Rolling and Golden – California oak tree hill landscape oil painting

“Rolling and Golden”
Central Coast California oak covered hills
20 x 24 inches
Oil on canvas

I’m continuing my series exploring California’s beautiful rolling golden hillsides. This one is from the Central Coast, where the grass is currently long, lush and green. But very soon the rains will fade and the grass will turn the most beautiful shade of ochre and amber. According to historical accounts, California’s hills weren’t always like this. The golden color comes from wild oats which were imported to feed livestock during the Spanish colonial period. Native species were edged out in the process.

Enjoy this painting in your own home and have golden California glory with you year round.

Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

To see more oak tree landscape paintings please also visit: Karen Winters Oak Tree Paintings

To Walk Through Hills of Gold California rolling hills oil painting landscape

To Walk Through Hills of Gold
18 x 24 inches
California landscape impressionist oil painting

This is another in my series of California hilly landscapes. This one is in the Central Coast area and features a large live oak tree, as well as smaller oaks in the background. This is a typical look from late May through December. After that time, the earliest rains start to make the hills green. This year we may see green sticking around for a little longer.

Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

Peak Performance – Mt. Emerson, Bishop, Sierra oil painting

Peak Performance
Mt Emerson, Bishop, California, Sierra Nevada range
California impressionist landscape oil painting
9 x 12 inch oil painting

Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

This plein air painting was painted last spring up in “Buttermilk Country” west of Bishop, in the foothills of the Eastern Sierra. We had as our guide a friend of ours who grew up in the area and knew every back road and one lane gullied path through the sagebrush. Eventually we ended up at this beautiful wilderness location.

More Sierra Nevada paintings here

For the Glory of the Skies – Sierra California impressionist landscape

For The Glory of the Skies

20 x 24 inches
Oil on canvas

SOLD, private collection

This new painting was inspired by the old hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth,” a song of Thanksgiving I learned as a child. I recalled the second line … “for the glory of the skies” … the moment I saw this scene in California’s Owens Valley, in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada, near the June Lake loop. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed an apt time to share it for the first time. If you are in Southern California, you are welcome to see the painting in person in my home studio.

Ojai Afternoon Sunset oil painting – California impressionist landscape art

“Ojai Afternoon Sunset”
9 x 12 oil painting on canvas

This oil painting comes out of my travels to Ojai, north of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The Ojai Valley is a popular resort type community, filled with places to relax and restore, hike, dine and more. I think the valley is especially beautiful at sunset when the TopaTopa mountains are brightened with warm sunset light. I hear it’s a fantastic wedding destination, too! I haven’t painted a wedding in Ojai yet, but I’d like to. See my work here … Live event wedding painter

Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

Along Highway One – California landscape golden hills oil painting

“Along Highway One”
9 x 12 oil painting on plein air panel

This California landscape impressionist painting is from recent travels in the Central Coast, along Highway One, just a little north of Morro Bay.
Cypress trees are abundant in that area, and mix it up with the local oaks. Although the hills are brown and golden, typical for the summer, there is more grass evident than in the past few drought years.

Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

Along the River Road – California golden hills impressionist oil painting landscape

Along the River Road
20 x 24 inches, oil on canvas
(The old river road, Monterey County, near Salinas)

This stretch of road is one of the prettiest in Central California for classic views incorporating mountains, golden fields and majestic oak trees. I painted the similar area before in “Fields of Gold,” and will no doubt return to that section of the state again and again.

Mt. Tom Springtime – Bishop, California landscape oil painting – Eastern Sierra

Mt. Tom Springtime – Bishop, California
9 x 12 landscape oil painting on plein air panel

More Sierra Nevada paintings here

This was the first time I’ve been up in the Sierra to paint this season. I always look forward to seeing the first wildflowers blooming as the snow recedes.
I painted this along one of Bishop’s many agricultural canals. I set up under a cottonwood tree for a little shade, but as the wind picked up, I decided to move. There were too many broken branches on the ground for me to feel safe.

Cottonwood Country Colorado landscape oil painting

Cottonwood Country
8 x 10 oil painting
Colorado plein air style oil painting, near Cortez

This painting came out of my 2015 summer trip to Colorado. We passed through many beautiful meadow and farming areas, and were pleased to see how green and healthy the trees were, with adequate water – as compared to California with its persistent drought. I used some palette knife work and a rougher than usual canvas to capture a bit of the feeling of the blowing leaves. I think it works pretty well.

 

Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

© Karen Winters Fine Art 2016

Cathedral Beach Yosemite Autumn landscape oil painting

Cathedral Beach, Yosemite Valley Autumn
12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

This painting was done last fall based on my visit to Yosemite. As many times as we’ve been there through the years, I’d never caught it at exactly this time, and it was certainly glorious.

Cathedral Beach is on the left side of the Southside Drive, just beyond the El Capitan Bridge. It’s a popular picnic and swim area, with wide sandy beaches.

Interested in this painting?
Click this link to write me.
See more of my paintings on my website

See more of my Yosemite paintings here