The Evening Show

 

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This is another attempt to paint the gathering storm clouds we witnessed on an evening of a recent camping trip. I used a scrap panel, so the size is odd (but no problem for a framer). So many subtle colors - such a challenge to paint.

Regular Walk

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We try to walk every day, and there are several ways we can go right from our house. This is a scene from the way we go most regularly, which we call "the regular walk." So creative, right?! We are lucky to live near some areas that are designated as natural areas and will (hopefully) remain that way. Anyway, on this particular day the clouds were pretty fantastic, and leaving cloud shadows on the mountains, which is one of my favorite visual things around here. So I painted it.

Sunset Storm

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Click Here to Bid - 6x12in. - oil on panel

A few weeks ago my husband and I went on a camping adventure down through Wyoming, into northern Utah and back up through Idaho. On the last evening we were way up on a hill/mountain/not sure, somewhere in Idaho, surrounded by bushes and a great view of the sky, when these clouds rolled in and started turning these amazing sunset colors. We wandered around with our cameras just saying "wow" over and over again. This little painting is my attempt to capture the scene, though it does the experience no justice.

That night after we crawled into our little teardrop camper, the thunder and lightening started. It was all around us and LOUD and I was scared of being struck. My husband assured me that since the whole thing was connected to the ground by rubber tires, we would be ok. : | Fortunately we didn't have to test that theory.

Cool Tootsies

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

And finally ... here is my first beach painting! This is from a recent trip to North Carolina - a little vacation after my workshop in Apex. I spent hours and hours walking along the beach snapping photos. It was like heaven for me - the people, the water, the reflections!

Before the Rain

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x12in. - oil on panel

Back in September I took a trip with some plein air friends to the Tetons in Wyoming. This is the same group of friends I've gone up into the Sierra's with about 5 times before (if you've been following me a while). And although I had a WONDERFUL time with my buds, I didn't mention it here because I didn't come back with any good paintings. It was pretty humbling actually. I reworked each of my paintings using memory and photos, and this is the only one that turned out ok. There is an article about the trip out this month in Plein Air Magazine if you'd like to check out more about it all, and work by the other artists. It's a pretty great article!

About this particular spot: We were on the way back to our house one afternoon, and it was clearly about to rain. But we stopped at the river anyway, and we all set up to paint. Sure enough, about 5 minutes in it started to sprinkle, and then pour. Fortunately I had some photos from right before the rain, although the clouds were kind of reversed (coming in from the right instead of left). So I moved some things around, which is much easier for me to do in the studio, and voilà. It definitely captures the mood.

Living on the Edge

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Here's another landscape from Utah, from the same area as this recent one. We were overlooking the Canyonlands, near Moab. One day we drove down into the canyon, on a tiny, dirt road that had recently been damaged by flooding, barely clinging to the side of a cliff. It was pretty terrifying, but our Jeep handled it just fine.

Ruby Lake From Above

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This is the last one (that turned out) from my trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains last month. This one is from a solo day hike to Ruby Lake (from base camp at Garnet Lake). I found this scene not far from the trail, and while this trail is not heavily trafficked, for some reason a bunch of people walked by right as I was in the very ugly beginning stages of this painting. I was working fast because this light was changing by the minute. And some guy said, "Oh, are you painting?" Ummm, yes. "What you are you painting?" This scene. "Are you going to paint the whole thing?" Nope. "Which part are you going to paint?" Uhhh, it's hard to explain? 

At this point I think the inflection in my voice, and the fact that I turned my back to him so I could focus, convinced him to stop asking questions. The next time I looked back he was gone. Sorry dude. I'm not great at answering questions when I'm painting.

I was only able to get a rough sketch and some color notes that day. I took a bunch of pictures and finished it in my studio. I'm really happy with how the blue shimmers against the green.

Up and Over 1 & 2

 

Click Here to Bid (8x10in. - OIL - starts at $100)

Next up from the Sierras are two very similar paintings. I started one of them outside, on location, on a slightly smoky day, near the beginning of the trip. The wind started to pick up that day, which ended up blowing out the smoke, but also blew over a couple of easels, including mine. This was incredibly frustrating, mostly because up to that point my painting was going really well. But my turp can was emptied (all over myself and my new backpack!), so I had no choice but to return to camp to get more. But by then the light had changed and I knew that to finish the painting it would have to be on another day.

So I returned a couple days later, at the same time of day, only to find my scene had changed considerably without the smoke. I ended up repainting it quite a bit, and the result is this second painting below. And I really like it, but I also liked the original feel, so I painted another one at home, from photos and memory, and that is the painting above.

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The Sheer Face of It

 

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This is another perspective/format of the same rocks and water (at Ruby Lake), a little later in the day, after a lunch break. They say the middle of the day is the worst time for landscape painting because the light is boring. But if you're an outdoor still life painter, I would argue that you can still find plenty.

Ruby Lake Rocks

 

Click Here to Bid (6x12in. - OIL - starts at $100) (click image to see larger)

Another one from my Sierra trip. On this day I wanted to hike to Ruby Lake, which was quite a trek. I asked all my painting pals and had no takers, so I did it by myself. It was a lovely day. The shadows on these rocks changed super fast, so I took lots of pictures as I painted, and clarified it a bit more in my studio. I seem to be more interested in what I call "outdoor still lifes" than "landscapes."

