9″ x 12″ oil on linel panel
The thing I most wanted to paint on this trip was branches of blooming dogwood in Yosemite and I got my wish. I found these dogwoods blooming next to Tenaya Creek on the lower creekside trail on the way to Mirror Lake. My painting spot was uncomfortably rocky and still I was in heaven.
10″ x 8″ oil on linen panel
I was a bit intimidated by the idea of painting a plein air nocturne on main street in Mariposa. While I was out of my comfort zone, it was fun painting this small slice of the town through the glowing window of the Gypsy Queens Hat Shop.
11″ x 14″ oil on linen panel
In this piece, I was drawn to the gentleness of this creek on a perfect spring morning.
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
One of my goals for this painting trip was to take in the fresh green essence of spring in California. In this piece, I was sitting under an oak tree enjoying the change grass colors. It was a pleasure to observe the variations related to sunlit area vs. the shaded foreground as well as the impact of distance.
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
I painted this on the bank of Mariposa Creek in spring. The area was thoughtfully sprinkled with lovely wildflowers all of which were California natives.
8″ x 10″ oil on linen panel
While I went to a small ranch with a painting group thinking I would be painting horses or goats, it was the blooming prickly pear cactus that captivated me. It was interesting to see the stages of these cactus blooms … bright tangerine orange new blooms fading to light pinks as they ebbed and ending in the development of dark magenta-brown fruit.
So fun to spend time paint in Mariposa. I went up with a wonderful painter friend in the middle of a pretty epic rainstorm. We had a blast painting around Mariposa in the sunshine that followed. We met up with a group of group of artists who all participated in an event sponsored by the Sierra Artists Gallery there. We were all encouraged to paint a nocturnal on Main Street which took me out of my comfort zone but it was fun and I like the painting that resulted from it.
I also made it into Yosemite to experience a postcard beautiful day. I was hoping that the dogwood would be blooming and they were. I was able to paint them backlit by the afternoon sun alongside Tenaya Creek on the trail that leads up to Mirror Lake. That morning we painted at Cathedral Beach.
The plan is to head up again soon. I am looking forward to it already!
18″ x 24″ oil on panel
The interaction of colors in the sky and the sea drew me into this scene. I am hoping to give the viewer a sense of an expectant and changeable moment.
5/8/2026 – 6/23/2026
My painting “Sidewalk Stories” is part of this year’s Pacific Art League Show at their gallery in downtown Palo Alto. The address for the gallery is 668 Ramona Street (on the corner of Forest & Ramona). The opening reception is on Friday May 8 from 5:30pm to 8:00 pm.
This studio painting was developed from a sketch I made while traveling in Geneva Switzerland. While it’s a spot I really enjoyed, I want the viewer to put themselves in the scene. Imagining their own cafe experience.
It was the light coming through the red fabric umbrellas and awning that got drew me in. As the painting developed, I put close friends chatting at the center back of the scene. My hope is that viewers can place themselves in the convivial cafe scene on a day filled with sunshine and good conversation.
The woman to the left caught my attention. Lovely but one wonders about navigating the cobblestones in her impossibly high heels.
3/27/2026 – 4/27/2026
What a delight to learn that my painting “Oasis Palm Canyon” received the top award as part of this year’s show. If you find yourself in Half Moon Bay in April, I encourage you to check the show out. The Coastal Arts League Gallery is located at 300 Main Street in Downtown Half Moon Bay.
I’ve been to the Palm Springs area many times but only ‘discovered’ the Indian Canyons area in recent years. Now that I have, the location tops my must do list. There are great hiking trails. It is particularly stunning in the Spring when the seasonal streams is flowing and the wildflowers are abundant. These palm trees are the only true “native to California” palms we have.
These paintings were also accepted into the show:
“Early Spring, Half Moon Bay” savors our early chartreuse fields and “Intertidal Morning” encourages us to enjoy (but watch our step) along the rocky shore of Pescadero.
