Eaton Canyon Morning
“Eaton Canyon Morning” 9 x 12 – oil on hardboard – SOLD
This morning was delightfully overcast and cool for an hour or so while I painted this in Eaton Canyon, in the northern part of Pasadena. The wash is bone dry and even the random grasses seemed to be struggling for whatever meager water they may find under the gravel and boulders.
I’m really looking forward to going back in the late afternoon to paint some of those shadows. I’ve painted the same area before in watercolor (below), but not in oil. Another day, another season, another medium – it’s a whole new experience. (And this time I didn’t see or hear anything scarier than a covey of quail!)
Painted this last September – “San Gabriel Sunset” – watercolor
Rosarium Sunset
“Rosarium Sunset” 8 x 10 oil on canvasboard
On the heels of yesterday’s plein air outing at the arroyo, we went to Descanso Gardens at sunset today for some more painting and photographing. Descanso is open Thursday nights for the months of July and August. I wait all year for this opportunity to see the beautiful gardens at “golden hour” – the loveliest time (other than dawn.)
This represents one of the paths lined with rose bushes. Roughing in the painting took about an hour, from 615 t0 715, and I added finishing touches (such as the sky) after I got home. At that time of day the light was changing so rapidly there was not much point in painting after an hour had elapsed. I finished it off at home, refinining edges, adjusting things. The above painting represents the colors as they really are under room light conditions. The photographs below are more bluish, representing shady daylight conditions.
I promised some people that the very next time I went out painting with my lightweight easel that I would take pictures of the shelf in closeup, so here they are. I made a cardboard mock-up to work out the dimensions, then gave it to my husband who cut it out of 1/4″ masonite. There are no supports underneath the shelf other than two little L brackets to reinforce the holes. It sits on the easel by a friction-fit.
Arroyo Dawn – Daily Painting
“Arroyo Dawn” – 8 x 10″ oil on canvasboard
SOLD to a collector from Pasadena
See more Pasadena paintings here
When my husband and I had our duck adventure a few days ago, we were so struck with the beauty of the upper pond under Pasadena’s majestic bridges that we decided we’d go back soon to see what the light was like in the morning. (Can you tell we are dyed-in-the-wool photographers and artists?) Knowing that the 4th of July wasn’t going to be a work day, we set our alarms for early and got up before the sun peeped over the San Gabriels (see yesterday’s post) so we could grab a cup of coffee and head down to the Arroyo Seco.
Now, even though I’ve been doing a lot of oil painting recently, most of it has been studio painting from my own photo references – I haven’t taken the time to schlep my gear out into the field. The main difference is that even though watercolor takes practically as much gear, you can just pop the finished painting into a bag and not worry about it. Oil takes a bit more planning. I’ve got to get one of those wet panel holders to carry them home. I attached this wet one to the side of the French easel but worried about it as I carried it back up the gully. I found this environment to be beautiful but very challenging as the light changed radically from moment to moment as it slipped into the deep ravine. I followed the advice of the best plein air painters I’ve been studying: block in your scene and then stick with it.
Here are a couple of pictures of my setup and a glimpse of the environment
And if you were wondering about the fate of the ducks, we saw that mom and her brood were up early, having breakfast as we arrived. The fifth duckling is on the other side of mom, obscured by her tail. They were grazing for bugs or whatever they eat at the edge of the steep spillway.
San Gabriel Sunset
San Gabriel Sunset 14 x 11″ Oil on stretched canvas
SOLD
If one stands in Hahamongna Park, in the northern part of the Arroyo Seco, you can see NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab facility in the foothills of the mighty San Gabriel range. I am especially fond of drawing and painting in the arroyo area. There are so many different textures and colors to experience through course of the year, depending upon the time of day.
White Oleander Trail
“White Oleander Trail” – 8 x 10 oil on canvasboard
This is the second in my ongoing series of “Trails of La Canada-Flintridge.” Eventually I’d like to paint all of the interesting byways that criss-cross our little town, winding along back yards and horse corrals in this distinctly suburban-semi-rural area. This part of the trail, in Flint Canyon, passes by fences that are crowned with huge oleander plants – in rose and white. I suppose one of these days I’ll include a hiker, biker or horseback rider on the trail, as they are used by all three. But for now I’ll leave it open and you can use your imagination to suggest who’ll be coming round the bend.
Lemons and Silver – California still life oil painting
“Lemons and Silver” – 8 7/8″ x 7 7/8″ – oil on masonite –
Arroyo Shelter – Daily Painting
Arroyo Shelter” – 8 x 10 – oil on canvasboard
When I take a walk through the Hahamongna wetlands area in the nearby arroyo, I love to look at the various forms of short shrubbery and small trees that are home to so many kinds of wildlife. Late in the day, rabbits emerge from the brush and red-winged blackbirds roost in the many small willow trees that fill the area.
I’m not sure of the name of these small trees – next time I’ll have to take a field guide along and see if I can identify them.
This week I’ve been taking a break from watercolor to work in oil and to put into practice some of what I’ve been learning. This week I was fortunate to come into contact with a woman who was giving up oils for acrylic painting and selling her supplies. So my paint box is restocked (for the moment) and I have a few new colors to experiment with, too.
Mulholland Twilight – Nibblefest
“Mulholland Twilight” 8 x 10 – oil on canvasboard
SOLD
The purpose of Ebay’s monthly Nibblefest is to generate interest and publicity for our works and the person with the most unique bids from different bidders is the winner. For this reason, it’s good to keep the price in a low range as long as possible because it encourages more nibbles. Of course, I’d love to see it sell for a good price at the close of auction, but in the beginning, small bids from a lot of different people is ideal. In fact, I’d love to see 15 + people bid on it in 50 cent increments.
I only take part in this activity once a month, so if you’ve been interested in owning one of my paintings, this is a great time to do it.
This painting – a view of the San Fernando Valley from Mulholland Drive – is even more vibrant in person. The sky is a blend of ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson, with accents of cerulean blue and cadmium red. It’s the sort of sunset that is all too rare because of our lack of clouds. But when they happen it can be magical. In the distance the lights were just beginning to come on, creating the kind of wild/urban scene that can only happen in LA.
Flint Canyon Trail – Daily Painting
“Flint Canyon Trail” – 9 x 12 oil on canvasboard
Graduations and reunions are completed (joyfully) and we are catching up after all the partying and celebrating. Here are our son and daughter, who will be having her own MBA graduation next year.
So, it was time for me to get back to painting, and new watercolors, oils and pastels will follow soon. This painting represents a portion of the Flint Canyon Trail which is part of a large loop of trails that goes through La Canada, Flintridge, where we live. The trail is most beautiful in early morning and late afternoon light (this was about 6 pm.) The canvas was toned with burnt sienna underneath which adds an overall glow as bits of it peek through here and there.
Illo Friday – Citrus
“Twin Oranges” – 6 x 8 – oil on canvas panel, mounted on hardboard – SOLD
These small oranges were spotted at the Old Mill in San Marino, home of the California Art Club.
I loved the way they were shining in the sun, so reminiscent, to me, of the California I remember from my childhood when the northern end of the San Fernando Valley was still filled with orange groves, not strip malls.
This is my entry for this week’s Illustration Friday theme – “Citrus”
