Sunday, April 24, 2011

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Early Summer Tranquility

The near-symmetry and tranquility of this location was what appealed to me when I painted the study for this scene a couple of years ago. In reality, I was awkwardly sitting (impossible to stand) on the shoulder of a busy highway very early on a chilly morning. I tried to imagine that I was somewhere warm and quiet. 14x11", oil on linen.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Wildflowers Near Sunset

This was near the end of the day as the sun was getting very low in the sky. The wind was becoming quite chilly, but the light was really beautiful. Study 8x6", oil on linen.

Wildflowers Among The Oaks

The study above was painted about noon; it was a gorgeous day for a picnic among the wildflowers. The study below was my warmup painting -- not wild about my composition choices, but I liked seeing the still-snowy Sierra in the distance. Studies 8x6 & 8x4", oil on linen.

Spring Wildflowers

Last weekend, Ernesto Nemesio, Bill Cone and I went out to paint wildflowers on Table Mountain near Oroville, California. The swathes of lush color were gorgeous and challenging to compose around. The miniature wild lupines were particularly prolific. It reminded me of turn-of-the-twentieth-century early California landscapes, a la Granville Redmond.