“View from the River” oil on panel, 11×14″
I think the title says it all.
Archive for the ‘trees’ Category
View from the River
Monday, October 6th, 2008Backlit
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
“Backlit”, oil on panel, 11×14″
I don’t usually paint back-lit subjects when painting outside, but I really liked the light coming through the bay tree. It will be an interesting place to come back to once we get some rain and everything is green again.
Winding Trail
Thursday, August 28th, 2008
“Winding Trail”, oil on panel, 11×14
Upward Path
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008
Rolling Hills
Monday, August 18th, 2008
“Rolling Hills” oil on panel, 8×10, $320
I’ve painted at Mt. Burdell Open Space plenty of times, but the other day I found a different entrance to the park, and so a whole new set of vistas for me to paint. I did a set of 5 paintings pretty much from the same spot over the course of two days. This one is looking out towards Sears Point across the Petaluma river.
Pepper Road Oaks
Saturday, August 2nd, 2008
“Pepper Road Oaks”, oil on panel, 8×10, $320
Laguna Oak
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
“Laguna Oak”, oil on panel, 11×14, $425
We’re in a common summer morning fog weather pattern here in Northern California. Sometimes I like painting in the fog because the light stays so constant, at least until the fog burns off. But right now my tomatoes could use a little more sun.
In progress
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
“Towering Eucalyptus” oil on canvas, 24×24″
I apologize for the photo quality – this is off my easel and the lighting isn’t set up for photography. I generally use my scanner for small paintings, but large paintings require a sunny day in the afternoon when I’ve got the perfect shady photo spot in the back yard. Much easier than setting up the photo lights for shooting indoors. I’ve been working on this painting for a while now and wanted to share some larger work in progress. I thought it might be done, but looking at it again I’m not entirely sure. What do you think?
When I first started painting landscapes, I was very conscious of not wanting to paint Eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees aren’t native to California, and they release compounds that inhibit the growth of any native species that might try to grow near them. So as a botanist, I think of them as noxious weeds. And the fact that I’m allergic to them doesn’t help win my affections. But they’re pretty ubiquitous around here. They were planted extensively as wind breaks around farms and ranches, and they’re very difficult to remove. As I’ve been painting more barns and agricultural themes, the Eucalyptus have been sneaking in. And I have to admit they have a certain grandeur to them.
Oak Knoll
Thursday, April 12th, 2007
“Oak Knoll” oil on canvas, 12×24″ SOLD
This is a studio painting I did after doing this plein air study. I’m really enjoying the long and skinny format. I think it makes it easier to enter the painting and have a sense of actually being present for some reason, maybe because it engages more of your peripheral vision. I bought a bunch of stretcher bars this afternoon to stretch more paintings in this size. I think they’ll be a good size to take outside as well.
And the exciting news of the day is I’ve consigned some paintings to American Artisans gallery in Nashville. Anne Elkins, the director, found me through Etsy, and I’m really looking forward to working with her. So if you know anyone in Tennessee, point them towards the gallery!
Eucalyptus Grove
Monday, March 26th, 2007
“Eucalyptus Grove” oil on canvas, 12×36″
One of my personal goals has been to try and find a way to do studio paintings that have the same life as my plein air work. I’m finding that one of the keys to good studio paintings for me is viewing my reference photos on the computer, rather than trying to print them out. And I think the other piece of the puzzle is doing the studio painting as soon as possible after completing the field study, so it’s easy to tap into the sense memory of what made that place special. This painting grew out of a frustrating plein air session, where I couldn’t seem to make things work. I realized when I got home that part of the problem was that the painting wanted to be long and skinny instead of my usual format. So I listened to what the painting had to say.