Oak Hillside - Karen Winters Daily Painting
Oak Hillside - 9 x 12 oil on panel
It’s been a busy week - painting in a variety of plein air locations for a number of different upcoming shows. Yesterday I was camped out in Descanso Gardens - up in the camellia forest. I roamed around through the various pathways until this scene caught my attention. The light streaming through the oak trees and fresh young grass was inspiring. It was especially enjoyable talking to people who were taking walks on that beautiful pre-spring morning. As soon as the rainstorms stop coming, the grass will dry up and that green glow will be gone. So there’s a very short period of time to get this look. When I’m not painting en plein air I’m out with my camera trying to preserve some of the season’s beauty to enjoy later.
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Catching up a bit here … I said I had some good news to report. One of my paintings, “Persimmon & Plumbago” took first prize at the Verdugo Hills Art “Focus on Oils” show, and another, “Call of the Desert” received an honorable mention.
First on the prize and honorable mention, congratulations. You see, you’re on your way.
I’ve been to Descanso, several times, the first was a watercolor workshop with Robert Landry (my second with him) so many years ago! I remember him painting the top of a distant mountain, covered with some snow. He exclaimed, “I got that just like I want to!” Lovely place. So good there are still places like that to enjoyl I remember sketching there, an occasion after the workshop, sitting on my stood and painting in my Aquabee Super Deluxe. And, yes, people would stop by, some even complimenting me, a bit of a miracle at that stage of my learning! That sketch turned out a lot better than I expected!
That looks like one of those Russian easels (Marilyn Simandle likes that one too, I think, or at least used to). And, I see that Masterson Staywet palette box. I find a number of artists use it that way. I remember David Millard (Joy of Watercolor) used to carry his 40 color watercolor palette in that box on trips, so that it wouldn’t be damaged. Not to be outdone, I have two for my acrylics
Nice work, your painting, as usual. You got that green!
Congratulations on your wins, Karen. They’re both beautiful paintings and the honour is well deserved.
CONGRATULATIONS, KAREN!!! Both — so well deserved! Your paintings are just getting better and better and better!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS, KAREN!!! Both — so well deserved! Your paintings are just getting better and better and better!!!!! It’s so nice that others recognize that too!!
Lovely light and shade which is something I mostly ignore in my own work, but you notice it every time. Reminds me of a lovely little glade I discovered in the middle of a grove of ti-trees down at the beach. Suddenly there was this well-lit space with the grey trees all around.
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Wendy, you are very observant - yes, I am really drawn to light. More and more it’s what I look for before I start a painting. If the light’s not interesting I have two choices 1) don’t paint it or 2) try to make it interesting. When painting plein air style it’s impossible to paint different lighting conditions than what I see in front of me … so I usually move to find something that works better. In studio I can tweak a reference to make it more interesting, but in nature, no way!
Congratulations on the prize, it was well deserved And today´s painting is just lovely - I really like how you captured that light. It looks so warm and bright. Very beautiful.
Karen, that is a beautiful painting. You have depicted the quality of the light so beautifully, that I think an observer could almost feel the warmth of it on their skin.
I was wondering where you got your Yarka easel…
Thanks and congratulations on such beautiful work.
That pallet looks great.
I especially like photo of your picture in front of the source.
I would like to sit and watch you compose
CONGRATULATIONS! And well deserved too! This painting is beautiful - I love the light coming through the trees. Just the sort of spot I like to find myself in.
Beautiful scene. I would be there to see you working.
Very impressive paintings… beautiful work.