Catalina Harbor Cat Harbor California seascape oil painting by Karen Winters
Catalina Harbor
SOLD
10 x 20 oil on canvas
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The evening sun slips below the mountains of the isthmus of Catalina, separating the Two Harbors, a popular destination for sailing, hiking and other recreation. This painting was purchased by a family member in San Francisco, for another family member in Southern California as a birthday present. It was my pleasure to be in on the surprise, and I delivered the present in person this morning, to their delight.
A gift of art is something that will always be appreciated, and more than that – treasured – for many years to come. The giver doesn’t have to worry about the gift becoming outdated, or fret that Painting 2.0 will be released soon after the present is opened. Nor need they fret that the recipient may have just bought the identical item at Best Buy or Costco. A painting usually carries a message of deep emotion – a celebration of a special time together, a milestone, like an anniversary, or a meaningful shared experience like a wedding proposal or the birth of a child; the purchase of a first home. A gift of art is the making of an heirloom, and though it comes at a price, it is priceless.
When “fire season” comes in Southern California, I’ve heard people in Malibu interviewed about what they grab from their homes. The answers are always the same: First, the living creatures (people and pets); second – family photo and videos; third – original art. What does that tell you about art’s deep meaning and connectedness to our lives?
Malibu Canyon ranch commissioned oil painting by California impressionist Karen Winters
Malibu Canyon Ranch
8 x 10 inches
oil on linen panel
SOLD
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See more of my Malibu paintings here
This little painting was commissioned as a surprise birthday present by a client of mine for whom I’ve previously done three paintings. She was looking for something western and we agreed upon this subject, which is a location not far from where her son did post-graduate work. It was fun to paint – the Santa Monica Mountains in early spring, just as some of the trees are still getting their leaves.
Descanso Gardens Rose Garden Summer Oil Painting by California impressionist Karen Winters
“Descanso Gardens Rose Garden”
(with roses and crepe myrtle)
12 x 16 oil on canvas
This is one of the paintings I’ll be bringing to Descanso Gardens for the opening of my solo exhibition on Nov. 2. The show will hang in the Heritage Gallery in the Boddy House mansion and will continue through January 2, 2012.
My reception will be on Sunday, Nov. 13 from 1-4 pm.
The summer light filters through the trees surrounding the rose garden, and gently touches all of the floral beauty, from crepe myrtles to roses to other perennial plants. I love the look of the late slanting light.
Moonstone Beach, Cambria, oil painting – California impressionist seascape by Karen Winters
Moonstone Beach
20 x 32 oil on canvas
SOLD (painted on commission)
If you’d like to commission a custom painting of the California central coast or any location, please write.
This painting was finished last April and in all the hustle bustle of getting ready for shows and paint outs, I neglected posting it here. It was a studio painting, based upon smaller studies that I did ‘en plein air’ on location. This is a typical way for me to work – to study a subject from life, and then to produce larger pieces in the studio when I can explore them slowly and thoughtfully. The original study was painted during a paint out with the California Art Club.
Alone in the Sunset – Sunset Tree Portrait – Placerita Canyon, Santa Clarita Plein air painting by Karen Winters
“Alone in the Sunset”
(Placerita Canyon, Santa Clarita Valley, CA)
10 x 8 plein air oil painting
Most of the time when I paint landscapes, the trees are part of a whole scene, rather than dominating it. In this case, the tree is featured as if in a portrait. An individual portrait is to a crowd scene as a tree portrait is to a grove. Some times, it’s fun to just study the branches and structure of a plant and to note its behavior – how it has been bent by the forces of nature. That was my objective in this painting, experimenting with the warms and cools and the way the light plays around the edges of forms at the end of the day.
California Golden Hills Landscape Plein Air Oil Painting by Karen Winters – Walker Basin Overlook –
SOLD
“Walker Basin Overlook”
8 x 10 oil on plein air panel
Plein air painting in Kern County at the Rankin Ranch, September 2011
See more of my landscapes here
This morning view, painted on location north of Caliente, California, is in the very southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada range. Although the mountains are small in this location, they will likely be much taller some day, as the plate boundaries move and continue to elevate the peaks. The rabbitbrush is in full bloom, a welcome sight every fall in this part of California. This was painted during a paint out with the California Art Club
Lucky Fortune Cookie Oil Painting by Karen Winters
“Lucky Fortune Cookie”
6 x 6 oil painting
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I will leave it to your imagination what the whole text of the fortune is. Maybe it says “In love you will be lucky.” Or “Today is the day you’ll be lucky.” Or, if you’re more of a pessimist than an optimist, it may say “One of these days you might finally get lucky.”
Add a little luck to your life with this miniature (6 x 6″) original oil still life.
Plein Air art Lightner Peak Walker Basin Oil Painting – Morning Light – California impressionist landscape by karen Winters
Morning Light on Lightner Peak
9 x 12 plein air oil painting on panel
Walker Basin, view from Rankin Ranch of Lightner Peak,
Kern County oil painting
A few days ago I had an opportunity to paint at the Rankin Ranch near Caliente in the Walker Basin, Kern County. This was painted 95% on location, and corrected in minor ways in the studio when the painting was dryer. It’s one of many plein air paintings that I did during our stay, more to come.
Below, a shot of me working on it on location:
The painting looks warmer in the large photo because it was taken under indoor light (warmer) which is the way it will likely be viewed in someone’s home or office. The outdoor photo captures how it looks under shady outdoor light, which is bluer.
Half Dome, Yosemite painting, from Glacier Point by Karen Winters
Half Dome, from Glacier Point, Yosemite
12 x 16″ original oil painting
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More Yosemite paintings here
More Sierra Nevada paintings here
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From the valley floor, Yosemite’s Half Dome is a lofty structure. But it is only from Glacier point, when you can look across the valley at it, that you see the true size of Yosemite’s massive landmark. This painting depicts the monumental formation in early summer, when there is still some snow evident on its flanks. Soon, the snows will come and shroud it in whiteness once again.
Sunset Palms in California – Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting
“Sunset Palms”
9 x 12 oil on birch ply panel
In Los Angeles you can look almost anywhere and see rows of palm trees in the distance, lining a street. This group just happens to be adjacent to my house, which comes in handy for painting. The sunset was spectacular a few nights ago – presenting a veritable rainbow of hues from blue violet through pink, yellow and orange. If there ever was a subject that said “California” – this is it.
Interested in this painting?
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