Moonstone Mist – Cambria beach seascape oil painting miniature
Moonstone Mist
Moonstone Beach, Cambria
6 x 8 inch miniature oil painting
Seasons come and go, but Moonstone Beach seems to look pretty much the same through the year (with the exception of some of the dune foliage, that is.) This is a place that I love to paint often. The first time I came here was during a paintout with the California Art Club, and I’ve returned many times through the years.
Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
High Water at Devil’s Gate Dam – California landscape oil painting
High Water at Devil’s Gate Dam – Arroyo Seco
20 x 24 oil on canvas
Available
I painted this to memorialize an area near and dear to me, not far from where I live. This is the boundary between La Canada Flintridge and Altadena – the upper Arroyo Seco, once known as Oak Grove Park and now known as the Hahamongna Watershed Area. Because of the silt that has accumulated above the dam, the dam has lost much of its capacity. There are plans underway to dredge this entire area, but one of the plans will remove not only the silt, but a great number of the trees and habitat that has grown up in the area. To read more about the devastation that will be caused by the County plan, visit It makes me sad to think that views such as this may soon be gone, and probably won’t return in my lifetime, unless a more thoughtful, conservation-oriented plan is adopted.
#arroyoseco #hahamongna #watershed #DevilsGateDam #lacanada #oilpainting #landscape #california
Gold Rush Country Ranch California landscape oil painting
Gold Rush Country Ranch
20 x 24 inches
oil on canvas
SOLD, but I have more paintings of California’s rolling hills at karenwinters.com
This new painting depicts a ranch on highway 49, not far from Murphys, California. There was something about the sculptural mass of the big oak tree that really spoke to me. Although I most commonly paint eucalyptus, I find live oak trees irresistible as well. I haven’t spent as much time painting Gold Rush country as I have the eastern Sierra and California’s Central Coast, but it’s really starting to grow on me. Maybe it’s all that gold?
Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
La Jolla palms seascape oil painting
La Jolla Palms
8 x 10 inch seascape oil painting
With the hot weather we’ve been having, painting this was a cool refreshing treat. The location for this is along the La Jolla, California, shore, a little bit south of the main city.
Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
#oilpainting #lajolla #seascape #ocean #palmtrees #impressionist #california
California vineyard landscape oil painting – A Taste of Sonoma
“A Taste of Sonoma”
Original impressionist oil painting of a Sonoma vineyard
18 x 24 inches
SOLD
Interested in other vineyard paintings?
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
This is another in my series of vineyards from around California. This time, Sonoma is the featured area. Some time this fall, I’ll be traveling to the mother of all beautiful vineyard-covered countrysides … Tuscany. And yes, I’ll be bringing the easel. I can hardly wait.
California impressionist landscape “Oaks Guarding Oranges” backroad oil painting
“Oaks Guarding Oranges”
9 x 12 oil painting
California Central Coast, near Cayucos
Available
Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
Through the years, some of our most enjoyable travels have been along the many backroads that criss cross California. This small road goes inland from Cayucos, just a little north of Morro Bay. Closer to the water, the marine layer softens all the edges. The fog is soft and gray. As we drive inland, the fog burns off and takes on other colors. There are many orange and avocado groves along these country roads, which proves that the area does not often get frost. But it is hot as blazes in the summer. We will commonly see eucalyptus trees used as windbreaks to protect orange groves, but along this road the California live oak trees were doing the job.
Norfolk Terrier Dog Pet Portrait
“Jack and Lucy”
Norfolk Terrier double portrait
12 x 16 inches, original oil painting
SOLD
These adorable dogs were the subjects of a recent portrait commission for a long-time client and friend of mine. Her two dogs are getting up there in years, and she thought it was a good time to have their portraits done for posterity. Lucy, on the left, is the younger of the two. Jack, on the right, is eleven, I believe. Jack had already had his summer haircut, but Lucy had not.
Now, there’s no way you can get two dogs to pose and hold a pose with the light on them “just so” … so every portrait begins with a photo session. That involves a fair amount of crawling around on the ground to shoot them from the right angle. My husband and I were shooting simultaneously, to maximize the number of reference photos we’d get before the dogs ran out of energy or patience with us. The next step was to edit the pictures in Photoshop to put together a composite where the light and direction of their gaze was consistent. After client approval of the reference composite, it just comes down to the painting, which was very enjoyable.
If you’re interested in having a portrait done of your favorite pet, please write.
Click this link to write me.
Maui Hawaii oil painting, Napili Bay Waves
Napili Beach Waves, Maui, Hawaii
16 x 20 inches
oil on canvas
Available
This painting comes from our vacation in Hawaii last year, where we enjoyed some time on Maui as well as Kauai. Napili Bay is a lovely lagoon on West Maui, a little north of Lahaina. It features a beautiful soft sandy beach, tide pools, shallow water for wading and excellent snorkeling. Across the bay you can see the island of Molokai, which I featured in this painting. I’m guessing that this is a popular wedding destination, it’s so beautiful.
What attracted me to this scene, other than the gorgeous turquoise water, was the huge thunderhead which was building up over Molokai.
Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
California eucalyptus sunset lagoon oil painting – Golden Master
“Golden Master” (study)
8 x 10 inches, oil in plein air panel
A stately eucalyptus tree towers over a quiet lagoon in San Diego County (Batiquitos Lagoon)
The master of all it surveys. Golden sunset colors are reflected in sky and distant waters.
This painting is available for sale.
Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
Spirit of the Sunset – California landscape lagoon oil painting sunset tree reflections
Spirit of the Sunset
18 x 24 inch original oil painting
California Central Coast
Available for sale
Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me. See more of my paintings on my website
I’m getting a lot of enjoyment from painting reflected trees in still water, like this scene from a California slough. Only a heron stands by to watch the enchantment.