Atop the Granite

 

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Here is another painting from my August trip into the Sierras. It was done mostly on location, with just a few small touch-ups back in my studio. This spot is about 10 minutes from base camp, and one of my favorite granite outcroppings. Over the years I've painted it from several different angles.

Perhaps because our group is getting older, about half decided to ride horses in this time. I hiked in, but rode a horse out. Here is a picture of the in-riders. One benefit of riding is that instead of always watching where you're stepping next, you can look around and appreciate the view. The downside is that afterwards you're sore in places you didn't even know you had!

Early Rocks

 

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Hi there! I got home from my California trip last week, but have been so busy with visits from relatives, helping a friend move, and catching up in general that I haven't had a chance to post, much less touch up any paintings. Until today. To the right you will see my illustrious, Sierra, painting pals (names below), and above is the first painting I did (a morning scene). We hiked to Garnet Lake this year. As usual, we carried our art gear and mules hauled our camping gear, food and (fabulous) cook. We camped for 5 days in the same spot, pitching our easels where/whenever we felt inspired, making sure to roll back into camp in time for cocktails and dinner. Every year we say it was the "trip of a lifetime," and this was no exception. The place is amazing, but the people put it over the top.

Pictured (L to R): Mark Fehlman, Cleo Villett, Kim Lordier, Terry Miura, Michele de Braganca, Bill Cone, Tia Kratter, Scott Hamill, myself, Karen (cook), Elizabeth (cook's daughter), & Paul Kratter.

Reflected Green

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This is a little gouache painting from one of the creeks around here that I visited in the summer. Apparently these are very popular for fly fishing, although I've never tried it myself. I'm so looking forward to things turning green again like this (as I look out my window at snow falling).

Watering Hole

 

Click Here to Bid (5x3in. - GOUACHE - starts at $75)

This is a scene I've painted before, but last time, there were horses. Plus the last one was in oil, and this is gouache. One great thing about gouache is that I can go back and work on it as many times as I want/need. Oil, on the other hand, gets a little finicky. Subsequent darks dry chalky, and if you go back too soon, the under layers are tacky. Plus you always have to keep in mind the fat over lean thing. With gouache all you have to worry about is overworking in general.

Good Morning Majesty

 

Click Here to Bid (6x3in. - GOUACHE - starts at $75)

Along with most of the rest of the country, Montana was hit by an arctic blast recently. The temps hovered right around zero, and the snow just accumulated. And so I have been extra motivated to browse back through my photos from the summer and pick out scenes to paint from warmer weather. This is from the Butte area - about 140 miles SE of us. We were so very grateful to have been able to go out and camp then, while still socially distanced. And we're looking forward to doing it again, as soon as the weather allows.

Homeland

 

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My folks met at the University of Texas in Austin when they were students there. They married quickly and struck out north for adventure. They ended up in Montana for 10 years, southeast of Butte, where my sister and I were born. We moved (back) to Texas when I was 2, so I have no memories of Montana, but I have enjoyed exploring the area as an adult. This is a scene from around where I was born, up in the hills, overlooking the valley and the mountains on the other side. 

I didn't paint Texas nearly as much. And I'm not saying Montana is more beautiful ... aww heck, yes I am.

Trees Overlooking the River

 

Click Here to Bid (3x5in. - GOUACHE - starts at $75)

When I first got to Montana, I looked at a map and picked a road that went for a good stretch along a river, because I like to paint water. I plugged it into my GPS and headed out. Pretty quickly it turned into a dirt road and ran up along the top of a cliff overlooking the (Clark Fork) river. I didn't have many peeks of the river because there were too many trees. But then I decided the trees were just as pretty as the water. This is one of the first scenes I ever painted in gouache, but I've done it over a few times in order to get it right. This is probably my 4th try.

The Scenic Route

 

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This is from a day drive I took last year. I headed East from Missoula and then south on a "scenic route" towards Phillipsburg. This little dirt road was an off-shoot from the main road. At the start of the road were signs that warned this road went through private property and that one shouldn't stop or get out. I wondered if stopping to take pictures was permitted, but there wasn't a good spot to turn around, so I kept going. 

It turned out to be a gorgeous area, so at one point I did stop to take a few pictures. I heard a sound so I turned around and suddenly there was a swarm of 4-wheelers coming up behind me, fast. So I hopped back in my car and kept driving. I thought for sure I was in trouble, but after a few miles I found a spot to pull over so I could turn around, and all the 4-wheelers passed me with friendly waves. Whew.

Rise Above

 

Click Here to Bid (5x3in. - GOUACHE - starts at $75)

Here's a little gouache landscape from a hike I took in the summer along Blodgett Creek. I have a few of these little landscapes left that have been sitting around my studio. Today I pulled them out and they inspired me to do some new ones. So you'll see those soon.

Clouds Rising

 

Click Here to Bid (5x3in. - GOUACHE - starts at $75)

This is from a photo I took back in summer. Our Montana winter has been really beautiful as well, but we haven't ventured out nearly as much. I'm sure I will get braver with time. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to the great hiking opportunities summer brings!