California plein air landscape painting – Eaton Canyon Waters – Karen Winters
Eaton Canyon Waters
9 x 12 in.
oil on archival linen panel
SOLD but I have more Pasadena Paintings
This morning, after days of gray skies and pouring rain, we woke up to bright blue skies and snow in the San Gabriel Mountains above us. I knew the watershed of Eaton Canyon would be filled with flowing streams, and I was determined to go see for myself. My original intention was just to get a few photos (my ankle is still healing and long standing is uncomfortable) but I knew I would kick myself if the scene looked highly paintable and I had left my plein air gear at home. So I packed the car and headed out, and was not disappointed. The mountains were a palette of soft blues, grays and violets and water was coursing among the big boulders. I resisted climbing down the bank – I don’t want to sprain myself again – but set up my easel along one of the trails.
A photographer came by on a hike and kindly took a photo of me with my camera. (Thanks, Miguel!) He shot a batch himself with his Canon – I’m looking forward to seeing them.
Days like this are just made for plein air painting. Although I was plenty weary toward the end of the afternoon painting (#2 painting for the day) I was in my element.
I used a hand-held palette today instead of my usual glass one. I found it easier to match color when I could hold it up parallel to the plane of the canvas.
Big Sur Oil Painting – California Garrapata Beach seascape
Garrapata Beach, Big Sur
16 x 20 oil on canvas
The state park on a beautiful clear day with just a little mist hovering over the distant headlands. A look so typical of the area. I’ll bet that this location has been the scene of many marriage proposals, it’s so beautiful.
Last weekend, I attended the artists’ reception for the Pasadena Society of Artists ACE Exhibition, and was delighted to learn that my painting of the LA County Fair, “Fun Zone,” had won an Award of Merit. This has been a really exciting week for me – first learning that I am a new Artist Member of the California Art Club, and now this honor from PSA. I can hardly wait to find out what surprises this new week will bring.
Karen Winters at the Pasadena Society of Artists ACE Awards
Sierra Creek -California Landscape Oil Painting – June Lake Loop,High Sierra
Sierra Creek
(Rush Creek, on June Lake Loop), California
Eastern Sierra Nevada
16 x 20
Oil on Canvas
SOLD to a collector from Walnut Creek
More Sierra Nevada paintings here
This painting is from my fall Sierra series (ongoing) depicting the color of the Eastern Sierra in late October. The exact location for this one is a small creek that exits Silver Lake, on the June Lake loop, just west of highway 395. Between the willows and the aspens, it was a symphony in gold. I thought that the blue of the sky played a nice complement to all of those warm hues. This location is no doubt loaded with trout as we saw many anglers along its shores. Just gazing upon this scene puts me back in a reverie.
Today I got some wonderful good news – I was accepted as a juried Artist Member of the California Art Club, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It means a lot to me to be welcomed into the company of artists who I admire and respect so much. I am looking forward to the new exhibitions I’ll be able to participate in, as well as getting to know other peers who have contributed so much to this esteemed organization with its long and illustrious history.
California tonal landscape oil painting – Tin Roof, Bishop
Tin Roof, Bishop
9 x 12 oil on panel
Just north of Bishop, California there is a ranching area where the barns have tin roofs that have weathered wonderfully through the years. This scene attracted me as a subject to paint, but the cool light of the afternoon I was there didn’t appeal to me – it made the scene look cold and sad. I wanted a warm look that suggested the radiant beauty of fall, and which struck less melancholy notes.
This painting takes the basic elements of the scene, but translates them to a warm (monochromatic) color palette consisting mostly of yellow, ochre, and small amounts of burnt sienna, tempered with gray. These small studies with varying color experiments have been useful in thinking of alternate ways of painting a scene. What you see isn’t necessarily all there is.
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High Desert California Landscape Painting – Owens Valley Grazing
“High Desert Grazing”
5 x 7 inch
oil miniature
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This small oil painting is a memory of our recent trip up into the eastern Sierra. Looking westward one sees the mighty Sierra Nevada range. Looking eastward (this view) is the Owens Valley, a high desert area where cattle and sheep grazing is common. I love the serene look of these wide open spaces, especially when storm clouds billow in the late afternoon light. This will be a study for a larger painting yet to come.
