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.
Carmel Bay, Quiet Day oil painting by Karen Winters
Quiet Day on Carmel Bay
11 x 14 inch oil painting
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It was a quiet day when we were on the Monterey Peninsula. There was a slight mist in the air which softened some of the colors. The waters of Carmel Bay truly reflected the word “Pacific” – peaceful. This view of Carmel Bay looks slightly to the south and Point Lobos, where I have painted before.
Grand Canyon plein air oil painting El Tovar view
View From El Tovar
Grand Canyon plein air oil painting
9 x 12 oil on plein air panel
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December 2012
Another of my plein air paintings from Grand Canyon, South Rim. This one was painted near the El Tovar Hotel, the majestic old inn on the edge of the canyon. The time of day is near sunset. Below, some photos of the work in progress
Grand Canyon afternoon painting near Hopi Point – Karen Winters
Grand Canyon Afternoon
Plein Air Oil Painting near Hopi Point, South Rim
9 x 12 oil painting
Available now.
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The great thing about painting at Grand Canyon is that there’s a scene practically everywhere you look. The sculptural forms of the plateaus and cliffs constantly change color as the sun moves – which adds to its beauty and provides entertainment and frustration for the artist. Our first days at the canyon we looked for locations to paint, then returned on the third day to some favorite spots. My location for this painting was somewhere between Hopi Point and Powell Point on the south rim, rim trail.
The photo below shows a good example of the difference in color temperature between seeing a painting outdoors and indoors. The photo above was taken under indoor light (as it will be seen in a home or office.) Below, the painting as it appeared under natural (blue) daylight in shadow. As a rule I try to always photograph a painting as it will appear under normal home or office conditions.
California Landscape Plein Air Painting San Luis Obispo County – Nipomo
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Golden Hillside
(near Nipomo San Luis Obispo County)
9 x 12 plein air oil painting on linen panel
See more of my California Central Coast paintings here
This is a plein air painting that I did last springtime with the California Art Club in San Luis Obispo. We were at a historical location, the Dana Adobe, in Nipomo, and the weather was perfect. I got three paintings done that day. The next day a rainstorm moved in from the north. The fields of mustard liked it, but it wasn’t hospitable to painters. The day after this was painted we went to Moonstone Beach in Cambria (see earlier posts for those paintings.)
Descanso Gardens Train Station – Plein air California landscape oil painting
“All Aboard” – Descanso Gardens train station at sunset
9 x 12 oil on canvas panel
Plein air landscape oil painting
SOLD
Late Thursday afternoons at Descanso Gardens always bring opportunities for things to paint. Yesterday I enjoyed the view of the little train station where the engine and engineer wait to take people on a magical trip through the camellia forest. Maybe one of these days I’ll actually take the train ride, camera in hand, and see the garden from a different (low angle) point of view. An alizarin crimson underpainting (done very rapidly) imparts a warm glow to the scene.
I thought I left my big roll of brushes at home and consequently painted most of this with a medium sized filbert. Some of the fine detail on the engine and engineer was done later when I had the appropriate tools. Last week’s Descanso painting has been purchased by a lovely new collector from So. Pasadena, but this one is still available.
Reminder: the photos I post are low resolution so that they load quickly for those on slow connections. If you are interested in purchasing a painting, please ask and I will send a higher quality image.
