Leslie Landers

My trip to Tahiti included lots of time in the water and a little painting with watercolor. Painting this small oil at home using a watercolor sketch as a reference took me back.

In this painting I’m leaning into the strong diagonals in the foreground and the shimmer of the early spring sunshine hitting the rock outcropping beyond.

Some spring days are rainy and gray. Others are filled with a warming sun and fruit trees in bloom. I was savoring just that kind of day as I was painting this apple tree in a neighborhood park.

The coastal walk along the bluff trail at Fitzgerald Marine Preserve is one of my absolute favorites. I painted this on-site and focused on the elegant lines of a tall cypress trees hanging on at cliff’s edge.

I’ve painted the San Francisco Sea Scouts many times. I really love the red SSS Viking. This time I have included the SSS Corsair. Most often, the Viking is used by the young women, while the Corsair is used by the young men. Overall, the sea Scouts offer a great nautical experience building confidence and sailing skills. The Sea Scout base is in Aquatic Park. Here you see Ghirardelli Square and the city unfold beyond the sails.

I painted this alongside the recreation trail that is on the Pacific Grove waterfront. This time I’ve chosen to include the buildings some of which are charming victorians. I enjoy the way the morning sunshine hits the bluffs and lights up the wildflowers that cling to them.

My focus in this piece was in catching the sun low on the horizon behind light clouds.

This piece was developed from watercolor sketches I made while visiting Skytop in Pennsylvania. I was drawn to the sun hitting the rocky outcropping and the water intersecting the shadows beneath.

This piece was inspired by watercolor sketches I made while in Rangiroa Tahiti of the moments before the sun sets on a day filled with balmy air and sunshine.