I hope that everyone had a great holiday with family and friends. We certainly did – it was wonderful seeing our children for such an extended period of time – always a treat to look forward to. We played games, feasted, toasted and enjoyed time together. One of my favorite gifts was to my husband and me from our kids – a getaway to a snowy place where we can take pictures, paint and enjoy the beauty of winter. We’re thinking maybe a return to Yosemite or perhaps the Sequoia area. Any good suggestions for accessible California places with cozy cabins and snowy scenes? We don’t ski anymore so that’s not a priority.
Loch Shiel Scotland Landscape Oil Painting
Loch Shiel, Scotland
12 x 16 oil on canvas
commission (sold)
This painting, painted as a commission, depicts a historic site in the highlands of Scotland in the village of Glenfinnan. It is the site where bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard at the beginning of the Jacobite rising in 1745. Glenfinnan sits at the north end of Loch Shiel. A monument (a pillar) can be seen at the lakeside at the closest point.
My forbears came from the western isle of Skye, but some of the MacDonalds who were landowners on Skye were also allies of Prince Charles.
I love painting Scotland and hope to return again. Good thing we took a lot of pictures when we were there the last time. Although today there are playing fields and roads and other signs of modern habitation, I tried to paint it as it may have looked more than 200 years ago (except for the horses and wagons and clansmen, that is.)
Crystal Crag -Mammoth Lakes California Snow Sierra Landscape Painting
Crystal Crag (view from Lake Mary)
Mammoth Lakes, California
5 x 7″
acrylic
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See more of my paintings on my website
The first snow at Mammoth Lakes, California, dusted the Crystal Crag formation overlooking Lake Mary. More storms would follow creating tall drifts contrasting vividly with the blue of the water. This seemed to be a good subject for a winter scene, although the time was truly in late fall. The late afternoon sun gave a slightly warm glow to the white snow. In nature, white is rarely, if ever, pure white. It is always picking up color from the environment, including the warm light of the sun, or cool skylight in shade.
Harvest Time – California Vineyard Oil Painting – Plein Air Landscape by Karen Winters
Vineyard Eucalyptus
8 x 10
oil on linen panel
SOLD – but I have other vineyard paintings at vineyardpaintings.com
Visit my gallery site for an archive of available and sold paintings
If you have a question or or would like to find out if a painting is still available for sale…..
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Two of my favorite subjects – vineyards and eucalyptus trees – symbols of California’s rich beauty. This painting was done in November at the Falkner Winery in Temecula, but I am just now getting around to photographing and posting it.
Here’s the work in progress
Take a break from last minute shopping this weekend to stop by Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge where I’ll be showing about 8 of my paintings in the Birch Room, a classroom near the main entrance area
California Impressionist Plein Air Landscape Painting – A Very Good Year – Falkner Winery
“A Very Good Year”
8 x 10 oil on archival canvas panel
Plein air painting – Falkner Winery – Day 2
This is the second of the three plein air paintings I did during the paintout. Because I like to put some sharp detail into my paintings, and because that can be difficult to layer when painting alla prima, sometimes I like to let a painting set up for a few days and then add those finishing touches. For esample, I added some of the eucalyptus leaves overhanging the vineyard back in the studio. I had planned for it on site but knew that it would be easier to control on a surface that wasn’t soaking wet.
California Landscape Oil Painting – Temecula – Vineyard Afternoon
Vineyard Afternoon
(Falkner Winery, Temecula, California)
9 x 12
Plein air – oil on linen panel
SOLD
There’s something about the afternoon light in the Temecula and Fallbrook areas that just makes me melt when I see it. I love the soft peaches and gold tones that come around magic hour … and when it kisses the vines just so, it begs to be painted.
This is the second plein air painting I did on Day one of the Falkner Winery Invitational, courtesy of the Pasadena Art Gallery Association. I was an invitee of Segil Fine Art Source, and there were painters from Galerie Gabrie and Tirage as well. Some folks even came from as far away as Oregon for the event. We had a great time painting all day and enjoying fine vintages like “Luscious Lips” at our reception.
The weather couldn’t have been more cooperative – a morning fog burning away by 9 am, revealing beautiful blue skies and rolling hills of green and amber vines. By three o clock the haze moved back in, as you can see in this painting. I’m thinking this might make a good study for a larger painting as well.
More paintings to come ( I did three in total – two on day 1 and one on day 2. I called it quits early so I could spend some time visiting with friends old and new. )
