Sierra September – California impressionist Sierra landscape – June Lake Loop – 395

“Sierra September”
18 x 24 oil painting on canvas
Early autumn on the June Lake Loop, Highway 395, Eastern Sierra
SOLD … but I have more Sierra paintings at Sierra Paintings

 

This painting is another in a series exploring the dramatic lighting effects that occur in the later afternoon when clouds form over the Sierra Nevada, casting shafts of light into the Owens Valley below. I love the interplay of warm and cool colors dancing across the near-autumnal landscape. The ever changing patterns create interesting compositional challenges which can best be solved in the studio.

 

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Bishop Moonrise Owens Valley Sierra nocturne oil painting

Bishop Moonrise
9 x 12 inch oil painting
Near Bishop, California, Eastern Sierra

We were out by the Owens River, close to some seasonal ponds, when we saw the moon rise over the White Mountains.
I loved the beauty and serenity of the scene and this painting is the result. The pale light illuminated the sage and other native grasses and shrubs. Only the quiet gurgling of the river and nocturnal birds could be heard.


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Paradise Cove Sunset – Malibu – seascape impressionist oil painting

Paradise Cove Sunset
18 x 24 inches
Oil on linen canvas

I can remember going to Paradise Cove in Malibu since I was a child. It was always such a beautiful place, and it never fails to delight.
If you’re going to be in California, make a point to have brunch at the cafe on the beach, and stroll around the shore. The big cliffs prove just how magical Malibu can be – any time of day. You might even see some dolphins playing offshore.

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Los Olivos Twilight, with oak tree California impressionist oil painting

“Los Olivos Twilight … with oak tree”
Backroads California impressionist oil painting
11 x 14 inches, oil on plein air linen panel

We attended a friend’s wedding in Los Olivos many years ago, and while we were in the area, we saw this remarkable sunset with incredibly vivid pinks, oranges and violets. The silhouette of the old oak tree made a lasting impression on me, and I’ve always wanted to paint the scene. If you look carefully, you can see golden grapevines on the left side of the road.


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Sunrise on Two Trees Hill, Ventura, landscape oil painting

Sunrise on Two Trees Hill, Ventura, California
9 x 12 oil on plein air panel

This new painting depicts very early morning in Ventura, California, with the sun rising over Two Trees Hill, a local landmark.
The plumbago bushes were in full bloom and there was quite a bit of mist in the air, adding to the interesting atmosphere.

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Chasing Clouds – Carmel Valley Road landscape oil painting

“Chasing Clouds”
8 x 10 oil
Carmel Valley Road landscape,
Monterey Peninsula
Available


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On our way back from the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival this year, we drove up highway 1 through Big Sur, spent a night in Carmel, then returned via Carmel Valley Road. This beautiful “back road” features wonderful hills covered with oaks. The day we passed through, the clouds were spectacular, so I decided to focus on them in this painting.

If you look to the left side of the blog, you’ll see I’ve gotten around to updating my sold painting list. I haven’t put my new sold paintings there since January, and this year’s almost 50 sold works are now featured. I sort of wish that I could see a pattern in what appeals to my wonderful collectors, but it appears that their tastes and interests are as broad as mine. Some paintings are large, some very small. There are seascapes, animals, genre paintings, flowers, fruit, landscapes … and the subject matter is from every part of California.

Before the Harvest – California Central Coast Oil painting

Before the Harvest
12 x 9″ oil on board
San Luis Obispo area
California Central Coast

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I’m getting warmed up for the San Luis Obispo Plein Air festival with this study of some of the agricultural areas, under splendid skies. I love the skies over the Central Coast.

Arroyo Moonrise – Arroyo Seco California nocturne oil painting by Karen Winters



Arroyo Moonrise
18 x 24 oil on canvas

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The moon serenely rises over a pond in the Arroyo Seco, San Gabriel Valley, CA. I intentionally kept this within a limited color range to capture the twilight mood. I’ve really been enjoying painting a lot of water lately. Look for more of those paintings here soon.

Twilight on Back Bay- Los Osos Twilight Central Coast oil painting by Karen Winters

Twilight on Back Bay
9 x 12 oil painting on canvas
SOLD

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I’m still catching up posting some of the paintings I did during the San Luis Obispo paint out early in October. This is one of my favorite semi-nocturnes, painted while the sun was in a cloud bank and was in the process of setting. Within a few minutes the sun emerged from the clouds and the whole scene was bathed in warm rosy hues, which I captured very rapidly. Then the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness came quickly.

As you can see in the photo below, I am literally standing in the marshy estuary. The prominent mountain in the distance is Hollister Peak. This work in progress photo was taken while the sun was in the cloud bank.

Mojave Desert Sunset Oil Painting – Abode of the Desert Rat by Karen Winters

“Abode of the Desert Rat”
Mojave Desert, somewhere off the beaten path between Tehachapi and Rosamond
9 x 12 oil on linen

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This painting was inspired by a trip back from Kernville a few months ago, coming back from a paint out with the California Art Club. The sun was starting to come out from under a cloud bank, and a storm was threatening. The brilliance of the sun contrasted with the dark shapes of the poplars. I imagined that some recluse was living in the trailer, enjoying the constantly changing weather patterns and quiet solitude. Not long after this the rains started coming. Those heavily rain laden clouds suggested a flash flood and we headed for high ground.

Here’s a closer detail shot: