Marin Spring Morning oil painting
SOLD
Marin Spring Morning
6 x 8 inch miniature oil painting
Oil on stretched canvas
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California Poppy time oil painting Antelope Valley
“Poppy Time”
(Antelope Valley Lancaster Poppy Preserve)
oil painting, 11 x 14 inches
See more of my wildflower paintings here
Our winter rains remind me that it won’t be long before the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve will be in full bloom, as it is in this 11 x 14 painting. The difficult thing about painting in the poppy area is the strong winds, which I experienced a few years ago painting out at the Tejon Ranch (the south side of the ranch property, facing Antelope Valley.) This year, if I go out there to paint again, I’ll have my new Soltek easel, which has a much wider stance than my favorite EasyL. At the Tejon I had to hold onto my EasyL with one hand to keep it from going over, but the painter next to me had a Soltek and it was rock solid. The disadvantage of the Soltek, however, is that the palette is much farther away from the painting. So, there are tradeoffs, as with most things.
Pt. Dume Zuma Beach California seascape oil painting by Karen Winters
Pt. Dume, Zuma Beach
Giant Coreopsis
18 x 24 oil painting
To see more Malibu paintings, please visit Malibupaintings.com
This painting was done in the springtime when the giant coreopsis are in bloom on Pt. Dume. There are a few small paths you can walk on amid the billowing plants. It’s a spectacular sight.
Western Watershed – San Gabriel Mountains oil painting by California impressionist Karen Winters
“Western Watershed – San Gabriel Mountains”
SOLD
9 x 12 oil painting on plein air panel
See more of my Pasadena area paintings at http://www.pasadenapaintings.com
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
The last remnants of spring storms course through the upper Arroyo Seco, which separates La Canada from Pasadena. Just weeks before the sandy riverbed was overflowing with a coursing river. Now, the willows and sage will take over, until winter rains come again.
California impressionist wildflower painting by Karen Winters
“Those Fields, Those Hills”
9 x 12 oil on hardboard plein air panel
See more of my landscapes here
Springtime in Southern California brings the awakening of wildflowers to the hillsides. Some of the dried grasses of winter remain, but the cheery California sunflowers brighten the scene. This hillside was not strewn with wild mustard, as many are, but had a profusion of small beige and white flowers, plus helianthus californicus, the California sunflower.
The large tree is a pepper tree. The foliage of its soft branches seem to drift and sway in the wind, not unlike a weeping willow.
Tejon Ranch California Oak Landscape Plein Air Painting – Welcome Shade
SOLD
“Welcome Shade”
9 x 12 oil on plein air linen panel
Painted at the Tejon Ranch, May 2012
See more of my oak tree paintings here
In the middle of a warm spring day, just about high noon, a mighty Tejon Ranch oak spreads its limbs to offer shade to all who visit. Cattle, mostly, but most likely some other critters, too. This majestic tree was silhouetted against the rolling hills and mountains of the ranch. Wherever you look, beauty surrounds you, making it a real treat for plein air painters – even during the part of the day when the light is less than dramatic. (That’s why we get up at dawn and stay painting until moonrise, when we can.
Below, a photo of my work in progress. There were occasional gusts of wind which threatened to topple my umbrella. A road hazard sawhorse came in handy. Sometimes you’ve just got to improvise.
Sunrise in the Oaks – Tejon Ranch California plein air Landscape impressionist oil painting by Karen Winters
“Sunrise in the Oaks”
11 x 14 oil on linen plein air panel
Tejon Ranch, May 2012
See more of my oak tree paintings here
REMINDER – Artists reception for my show at Gale’s Restaurant, Sunday, May 20 – 4-6 pm, 452 S. Fairoaks Ave., Pasadena
Good morning, Tejon. A small band of intrepid California Art Club plein air painters woke at 4 am to get to the ranch and queue up in our vehicles to be on site before the sun rose. I had found my perfect spot – on Sycamore Creek, looking eastward just as the sun peeked over the hills and made the leaves of the old oak dazzle with the backlight. I had to bundle up and dress in layers, knowing that before long I’d be peeling them off as the day turned warm. This, like all of the Tejon Ranch, is absolutely beautiful – a real treat for plein air painters. We appreciate the invitation and the privilege to be there.
Sycamore Quartet – California landscape painting at the Tejon Ranch
Sycamore Quartet”
12 x 12 inches
Oil on linen plein air panel
Between outdoor shows, travel, commissions and paint outs, I haven’t been taking the time to update my blog, but I’m going to try to get back on top of that. This was painted last week at the Tejon Ranch on a paint out with the Kern County chapter of the California Art Club.
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This grove of sycamores was growing along side a stream bed. I set up my easel near by, taking care to keep a lookout for rattlesnakes. When an artist is concentrating and working in one area for a long time, a snake can quietly move in – even next to your easel, and you wouldn’t know it. The tall grasses are a perfect hiding spot. Fortunately, this was only a broken tree limb (below). But it sure gave me a start for a moment!
When you look at the picture below you might notice that there is no dazzling light. That’s because the ending photo was taken after the moment of light was long gone. When painting outdoors you often have to hold the image in your memory because the light is constantly shifting.
If you’re in the LA area, you are invited to attend the reception for my solo show at Gale’s Restaurant in Pasadena, from 4-6 pm. Gale’s is at 452 S. Fairoaks Avenue, just south of Del Mar. More about the event tomorrow.
Peaceful Waters California oil painting – California Art Club Gold Medal Show
SOLD
“Peaceful Waters”
9 x 12 oil on linen
Devereux Slough in Santa Barbara
This painting was accepted into the 101st annual California Gold Medal show, opening Saturday night at a gala party at the Autry National Museum in Los Angeles.
The slough is just on the border of the University of California at Santa Barbara. The morning I was there a marine layer was partly cloaking the beautiful eucalyptus trees, which made created wonderful reflections in the water.
San Gabriel Springtime – California landscape impressionist oil painting San Gabriel Mountains
“San Gabriel Springtime”
18 x 24 oil painting on canvas
San Gabriel Mountains – near Claremont Wilderness Park, Padua Hills
SOLD
Although this painting is sold, I have other landscapes.
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
Spring arrives with new growth in the chapparal. Clouds race across the sky, allowing shafts of sunlight to illuminate the blooming hills, bright with wildflowers. Trails wind through the landscape, offering new views at every turn.
