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.

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.

Spring Thaw

11x14", Oil on Linen

Marin Lea

From a few studies a couple of weeks ago in Marin County. 14x11", oil on linen.

Big Boulder

14x11", oil on linen.

Spring Patterns

The patterns of this scene were a challenging subject to attempt. 14x9 inches, oil on linen.

October Aspens

Painting fall colors, especially aspens are one of my favorite things. This small painting was painted from a series of studies I did in eastern Idaho a couple of autumns ago. 11x14, oil on linen.

Snowy Forest

I can't seem to go very long before I have an irresistible urge to paint a snow scene. I like everything about them: being outside standing in the snow, the design challenges, the light and color, the interesting shapes and textures, and the quiet. This may be my Christmas card this year. I'm working on a series of smaller paintings for a show this fall; this is the first of hopefully many. The study for this was painted in northeastern Oregon. 14x11", oil on linen.

June Morning

I painted the study for this piece a couple of summers ago on a June morning just after daybreak. The air was very atmospheric due to a combination of moisture and the haze of distant wildfires. I may refine it a bit more before I call it done. 24x18, oil on linen.

Lazy Early Spring Afternoon

A small herd of young Holstein heifers kept me company as I was painting this study. Some of them were posing for me as you can see, but most of them were behind me and beside me watching me paint. Some came as close as a couple of feet to get a good view; they were very curious. One of them had a cough, poor thing. This was a perfect setting for a picnic. Study 8x6, oil on linen.

Grazing At Noon

This was the first study I painted yesterday, about noon. The new green grass has not yet grown above the height of last years dead grass, so there is an assortment of mellow tawny hues mixed in with the vibrant fresh greens. The evergreen varieties of trees look like summer, but there are many deciduous varieties that have yet to bud. There is a modest sprinkling of early wildflowers, but the main show is yet to come. Study 8x6, oil on linen.

Spring Atmosphere

Ernesto and I both painted this view, but I think I prefer his composition choice. The weeping leaves of this tree with the atmospheric hills behind captured both of us. Study 8x6, oil on linen.

Late Afternoon

Ernesto and I went out painting again yesterday. It was a beautiful early spring day in Marin County. This was the last study I painted as the sun was getting low in the late afternoon. It was amazing how quickly the temperature dropped when the sun dipped below the horizon. The clouds in the sky were the early leading edge of the warm front that moved in overnight. Study 8x6, oil on linen.

Website Updated

At long last, my website is up-to-date; well mostly. And it is now possible to contact me through my website "contact" button. www.calahanfineart.com

Pearls and Rust

Last weekend, Ernesto and I went out painting on Alexander Mountain, above Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, better than the typical Bay Area summer day. The rust was very thick and all I could think about was remembering a quote (I think by the great Edgar Payne) something along the lines of, "Nature does not scatter pearls for lazy painters". I kept thinking that she doesn't scatter pearls for rusty ones either. Still, it was wonderful to be outside and painting. Looking forward to going again soon! Both studies are 8x6, oil on linen.

Show Moves To The North Point Gallery Next Month

After our small group show leaves Holton Studio Frame-Makers next month, you will find it at The North Point Gallery in San Francisco, along with a few new works. The show will run from February 3rd until March 5th. An artist's reception and preview will be on Wednesday, February 2nd between 5 & 7pm. Happy New Year!

Tumbled Bales

I finally had some time to paint this weekend. It has been many months since I have picked up a brush. Wow, am I rusty! I hardly knew which end to hold; not working as deliberately as I would like and feeling a little tentative. I'll probably let this one sit for a bit and see if I want to rework it. I painted the study for this one just over two years ago in Idaho. There is always something that I remember in particular about the experience of painting each study. This one I remember that I had a 15 minute time limit, and I remember the day as being a beautiful, calm, warm autumn day. 18x13", oil on linen.

Group Show

A few friends (Ernesto Nemesio, Bill Cone and Dice Tsutsumi) and myself are having a small group show at Holton Studios. The opening is this Saturday evening from 4-6. Drop by if you are in the neighborhood. The show runs from December 4th through January 8th.

Summer Hay

I thought I'd dive into this sooner rather than later while the study was fresh in my mind and still in my studio. 40x20 Oil on Linen.

