Newport Back Bay California Estuary Landscape Painting

“Back Bay Afternoon”
12 x 16 oil painting on canvas
Back Bay, Orange County(Upper Newport Beach Preserve)

See more of my Newport Beach paintings here

I’ll be bringing this painting with me this weekend to SoCal PAPA’s annual “Paint the Parks” show at the Katie Wheeler Library Gardens, 13042 Old Myford Rd, Irvine, 92602. I’ll have about 19 other paintings as well – featuring Orange County scenes as well as other landscapes and seascapes around California.

Divers Cove Laguna Heisler Park Seascape Oil Painting

“Divers Cove, Laguna Beach
8 x 10 oil on Belgian linen plein air panel
California seascape oil painting”

See more of my seascapes here
See just Laguna Beach paintings here

The surf gently rolls into Diver’s Cove in Laguna, near Heisler Park. Only a few walkers are enjoying the moment. I think the building to the right is the Seacliff Apartments, but I couldn’t be sure. I love Laguna – such a gorgeous spot.

Back Bay Sunset – Newport Beach impressionist oil painting on plein air panel – by Karen Winters


SOLD “Golden Moments – Back Bay Sunset”
6 x 6 inches
Oil on linen plein air panel

At the end of the day, the sun glistens on the water in Newport’s Back Bay. This miniature painting captures the feeling of the radiant light, shining on the wetlands.

See more of my Newport Beach paintings here

See more of my seascapes here

Newport Back Bay Twilight – Newport Beach California estuary marine oil painting

Back Bay Twilight
(Upper Newport Bay – “Back Bay,” California)
9 x 12 oil on canvas panel
Plein air oil painting
SOLD

This is sold, but you can see more of my Newport Beach paintings here

This was one of the paintings that I took to the Newport Back Bay show last weekend, one of several which went home with new collectors. What a great weekend it was meeting so many new people and sharing my love of art with them. The weather was beautiful. Good times all around.

Now I’m painting for several upcoming shows but my outdoor show schedule will settle down until early September when I do the Montrose Artwalk again, followed by the Bowers Museum Invitational show. It’s good to have a few weeks off to regroup, get out and paint some new work for fall exhibitions.

Kayaking on Back Bay – Newport Back Bay Oil Painting

Kayaking on Back Bay
acrylic
11 x 14

When I was painting this, I liked the scene, but I liked it even better when some kayakers glided through the bay. There was a good place for them so I put them in.

This is one of two paintings that I painted for the upcoming SoCal Plein Air Painters Association Juried Show at the Muth Center, in the Upper Newport Bay next Saturday and Sunday, July 24 and 25. In addition I will be exhibiting about 18 other paintings of Southern California in this 50 artist outdoor group exhibition and sale.

I’ve decided that in addition to getting around the state and exploring different areas, I should also explore some places closer to home. Orange County, and the areas around Laguna, Newport Beach, San Clemente and Dana Point are among the locations that I’ve been painting at, and will continue to appreciate in paint.

Through the Bowers Museum show and various California Art Club events, as well as through the San Clemente Plein Air paint out and studio painting opportunities at Randy Higbee’s store and gallery… I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a number of SoCal PAPA artists. It was the right time to join the group and have fun participating in some of their shows, too.

Here’s one thing that’s tricky about classifying a painting like this. It’s an estuary, so technically it’s a marine painting. But is it a seascape? A landscape? A sea-landscape? I’m going to list it in both categories, just to be contrary.

Peters Canyon Meadow – California Landscape Oil Painting – Orange County impressionist painting

Peters Canyon Meadow
14 x 18 oil on canvas
commissioned work
SOLD

This painting was based upon a plein air study which I did earlier this spring
posted on my blog awhile ago.

When I scaled it up for my client, I added more detail and refined certain shapes that were only roughly suggested in the plein air work. What works in 9 x 12 doesn’t necessarily work in 14 x 18 (or larger) sizes.

I’m looking forward to painting the scene in a larger size, and perhaps a more panoramic horizontal format, too. Now, the park grass has turned a soft yellow gold color – the scene looks very different. I’m thinking about going back for some new plein air studies.

This Saturday and Sunday, please join me for more plein air painting at Descanso Gardens. If you are a member of Descanso, the LA Arboretum in Arcadia, South Bay Botanical Gardens, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens, or one of many other American Horticultural Association affiliated gardens, your admission is free. We have enjoyed our Descanso membership for many many years … as well as gardens as far away as Santa Barbara and Phoenix. These reciprocating memberships are a great benefit of supporting our horticultural institutions.

Peters Canyon Plein Air Painting – Orange County Landscape oil painting

Peters Canyon
9 x 12 oil on linen panel
Plein air painting

Last week I had the pleasure of painting at Peters Canyon, in Orange County, near the home of some of our friends. The broad meadow was blooming with yellow flowers – perhaps mustard, but I’m not sure. I’m told that it was even more vivid a few weeks earlier, but it was still pretty bright. The trees in the background included evergreen eucalyptuses, favorites of mine, and some deciduous ones, perhaps willows, that had not yet gotten their spring foliage. I’m guessing that there is a stream in there where the trees follow a low point. I liked that little spot of pinkish gray in the otherwise yellow green scene

Below you can see a little of the work in progress.

Casa Romantica San Clemente Garden Plein air California Landscape painting

SOLD
Casa Romantica Garden oil painting
San Clemente
11 x 14
oil on linen panel

Although this painting is sold, I have others.
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

I have been meaning to post this painting which I painted at Casa Romantica, a beautiful old Spanish building which is now used for weddings and meetings. This was painted on Thursday of the San Clemente paint out, in late June.

This particular part of the garden is called The Butterfly Garden. Host plants like buddleia, milkweed, cosmos and many others are planted to attract the insects. A trellis is placed on the wall to the right where the caterpillars attach themselves and create their chrysalises (chrysales?) If you look at these precious ornaments very closely you can see the monarch wings in various states of metamorphosis. Among the flowers, I have suggested a number of butterflies in the garden. Can you find them all?

In the distance is the San Clemente pier, a local landmark. By the time I finished this, in the afternoon, the June gloom morning fog had burned off.

Laguna Surf – California Marine Seascape Oil Painting

Laguna Surf
8 x 10 inches
Oil on canvas

Laguna is one of my favorite painting locations and when the sun gets really low, it’s magical.


Interested in this painting? Please write.

San Juan Capistrano Train Station Plein Air Oil Painting by Karen Winters

SOLD
Capistrano Train Station
9 x 12 oil on linen panel
Plein air painting – June 2009


This painting is sold but I have others of Capistrano. Please write

Among the other locations we explored during our week in San Clemente was nearby San Juan Capistrano. The old train station is a picturesque diversion bordering the Los Rios Historical District.

I found a good spot in the shade and had fun talking to people as I painted.