11″ x 14″ oil on linen panel
There is so much to see and paint in a harbor scene like this and there were times while I was painting this plein air piece that I felt I might have bit off more than I could chew. I powered through and think I have captured a sense of late afternoon in Eureka’s Harbor as the light hits the multistory Queen Ann Mansion from the 1880s that overlooks the scene.
Exhibited …
2026 – Redwood Art Association, Humboldt Open plein air painting event.
9/28/2026 – 10/16/2026
I had the best time painting up in Humboldt County as part of a terrific plein air painting event organized by the Redwood Art Association.
This was the third time I’ve participated in the event with pastel artist, Marianne Woosley. This year we were joined by watercolor painter, Karen Fitt. It’s a haul to make the six hour drive up from the Bay Area for HOPO but the scenery and the low-key happy painting vibe is very compelling.
At the close of the week, 40 artists hung freshly painted pieces in the Redwood Art Association’s gallery in downtown Eureka. It was so fun seeing everyone’s take on this beautiful area. Here are a few pics …
From left to right …
1 – Painting in the fog at a Moonstone Beach in Humboldt. (Marianne’s pic of me)
2 – Painting in the sunshine at Organic Matters Farm in Eureka. (Marianne’s pic of Karen)
3 – Me standing next to my eight plein air paintings for the week. The inset is my 2nd place award for my painting “Vicissitudes.”
4 – Marianne Woosley’s take on a redwood in the Arcata Forest also won an award.
5 – Nancy and Paul Ricard are the driving force behind the Humboldt Open. Wendy Brayton received this year’s 1st place award. John Hewitt was this year’s judge.
What a wonderful week of painting in Humboldt County. The Redwood Art Association in Eureka puts on a terrific plein air painting event every October. So fun to join this year.
It was so great to see 40 plein air painters’ individual takes on beautiful Humboldt County at the Redwood Art Association Gallery in downtown Eureka. I was amazed and so delighted to be recognized with a 2nd place award. Many thanks to juror and noted watercolor artist John Hewitt!
11″ x 14″ oil on linen panel
I painted this in the Arcata Redwood Forest which is right next to Cal Poly, Humboldt. In my painting I was trying to observe how much of the light was filtering into the scene.
10″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
I really enjoy painting in Trinidad. For this plein air piece, I found a rock to sit on as I looked at the curve of the shore and the distant rocks. As I was working out how I was going to approach the scene, a seagull popped onto the rock observing me intently. I am sure there was hope I’d be sharing food, instead the gull became the perfect model for my plein air painting.
Exhibited …
2026 – Redwood Art Association, Humboldt Open plein air painting event
8″ x 10″ oil on panel
I painted this standing in the middle of a maze of sunflowers at Organic Matters in Eureka. As I was painting, I was striving to catch the play of light and shadow.
Exhibited …
2026 – Redwood Art Association, Humboldt Open plein air painting event
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
I painted this at Table Bluff Park which is located in the southern part of Humboldt County. I enjoyed thinking about the twists and turns of life shown in this single tree.
12″ x 16″ oil on linen panel
I was struck by the way these two large cypress trees have grown in sympathy with each other and the way they stand watch over grassy bluff and ocean beyond.
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
I painted this on a very foggy morning at Moonstone Beach Park in the Westhaven part of Humboldt County. I enjoyed observing the shifts in the colors that came with the distance in the fog and while trying to catch the hint of a clearing sky.
14″ x 11″ oil on linen panel
Sue-Meg State Park in Humboldt County is one of my most favorite places. It’s also a place I don’t feel enough Californians see. The landscape here is dominated by towering cliffs and stone sea stacks. These structures are formed by uplift as the North America Plate rises in geologic time to then be erroded by wind and waves. I painted this on a morning with fog repeatedly coming and clearing.
Awarded …
2nd place, Redwood Art Association, Humboldt Open plein air painting event. John Hewitt awards judge.
