Malibu Creek Afternoon by Karen Winters - oil painting - Santa Monica Mountains
“Malibu Creek Afternoon” 16 x 20 oil on canvas
A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of visiting Malibu Creek State Park, deep in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains. While our children were growing up we made many visits to ponds and hiking trails throughout the range, but we never visited this beautiful place. Sycamores line the banks of the creek (they’re all green now) but I’m planning return visits in the summer and fall to see how the landscape changes. This point of view is from the bridge by the visitor’s center, if you know the area. The scene depicted is about 3:30 in the afternoon.
Last week I had the pleasure of taking a watercolor workshop from Dale Laitinen, which was excellent. I learned a lot not only about different watercolor techniques but about abstract design and composition. I’ll be posting some of those in the next few days. Right now I’m trying to compile a list of paintings to enter in various shows, and to prep for a number of sales.
More later
That’ll sell very fast. Beautiful!
I love this!! You really captured the atmosphere of the place and that water is perfect.
Wow! That water is terrific!
Oh Karen, just may step into this peaceful scene for a breath of fresh air. Lovely!
This has superb colours and would be a painting you could live with in a home. So you still go to classes. I think you’re past that and could do your own thing or teach others. Though teaching often takes time away and energy away frm your own creativity. I hardly painted during the years I taught art/music/phys ed. etc. Too many hours helping kids, no time to draw, though I did mooch around the markets in Suva occasionally to make oil pastel pics. Gave them all away of course so occasionally I got a surprise when I saw one of my pics in a humble thatched hut or two room flat in the city.
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Beautif sense of distance in this and such a feeling of a perfect spring day! Looking forward to reading your tips. Good luck with the shows!
Well done, lovely painting. To me, particularly impressive the reflections: clean color, convincing.
On Dale Laitinen, yes, yes, one of the excellent contemporary watercolorists, very thorough in his planning (as planning out to be!), with also masterful techniques and exquisite effects in his painting. Recently, I too have grown to appreciate how effective and efficient abstract design can be. Kevin Macpherson, too, as I’m sure you know (since I first heard of him from your comments a while back), has an abstract phase in his oils procedure. Actually I’ve known about that for aspect of design and painting a goodly number of years; it just takes me a while for it to sink in!
This is beautiful. The water looks so real and refreshing!
Great post, I really enjoyed it. I will have to bookmark this site for later.