California Landscape Spring Oil Painting – Eaton Canyon Pasadena
“Gentle Springtime”
11 x 14 oil painting on hardboard panel
Eaton Canyon, near Pasadena, California
See more Pasadena paintings here
I started this plein air painting a few years ago and got distracted with other things and didn’t finish it up. Now that it’s almost springtime again, it seemed like a good time to revisit it and complete it. Since then, I’ve bought an artworks essentials EasyL which is much easier to transport, and doesn’t require a separate easelmate to hold things, like this Yarka did. I like the fact that I can raise the tripod with the Easy L so I’m not looking down at the painting. I’m tall and I always ended up with a backache at the end of the day from slightly bending over at the waist. A good friend of mine said that the Yarka is great for carrying pastels outdoors, however, so I might set it up with that. Almost every plein air painter I know has a collection of easels that they try, in search of the perfect one. The biggest advantage of this old Russian Yarka is that it’s light and sets up in about 1 minute. The down side is its height and lack of adaptability to carry wet panels of all sizes.
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 Painting – Central Coast- Sycamore Breezes
Sycamore Breezes
8 x 10 inches oil on linen panel
SOLD
See more of my California Central Coast paintings here
A fully leafed out sycamore dances with the passing breeze in California’s Central Coast ranchland, near Jolon. A distant barn provides shelter for the herd. But if I were a cow, I’d rather be lazing around under one of these big, beautiful trees.
California Wine Country Vineyard Oil Painting – by California impressionist Karen Winters
“In The Vineyard Hills”
9 x 12 oil on wood panel
original oil painting
SOLD
California’s rich Central Coast wine country was the inspiration for this tranquil scene.
Late afternoon light, and a fog bank drifted in from the sea brings moisture to the thirsty vines. Oaks and eucalyptus trees punctuate the hills with their stately beauty.
See more of my vineyard paintings here
See more of my California Central Coast paintings here
Sunflower Garden – Descanso Gardens Landscape Oil Painting
Descanso Gardens Sunflower Garden
9 x 12 oil painting on linen
Plein air painting
See more of my Descanso Gardens paintings here
Last autumn, when the flowers were completing their blooming season at Descanso Gardens, I painted this stand of Mammoth Sunflowers, caught in the afternoon sunlight. By the way the heads were bowing, I knew they wouldn’t last too much longer. The camellias are in bloom now, and I am looking forward to the tulip show at Descanso, if they have planted them this year.
Painting note: although the underpainting was done with thin transparent darks, the opaque paint on top was painted with a very limited palette of red, yellow, blue, white and gray. Amazing how many colors you can get from those few primaries.
Paso Robles Vineyard Oak California Landscape Oil Painting
SOLD
“Paso Robles Vineyard Oak”
8 x 10 oil painting on canvas on hardboard
See more of my vineyard paintings here
See more of my California Central Coast paintings here
See more of my landscapes here
The Paso Robles wine growing area has developed so much over the past few years. Every time we take a trip through there we see new vineyards and new plantings. Oaks seem to be iconic in these vineyards. Although it appears that most of the barrels are actually made in France rather than from domestic oaks, I like that some are preserved to add their beauty to the landscape.
Mt. Whitney Portal Lone Pine painting – Eastern Sierra Nevada Landscape oil painting by Karen Winters
“The Way to Mt. Whitney”
(Lone Pine, Eastern Sierra, Mt. Whitney Portal)
18 x 24 inches
Oil painting on canvas
SOLD
Although this painting is sold, find more Sierra Nevada paintings here
These days I’ve been completing some of my Sierra paintings that I’ve been working on for awhile. During the holidays things got so busy that I didn’t have the time to bring them to finish.
Interesting facts about Mt. Whitney and the Lone Pine area:
Mt. Whitney (slightly right of center in the painting) is the highest mountain the lowest 48 states, and is the most-climbed peak in the Sierra and one of the most climbed mountains in the US. It is composed of granite and is a “jointed” formation. Looking at Whitney from its east face, a formation known as “The Needles” is directly to the left.
There is little rainfall most of the year, so the eastern slopes reflect that climate. Below there are alpine forests, but at the higher reaches greenery is scarce, dominated by gray granite.
Sierra Landscape Oil Painting – Bishop Windbreak, Owens Valley by Karen Winters
“Bishop Windbreak, Owens Valley”
California Sierra Landscape Oil Painting
16 x 20 oil on canvas
More Sierra Nevada paintings here
The first time that I painted this stand of trees, I thought they were aspens. The leaves were similar in shape, but the trunks are not the characteristic aspen white. The trunks looked more like cottonwoods – but the silhouette of the shape was more poplar like, and didn’t have the rounded tops.
A little net searching led me to discover that the the tree is actually a Lombardy poplar – and it is a variation of the black cottonwood. The whole botanical name is Populus nigra sp. Italia. So it’s both a black cottonwood and a poplar – and I think now my curiosity is satisfied. Whatever they are, these stately trees form excellent windbreaks along pastures near Bishop.
Cambria Sunset Oil Painting – Central Coast California landscape painting by Karen Winters
Cambria Sunset
9 x 12
oil on linen panel
See more of my Cambria paintings here
One of my newest paintings, “Cambria Sunset,” has been selected for inclusion into the Segil gallery Holiday Small Works show.
The painting features a rural scene along Santa Rosa Creek Road in Cambria (near San Simeon) and includes one of the dramatic eucalyptus trees so typical of that region.
The festive reception for the artists will be December 4, from 5-7 pm. The Segil gallery is at 110 West Lime Avenue
Old Town Monrovia CA 91016
(626) 358-5563
Sierra Oil Painting – Lundy Creek Aspens – Eastern Sierra Landscape by Karen Winters KWinters
Eastern Sierra Oil Painting
“Lundy Creek Aspens”
12 x 12 inches
Oil on linen panel
More Sierra Nevada paintings here
As you go up Lundy Creek, after passing by the lake, you encounter two beaver ponds. There is evidence of a lot of beaver activity, (fallen gnawed logs) but the crew has never been working the times we’ve been there. Perhaps they were hiding out in their lodges until the humans went away. This stand of aspens were in the process of changing from green to gold, which made them look frosted on top. Later they would be yellow and orange – another equally dazzling combination.
