Paintings from Sonoma

Nothing but Blue Skies, 10 x 20 inches, pastel.

Beautiful Valley, 20 x 16 inches, oil.

Here are two paintings that I completed during the Sonoma Plein Air Festival in May. I will bring them to the Napa Valley Art Festival on Saturday, August 15.

Los Gatos Plein Air Festival

Playing in the Fountain, 12 x 16 inches, oil. 3rd place winner!

Los Gatos Garden, 9 x 12 inches, pastel.

Last weekend was the Los Gatos Plein Air Art festival--I won third place, which is very nice! The first painting was done in the town square with the kids all enjoying the water on a warm spring day.

Sonoma Plein Air

Sweet Spring Rain, 9 x 12 inches, oil.

Wine Country in the Rain, 16 x 20 inches, oil.

This week I am painting in Sonoma for the Sonoma Plein Air Festival. Since it is raining, it is time for cool and hopefully subtle colors. It will clear soon, so check back for some sunnier paintings. I enjoyed painting both of these very much, even if they are done in two different painting styles--I was joking with some artist freinds that I suffer from multiple artistic style disorder.

Delta Painting

Slow Water, 18 x 24 inches, oil.

This is a work in progress, further exploring the impressionist theme. I keep getting happier with it, so I will continue to work on it. I am learning that Monet why painted with dibs and dabs of paint; because editing and continueine from day to day is very easy--I never have to worry about melding the paint strokes together. The tackiness of the paint does not influence the painting, unlike when I am working with a palette knife, or more conventional brushstrokes and have to put an entirely new skin on a painting if I want to change something.

Open Studios this weekend!

Morning Barn, 24 x 36 inches, pastel.

Open Studios at Cubberley Studios
Building E, Studio 6

11-5 pm Saturday and Sunday
May 2 and 3

Please join 20 artists for open studios this weekend. Some of us will have workstations set up for you to try out our media. Admission is free and all are welcome. More information is available at Cubberley Studios.com

Spring Morning in Winters

Spring Morning in Winters, 18 x 24 inches, pastel.

Winters Quick Draw

That's my Baby, 11 x 14 inches, pastel.

This car was parked along the Winters main street during the quick draw--the title is how the owner described the car to me as I was painting it. I had to borrow a stronger turquoise from a fellow pastelist to get the color correct.

Painting in Winters

In the Orchards, 16 x 20 inches, pastel.

I just participated in the Briggs and Co. Gallery Winters Plein Air Event. The landscape out in the San Joaquin Valley is lovely--flat farm country with the Sierra in the distance. The farmland is planted to tomatoes, wheat, alfalfa, or orchards of citrus and walnuts. This painting is done in a walnut orchard.

Carmel Beach Impression, 16 x 20 inches, pastel.

Carmel in the Evening Light, 16 x 18 inches, pastel.