Bouys & Boats -a plein air painting from Balboa Island

oil 12x9 inches and framed. magnify Monday, August 1st was pretty warm on the island and I ended up painting in direct sun. So by Tuesday I took advantage of morning overcast. At first, no sun and shadow, but they were both on the way, so I planned to add the lights at the end of my painting session. Available at Debra Huse Gallery, 229 Marine Ave, Suite E, Balboa Island, CA 949-723-6171

Boats & Bouys -a plein air oil painting from Balboa Island, CA -sold

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info Happy New Year everyone! This is my last painting of 2015. I took off down to Balboa Island on the last day of the year for some plein air with my feet in the sand. The sun was out and it was about 68 degrees in the shade. I was overdue for this kind of stuff, so it felt like Heaven. I used a very limited palette of color: T white, Cad Yellow light, Cad Red light, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt and Alizarin. I painted pretty fast in an effort to keep it fresh, not overworked. It took me two hours to drive home in the holiday traffic, but I don't mind. It was a great way to end the year.

Beach Creek

oil 8x10 inches magnify/purchase Painted on location at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Where's the haystack? Waaaay off to my left. I chose this scene for the clouds. My linseed oil was missing from my pack when I started, so I painted this without any. Too far to walk back to camp. I discovered that while manganese blue works well for sky and water in Southern California, I needed ultramarine for these northern scenes. Lots of grayed blues. A HISTORY NOTE: This is Ecola Creek flowing into the ocean. Ecola is the Native American word for whale. The story goes that Lewis & Clark were nearby when they heard there was a beached whale at this location. They traveled to this spot to see it and named the creek. IN OTHER NEWS: I'm off to Victoria Gardens to paint. Last day of the show. I've talked to so many nice art lovers, and done two sunflower paintings so far. Once I have posted all the paintings from the trip, I'll share photos from the show.

Oregon Coast

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase Painted on location about twelve miles north of Gold Beach, Oregon. I liked the gray sand in this location. We stayed at a campground very near this spot, called Honey Bear. Privately owned by a friendly German couple. On Saturday night they served a nice dinner in their German style dining hall. Live entertainment before and after included the owner singing German songs. Fun stuff. IN OTHER NEWS: I'm happy to announce that I received First Place in Oil at the Art Show last night for my painting "Sunflowers and Eucalyptus." I was also awarded the Pomona Valley Art Association Award for "Hibiscus High." Thank you to Associated Artists of the Inland Empire for all their hard work putting on a great show and promoting arts in the area for fifty years! I'll share some pictures in the next post.

Heading Home

After my first painting of the trip, I casually suggested that maybe we could write off our trip as a business expense if I keep painting. My CPA husband became quite the slave driver after that. Once in a while he let me stop painting to fix him a meal. This one is from about twelve miles north of Gold Beach, Oregon. Tomorrow morning we'll head out early. Two days of driving and we'll be home. I have lots of paintings to share. IN OTHER NEWS: Next weekend, Sept. 5-7 I'll be painting at the Associated Artists of the Inland Empire's Art Show and Sale. Victoria Gardens' Celebration Hall at the Cultural Center in Rancho Cucamonga. If you're in the area, come enjoy the great variety of work. Hope to see you.

A Little Dinghy 2 -SOLD

oil 12x9 inches magnify/purchase After painting A Little Dinghy I wanted to bring down the horizon line, tweak the color in the water and include three objects rather than just two. Might as well go a bit larger while I'm at it.

Abalone Point -SOLD

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase The last day camping I ventured down into the sand for this one. There was a cold wind blowing, so I practically had the cove all to myself. Having had limited experience painting moving water, here was a great opportunity. I had a blast.

Sea View Path

oil 8x10 inches magnify/purchase

Rusty Relic

oil 9x12 inches click for purchase info and magnifier Fellow artist, Nick Brown gave me permission to use his reference photo for this piece, painted last September. The old boat is located in Inverness, CA, and is a favorite subject for painters and photographers.

Pismo Sands

oil 9x12 not for sale Of the paintings I did at the Fair, this is one of my favorites. I plan to paint a larger version, which is why it's not for sale. Tomorrow is the Tustin Art Walk and I'm all packed and ready. Armstrong's Nursery there in Old Town Tustin gave me permission to set up in their patio area and paint their beautiful fountain. So for the past three mornings I painted in the shade listening to the fountains nearby. Not a bad deal! Hope to get a good shot of the finished painting tomorrow morning before I take it to the judging area. Thinking about coming out for the Art Walk? There'll be 60 artist booths, live music and wine tasting too! I'll be near the corner of Prospect and Main. Come say hi and hang out a while!

Haystack Rock View -sold

oil 8x16 inches This is a commissioned painting for a client who contacted me by email. Her husband took a great photo of Haystack Rock while they were on vacation, and the painting is a surprise birthday gift for him. I really enjoyed working on this one, partly because I've visited haystack myself, but mostly because of the client's excitement about the commission. It was such fun to take part in a special birthday surprise!

Cliff Hangers -sold

oil 12x16 inches click for purchase information and zoom Painted from a photo I took in La Jolla. These gulls were right on the edge of the sea cliff, probably a safe spot form all the people walking by. I had a great time with this one. I almost always use flats, but this time a soft round brush made a perfect mark for all that ice plant. Painted on gallery wrap canvas. The foliage, sand and water colors wrap around the sides. Ready to hang.

Field Sketch, Laguna Beach

oil 9x12 inches click here for purchase information Yesterday I drove down to Laguna Beach for a meetup with SOCALPAPA, Southern California Plein Air Painters Association. A cold rain was forecast, so I really didn't know what to expect. The sun shone and the sky was beautifully cloudy. No other painters in sight. I painted anyway and absolutely loved being out in the weather. Rain, hail and wind, but I was layered up and warm. Next time I'll remember a hat with a brim to keep the rain off my glasses, and a big umbrella. I wore my fingerless gloves for the first time, and with the latex over they stayed warm and dry.

Haystack Rock SOLD

oil on canvas panel 8x16 inches

In 2005 we visited Cannon Beach, Oregon, the location of this often painted and photographed rock. It was a misty morning after a rainy night (we enjoyed inside our tent!). I thought it would be a great painting if I could capture the subtle grays and reflections. Painting atmosphere is a blast. The painting is best viewed in person.