Brighter Tomorrows – Batiquitos Lagoon Path, near Carlsbad, California – California impressionist oil painting by Karen Winters
Brighter Tomorrows
20 x 24 inches – oil on canvas
Batiquitos Lagoon, near Carlsbad, California, San Diego County
SOLD
This is the largest oil painting I’ve painted so far, and I got a great deal of enjoyment from the process. I’ll likely be doing more larger size works, some in anticipation of my first solo show next May. This one is going to Descanso Gardens for our Encore Holiday show, hanging Friday and continuing at least through January 6 (maybe longer.)
Batiquitos Lagoon is a beautiful wetlands area popular with birders and hikers. We spent the later part of an afternoon there, and can hardly wait to get back for more. Because the light was changing so quickly, this large painting was not painted on site but was done in studio from my own photo references, on-site observations and field notes.
When it came time to name this painting, I first thought of simply entitling it “Batiquitos Lagoon Trail,” but it occurred to me that in these very stressful times something more hopeful and optimistic might better represent the feeling I tried to capture. So it is Brighter Tomorrows, and may yours be brighter with each passing day, too.
Sierra Nevada Oil Painting Landscape – Heaven and Nature Sing – California Impressionist painting
“Heaven and Nature Sing”
16 x 20 inches oil on canvas
SOLD
Although this one is sold, you can see more Sierra Nevada paintings here
This is one of my favorite new paintings inspired by our High Sierra trip, and it represents a view of the Sierras in the afternoon, not far from Crowley Lake. In the afternoon, when a storm is in the air, the clouds hover around the top of the mountain to be backlit by the sun. The effect is nothing short of spectacular and truly expresses a feeling of spiritual joy. With that in mind, as I was searching for a title for this, I remembered a line from the Christmas carol, “Joy to the World.” The refrain is “and heaven and nature sing …” Being there and seeing this magnificent mountain crowned with light, I truly felt that heaven and nature were singing. So there you have it.
The most challenging part of this painting, to my surprise, was not painting the clouds and the light – it was defining the many gullies and ridges, all in deep shadow, that decorate the eastern slope. The values are very close but there needs to be enough definition for the eye to read it as a sculptured geological form … but not SO much definition that it appears that the shapes are light-struck. So much in that area has to be suggested rather than spelled out, lest it lose some of the air of mystery. And *that* is a constant challenge.
This painting will be among the select group of new works that I’ll be taking to Descanso Gardens on Friday morning for our Encore year end show. So if you are in LA and want to see it in person, that’s where it will be. If you are out of town and wish to purchase it, please let me know and I will replace it in the show with another of my recent works.
California Art Club – Women’s City Club Show
“As the Parade Passed By”
12 x 15 watercolor on paper
Yesterday I was very happy to learn that this painting has been juried into the upcoming California Art Club exhibition, “Concertos in Color” at the historic Blinn House in Pasadena. The opening reception will be December 7, from 5-7 pm and it is free to all to attend. I hope that you will join me there to see wonderful works of art from painters all over California. I am thrilled and honored that this is the third time my work has been included in the biannual show.
I am also posting this as a reminder that the holidays are coming and I am delighted to paint portraits (and other subject matter) on commission. So if you’ve been thinking of a very special gift for a friend, family member or business associate, please write me. (karen@karenwinters.com) … and put commission in the subject line.
California Fall Landscape Oil Painting – Autumn Joy – Karen Winters
Autumn Joy
11 x 14 oil on canvas
(It was cloudy and rainy today so I couldn’t take the painting outdoors into natural light to photograph it, so there is some blurring that is not in the painting. I cant use a flash when the painting is wet, either. I’ll shoot it again when the weather is better. But it does look good in reality.)
In this typical California landscape, sycamore trees blaze with color on a local trail in Southern California. This scene is close to home in La Canada Flintridge, and I may be taking this painting next weekend to the Montrose Artwalk. If you’re a local person, look for me near the bowling alley on Honolulu Avenue in Montrose, zip code 91020.
If you’d like to purchase the painting before I take it to the artwalk, email me … karen@karenwinters.com
I came across a 1985 copy of Southwest Art the other day that had an article about artist Randall Lake, and some advice he had given to a student. Here are a few of the suggestions made:
“There are no short-cuts in this profession. For most of us, creativity has more to do with daily work than momentary inspiration. Don’t wait for the grand vision; work and re-work. When inspiration does come, your skills will be up to the task of using it effectively.”
“Painting is not a nine to five profession. It is a life’s work, whch demands that your schedule will vary.”
“Try many art forms and take risks. By that I mean go beyond what you are comfortable doing. If what you are doing doesn’t have the possiblity of failure, neither will it be brilliant. Exceptional accomplishment in any of the arts has always been the result of risk taking.”
“Always remain a student: learn through research, refinement and experimentation while remaining flexible. To paraphrase Henri Matisse: one should never become a prisoner of one’s style or reputation.”
Good words to live by as an artist!
San Gabriel View – California Impressionist Landscape
San Gabriel View
9 x 12 oil on linen
This painting is the first I’ve painted on linen, inspired by a workshop I took last weekend. The scene is of my own imagination/memory – a view of the San Gabriels in the northern part of the Arroyo Seco, AKA Hahamongna Park. I’ve painted there so many times that it feels like my own back yard.
Elizabeth Tolley, the instructor and gifted plein air painter, teaches a way of using transparent paints along with sheer opaques to get subtle layering effects. I tried out what I learned here, and I like the effect.
