San Luis Obispo Plein Air Landscape Painting – When Sunrise Fills the Sky – SLO Art by Karen Winters

SOLD to a collector from Nipomo …

“When Sunrise Fills the Sky”
11 x 14 oil on linen plein air panel
Near Nipomo, San Luis Obispo County
Plein Air Landscape Oil Painting

I thought that I had photographed all the paintings I did last year at the CAC paint out, but I recently came across this one and thought I’d wait until spring to post it. It was painted near the Dana Adobe near Nipomo, as were the other two done that day at the California Art Club paint out.

In the early morning the sun broke through the moody fog with the promise of a beautiful day.

See more of my California Central Coast paintings here

My paintings have been recently featured in an article “Top 15 oil painting blogs” on this site. Thanks to the site owner, Andrea.

Gaviota Springtime – California Art Club Gold Medal Show – California Landscape Oil Painting by Karen Winters


“Gaviota Springtime”
11 x 14 oil on plein air panel
Central Coast California

SOLD

This painting is now in a private collection, but you can see more of my California Central Coast paintings here

Saturday is the opening night for the Centennial of the California Art club’s Gold Medal Show. I’m very happy to have my painting, “Gaviota Springtime,” included in this historic exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. The early members of the California Art Club include such legendary painters as William Wendt, Edgar Payne, Benjamin Brown, Franz Bishoff and many other early California impressionists. The CAC commitment to fine representational painting continues now into its second century, and I am honored to be a part of that tradition.

View all of the paintings in the California Art Club 100th Gold Medal Show.

The Gold Medal show will be on display until April 24, and the museum is closed Monday and Tuesday, weekdays.

Oaks of Springtime – Central California Landscape Oil Painting


“Oaks of Springtime”
California Central Coast, near Pozo & Santa Margarita
8″ x 8″ oil
SOLD

Oaks put on new leaves in a wilderness park along Pozo Road, in Central California. Lupine and other wildflowers grow at their feet.

See more of my California Central Coast paintings here

Big Sur Beauty – California Central Coast Seascape Oil Painting by Karen Winters

Big Sur Beauty
6″ x 6″ oil on linen plein air panel
SOLD

See more of my California Central Coast paintings here

Interested in this painting?
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See more of my paintings on my website

California plein air seascape oil painting of Morro Bay – Montana De Oro by Karen Winters



SOLD “A Walk to the Dunes”
(Morro Bay, Montana de Oro vicinity, San Luis Obispo)
8 x 10 plein air oil painting on linen panel

See more of my California Central Coast paintings here

The day after the reception for the California Art Club group show at the San Luis Obispo Art Museum, the weather was perfect for some painting. In the morning I painted at Karner’s point (near Baywood Park) and in the afternoon, the destination was this spot near Montana de Oro. The hazy late afternoon light created a magical look to the whole scene. The tranquil sea can be seen beyond the distant dunes. Large eucalyptus trees shelter one of the many small houses in the area. From this viewpoint, if you were to look another 30 degrees to the right you would see Morro Rock.

Interested in this painting?
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See more of my paintings on my website

Peaceful Pasture – Equestrian Miniature California Landscape Painting

Peaceful Pasture
(Central California)
6 x 6 inches, oil painting on canvas
SOLD

Last weekend we spent some time up in San Luis Obispo for the opening of the California Art Club’s “Gems of the Central Coast” show at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. We had a great time seeing old friends and making some new ones, too. Once you get out of Los Angeles you really begin to appreciate the rural beauty of the state and the quiet moods of hills, pastures, marshes and mountains. Driving up the 101 we saw many ranches with scenes just like this.

See more of my California Central Coast paintings here

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Fields of Peace – Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo County California Landscape Painting by Karen Winters

Fields of Peace Oil Painting, Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo County, California Central Coast, California impressionist landscape art by Karen Winters

“Fields of Peace”
11 x 14 inches oil painting on canvas
Central Coast California, near Los Osos
(San Luis Obispo County)

In late spring, the ranch land near San Luis Obispo starts to turn from green to a dusky brown. Here and there the dried remains of earlier grasses take on hues of violet and umber. Coastal scrub plants provide a stark contrast with their fresh green foliage. Eucalyptus, of course, stay green year round – the ever-constant providers of shade and windbreaks. As the marine layer moves in from the sea to the west, the clouds catch the light of the lowering sun and turn shades of peach and apricot.

See more of my California Central Coast paintings here

Garden at the Ranch – San Luis Obispo – California Plein Air Landscape Oil Painting by Karen Winters

“Garden at the Ranch”
11 x 14 oil on linen panel
San Luis Obispo Central California Coast area

See more of my California Central Coast paintings here

Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

I’m still catching up on posting a year’s worth of plein air paintings that didn’t get photographed when they were created. This one is from last May, 2010 at a California Art Club paint out at a friend’s ranch in the San Luis Obispo area. Although it was a gray day, the poppies and other California natives really shone through. In fact, maybe the grayness accented their colors. Our friend has a wonderful native plant garden that would rival any garden planted with cultivated non-natives. It’s drought tolerant and seems perfectly adapted to the environment – because it is!

An almost finished work in progress photo is below – thanks to my hubby for taking it. Yep, there’s that hat again.

California Landscape Los Olivos Oak Tree Sunset by Karen Winters

SOLD
“Reaching for the Sunset”
Los Olivos Oak Tree
California Central Coast wine country oil painting
8″ x 16″
oil on canvas

See more of my California Central Coast paintings here

When we were recently driving through California’s Central Coast Wine Country (made more popular by the movie “Sideways,”) we happened to be near Los Olivos at sunset. I saw this beautiful oak tree and loved the way it looked surrounded by sunset clouds. But not the westward clouds, but the pink tinged ones in the east.

California plein air seascape Morro Bay Cuesta Cove – A Walk by the Bay

“A Walk by the Bay”
(Cuesta Cove, near Morro Bay and Baywood Park)
12 x 9″ plein air oil painting on linen panel
Central California

This painting was started en plein air last springtime, and I am getting around to finishing it up. A beautiful little inlet near Morro Bay is the setting. Of course there are eucalypti, which was what attracted me to the setting to begin with. At this time of day the tide was fully in the estuary. Other times, it looks like a mud flat – not a lot of reflected blue sky, then.