Summer Haying

This is a small painting that I would like to paint up into a larger piece at some point. It is a an auction donation piece to benefit this year's Wallowa Valley Festival of the Arts, June 4-6 in beautiful Joseph Oregon. This view was painted just outside Joseph in the Wallowa Valley. 12x6 Oil on Linen.

Winter Stream

Another snow painting from my Christmas studies. I'm not sure that I'm finished with this one yet. I think I need to let it sit for a bit and then come back to it. 24x18 Oil on Linen.

Winter Calm

I love to paint snow paintings because the snow exaggerates design choices, for better or worse. It certainly forces one to concentrate on every shape and edge. There is much to learn from the Russian masters since they faced this challenge often. As I was painting the study for this, I was standing on the ice shelf that was breaking up, trying to see how close I could safely stand near the edge. It was a beautiful morning and I loved every minute of being out in the snow painting. 24x18, Oil on Linen. SOLD at auction to benefit the Wallowa Memorial Hospital in Enterprise Oregon.

Autumn Pond

I painted this little painting a month or so ago for a benefit auction later this month. It was fun to do a smaller painting, I haven't done one for a while. I have several larger paintings in the works at the moment; two snow paintings from my Christmas studies are nearing completion. I will be posting them soon. 9x12 Oil on Linen.

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Looking The Other Direction

Painting backlit snow is very difficult, as I discovered today. It is troublesome to judge color or value when one is looking into something so bright. I think I have exhausted this subject for a while, and will try something else tomorrow. The ice was cracking all around me as I was painting this, but I managed to stay dry. This view is looking the opposite direction from the one I painted yesterday. The colors look better in person than they do here on this post. Overall, it was a magical day, yesterday's heavy fog combined with a zero Fahrenheit overnight temperature creating a thick flocking on everything in the valley. A very gentle breeze blew the crystals into the air where they seemed to hover and sparkle like diamonds in the sunshine against the deep blue sky. It was very Doctor Zhivago. Study 6x8 oil on linen.

Boxing Day Bliss

There is nothing I love more than going out on a beautiful sunny, snowy day to paint. And this week I can't seem to get enough of trying to paint this creek. Today I braved the slippery wet rocks to get a view from the middle of the streambed. This study is my favorite one so far; I am not tired of trying this subject matter yet. There is another view I want to try, but I haven't found the right lighting conditions for it yet; maybe tomorrow. I arose before dawn today and it was crystal clear, but quickly the ground fog moved in and it became as thick as pea soup, and seems to be lingering all day in the valley. You can practically watch the hoar frost form on the trees; flocking everything, including the downy winter coats on the livestock, into barely discernable tints of color. It was tempting to try a fog scene, but since the weather looks like it is going to become overcast soon, I thought I'd drive up above the fog to paint the creek again. Study 6x8" oil on linen.

My Christmas Wish

All I wanted for Christmas was sunshine, snow, calm winds, time to paint, and World Peace. Four out of five isn't too bad. It couldn't have been a more perfect morning to paint. If this weather holds, I'll be heading out again tomorrow. Both studies are 6x8 oil on linen. The snow wasn't super fresh, but there was a lovely inch or so of feathery hoar frost on everything which made the snow extra sparkly and lacy (see below), definitely a winter wonderland. The second study here is the one I painted first, fairly early in the morning, and I could hear the coyotes yipping in the distance. Merry Christmas one and all.

Christmas Eve Serenity

I finally had a chance to get out and paint today in the snow. It was overcast, but otherwise a beautiful morning. Twenty degrees and absolutely calm. I managed to find something I wanted to paint and found a nice, quiet site to relax. I really liked the location so I may try to return later in the week and try it again, hopefully with better results and maybe a little more sunshine. Study 6x8" Oil on Linen.

June Pasture

I finished this painting yesterday, although I painted the study for it on a beautiful early morning in June 2008 in northeastern Oregon. If I could begin every day like that, I would be a happy girl. I was thankful for Gore-Tex boots since I was half-standing in the chilly flowing water of a runoff ditch. Across the road were some long-horned cattle with the biggest horns I have ever seen (see below). I kept imagining what it must feel like to go around all day with the weight of a bowling ball on each side of my head. Of course if I had tried to paint one of those beauties into my painting, it would have looked like a cartoon. The steer I did paint are the more ubiquitous Hereford breed raised for beef. They seemed to graze in a synchronized languid pace, wandering in the same direction down the long pasture, turning as a group and leisurely ambling and munching on the way back. I am happy with this piece because I think I managed to capture the mood of that bucolic morning. 40x20", Oil on Linen.