I told a friend of mine how much I loved working with the linen surface and she warned me that now that I’ve tried it I’ll be spoiled for painting on anything else. It’s pricey but oh so silky. Sigh …..
Ladyface Mountain Agoura Painting by California Impressionist Karen Winters
“Lovely Ladyface”
5 x 7 inch oil on canvas on board.
SOLD
Write me for more information about this special little painting in the plein air style.
I’m working on some larger paintings at the moment, so here is one from my archives that I haven’t posted before. It’s a spring view of Lady Face (or Ladyface) Mountain near Agoura and Thousand Oaks, California. Dressed in fresh spring garb, the mountain is a beautiful part of the Santa Monica Mountain range.
Although this painting is sold, I’m happy to paint something like it again as a commission.
<a href=”mailto:karen@karenwinters.com?subject=Ladyface mountain commission?”>
Click this link to write me.</a>
See more of my paintings on <a href=”http://www.karenwinters.com”>my website</a>.
Folklorico Dancers at Pasadena Civic Auditorium
Plein air oil painting
9 x 12 oil on canvas board
This may have been the most difficult plein air painting I’ve ever done. I’m not complaining, mind you. I love to paint outdoors and the dancers were beautiful with their colorful costumes, but it was just challenging for a variety of reasons. For one, the colors of the sunset changed moment by moment. I hadn’t taken into consideration how dark it would be when the dancers appeared in the plaza (yes, 7:30 is dark, it’s not summer any more, even though temps are still in the 90s!) And even though I arrived early to get the Paseo Pasadena background blocked in, the colors of the buildings changed by the minute. The dancers of the Clasica troupe performed for about a half an hour with one costume change. (This was the first costume, the second costumes were all white) It was the best I could do to get a suggestion of the swirling skirts. I hope the beautiful ladies will forgive me for not including faces, but I only had time for an impression of the scene – and the paint was flying!
Because plein air painting means simplifying the design and making choices about what to include and what not to include, I simplified this scene by just suggesting some of the major buildings in the Paseo Mall, the shape of the Sierra Madre Mountains, the foreground plaza and the dancers themselves. All the windows and details were reduced to a few glowing shapes to convey a night scene. The dark shapes of palms in the distance form a border to the setting. I left the painting of the ground under their feet until I got home and could assess what the painting needed.
I’m going to have to try “urban night” again sometime, and see if I can incorporate what I learned from this experience.
The dancers were appearing as part of opening night festivities for the Pasadena Symphony – and their performance was wonderful!
Laguna Beach Shores – Oil Painting Seascape by California Impressionist Karen Winters
Laguna Beach Shores
12 x 16 inches, oil painting on canvas
See all of my Laguna Beach paintings here
This painting is for sale. If you are interested in it please write: karen@karenwinters.com and use Laguna Beach Shores in the subject line. This is also on the seascape page of my website, see the link on the right under “Other Places on this Site”
For the past two summers we’ve enjoyed visiting Laguna not only to see the art festival but the sparkling beauty of the landscape, the golden shores and deep turquoise water. This new painting is a result of that inspiration.
What I especially like about this one: I like the contrast of the warm cliffs and sand against the complimentary cool blues and greens of the sea and landscaping of Heisler Park, which overlooks this serene scene.
South Pasadena Watercolor Painting – Buster’s Coffeehouse
Buster’s Coffeehouse – South Pasadena Landmark on Mission Street
11 x 15 watercolor on paper
SOLD
See more of my Pasadena area paintings here
This is the third painting that I submitted for the Rialto Visions benefit art show and sale, proceeds of which will help restore the Rialto Theater on Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena.
Buster’s is a favorite hangout of ours when we’re in South Pasadena. Not only do they have great coffee and the small neighborhood atmosphere you can’t find in the ubiquitous ChainBucks stores, but they sell Fosselman’s ice cream, which is truly wonderful. It’s sort of like the Cheers of coffeehouses – you always run into someone you know when you go there.
About 100 paintings were submitted for the show. Tonight at 7 pm, there’s a Collector’s Preview at the South Pasadena Library Community Room on El Centro Street. The $25 admission fee (for non-participating artists) will help support the theater’s restoration. Come meet the artists and see a lot of art, fresh off the easel.
South Pasadena Painting – Plein air Paint out – Arroyo Drive Sycamores
The Sycamores of Arroyo Drive, South Pasadena
12 x 16 oil painting
This painting is available.
Write karen@karenwinters.com
This is the second in the series of paintings I’ll be bringing to the California Art Club Rialto Visions show. The Collector’s Preview is Tuesday night at the South Pasadena Library on El Centro Ave. Last week I was on Arroyo Drive, which skirts the Arroyo Seco in South Pasadena. Looking southward in the 400 block, the sycamores are just beginning to color up. In a few weeks they may either be brilliant orange and gold or a dusty brown. The coloration change seems to vary with the weather. In the afternoon the light streams through the trees, casting long shadows across the street. A baseball field in to the right, down the hill behind the trees. Although I paint architecture (and my architectural subjects have found new homes quite well) I still have a special fondness for trees and afternoon light. So how could I resist?
It’s sycamore season – that’s what it is … and I just love to paint their luminous trunks that pick up every color in the environment, at times looking violet, dusky brown or shades of orange and apricot, depending upon what’s close by.
Update on my relative: she is speaking again and seems to have weathered this storm. At 93, anything can happen to cause a cascade of unfortunate results. We are practicing watchful waiting and trusting the excellent skills of her medical team. Our thanks for all the positive thoughts.
