. The trail was beautiful at every turn and this charming bird, a 4 inch white crested nuthatch, greeted at the end of the trail and posed.
My husband and I wrapped up our summer with a fun trip to Zion and Bryce. The watercolor above takes in the canyon scenery from the western bank of the Virgin River near Zion Lodge. The cottonwood trees that are adjacent to the river take on graceful forms.
Staying at the Zion Lodge made it easy for us to enjoy the magnificent scenery in the beautiful light of mornings and evenings. It also meant that we didn’t have to wait in the long morning shuttle bus queues at the Zion visitor Center.
My Dad and I hadn’t planned on spending time in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area while I was in Oregon … but … our road trip required flexibility.
After stopping for gas on our way from Bend to Crater Lake on August 8th, Dad and I were advised that Crater Lake was being evacuated. So we thought we’d check out the Route 19 Scenic Byway … but … it too was closed as a result of a totally different fire.
So … we ended up heading back to the Portland area and exploring falls, trails and vistas along the Historic Columbia River Highway. The watercolor above is of a bicyclist enjoying a ride in the beautiful scenery.
I painted Horsetail Falls with a hiker in standing on a rock in the foreground. Many other waterfalls can be seen from scenic highway turn-offs though this one involved a short walk.
The whole area is very beautiful with dense woods and backlit trees. This painting is of the Oneonta Trail which is part an extensive trail system in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. While we were not able to enjoy Crater Lake this was really lovely. And, most of all, the time with my dad was great.
I finished the quick sketch above by the bank of the river early in the morning calm. Just me and the river. Oh and a few people walking past on the Drake Park path including one guy who was riding a bike, smoking some pot and lamenting the girlfriend who left him.
I was in Bend on a road trip with my Dad. Wonderful to have time driving, enjoying the scenery and talking. He found a great place to drink beer watching kayakers and paddle boarders pass by on the Deschutes.
This watercolor was finished once I was home. You don’t see fireweed where I live. I have appreciated these scrappy plants and flowers that remind me of time in Alaska. Somehow the flowers are more beautiful knowing they thrive in areas scarred by fire and recent roadwork.
I fell in love with Bend Oregon and the Deschutes River that runs through it. The only that kept me for hunting for property on Zillow was finding out from a weather app that Bend has short summers. Oh … that may not work. Just as well, I’ve heard that Oregonians are getting tired of Californians moving north.
A wedding in central Washington State gave me a wonderful opportunity to renew long term friendships and paint.
I so enjoyed the hospitality of the Berryman’s and staying at their ranch. As an artist, catching that great light in the morning and evening is so much easier if you are waking up and going to bed amidst the beautiful scenery. I painted Truman, the horse, one morning at 7am and these charming cows were painted on another evening.
If I ever have the chance to stay at Berryman Ranch again, I may take John Berryman up on his advice to paint the cows with a setup right in the pasture. I have no doubt about his prediction that the cows would come right up to inspect my work. Now there’s pressure.