Aspens Glowing in the Afternoon Sunshine

I also painted this one a little while ago, but I'm unsure how I feel about it. I had fun painting it though. It was painted from a couple of studies I did a year ago. I had hiked up into a remote spot to paint, and as the sun became lower and lower, I became more and more paranoid about grizzly bears since they were very active getting fat for their winter hibernation. 24x18 oil on linen.

Autumn Hillside

I painted this from a study done a year ago in eastern Idaho, near Wyoming, in the Victor Valley. I painted it a while ago, but I keep fussing with it. 30x24 oil on linen.

Pass Creek

I painted this one a while ago, but never got around to posting it, probably because I wasn't sure if I was done with it. I'm still not sure. The study was painted in eastern Idaho last September, a year ago this week. When I was painting the study, I spotted what I believe was a beautiful North American Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata). 36x24 oil on linen.

Early Spring in Sonoma County

I painted the study for this painting last spring (technically winter, but to me winter means snow). It was probably January or February, one of those rare pleasant winter days between storms where the radiant heat from the sun is instantly missed as it sets at 4:30 in the afternoon. I was actually painting a different view. It was getting late, I was shivering already and packing up to go home. I turned toward the car and this scene in the last of the afternoon light begged to be painted. My study was very rushed, I just tried to get a few color notes, but it was enough. I spotted the study in my pile and decided it was time to paint it up. I started a smaller canvas and by the time I had finished my rough-in I knew I wanted it bigger, so I grabbed a bigger canvas and started over. I'm glad I did, it is my new favorite. 30x24 oil on linen.

Sequoia Watchtower

I worked this study up to 24x18 a couple of weekends ago. It was a nice way to keep the memory of the trip fresh in my mind while it was still aching in my joints. :)

Sequoia National Park Backcountry

A few studies from my backcountry painting trip last week in Sequoia National Park. All studies are 6x8", oil on linen. The study above is the view toward Watchtower rock

along the popular Pear Lake trail at roughly 9,000 feet. Pear Lake sits in a deep granite bowl at 9,500 feet. A small group of us painted for three beautiful days this year. We had one day of high clouds, wind and flat light, but mostly it was sunny and pleasant. Coyote, pika, chipmunks, bats, mountain bluebirds, and tiny pearl grey mice with white bellies were abundant. I spotted a large buck and an occasional hummingbird at 9,500 feet. The American Pika is an endangered species, threatened by the effects of global warming, so it was nice to see these extremely cute creatures.

We had mostly crystal clear skies, but one morning was more atmospheric. I could smell blueberry pancakes cooking on the camp stove as I was painting the study below.

On the first morning, after not much sleep, I arose well before sunrise to paint, not realizing that the sun doesn't illuminate anything in the lake basin until later in the morning.

The sun also leaves the lake basin well before sunset.

On the hillside above my tent site there were a few gnarled old white pines in interesting shapes growing out of cracks in the granite.

Most of the Lake was surrounded by these steep granite walls that were streaked with mineral deposits. The lake is not particularly deep, and the color consisted of deep jewel tones.

In a couple of places, the granite was interrupted with areas of vegetation. I thought the shapes in this area were really interesting.

Near Jenner

I hadn't been out painting on location for a while and felt very rusty as I tried this seascape study near Jenner. Of course, when one is feeling rusty, a seascape is probably not the easiest subject; however, it was a glorious evening on the beach, clear and calm. The study is 8x6", oil on linen.

Pacific Morning

This painting is 24x20, Oil on Linen. It was painted from a study done last June, near Jenner. I'll shoot a better photo of it when I can varnish it.

Napa November

This painting is 24x18, Oil on Linen. It was painted from a study done last November in Napa County. I'll shoot a better photo of it when I can varnish it. And the color correction on this is terrible!

Boxing Day Breakfast

Another snow painting. This was painted from a couple of studies from last December. I'll take a better photo of it when I can varnish it and make it less shiny. This painting is 24x18, Oil on Linen.