Oils

This small plein air study was painted on one of those extraordinary winter days where the sunshine and intense colors amaze.

I painted this on a lovely fall day with a palette knife at Quail Hollow Ranch Park in Felton.

I love the texture found in sand dunes and the variety of low growing native plants. In this piece, I’ve focused on the hint of a path amongst it all.

This was one of the last paintings on an October plein air trip in the Eastern Sierra. The plan had been to find a spot next to one of Lundy Canyon’s beaver ponds but it was raining when we got there. As we were leaving the canyon (close to Highway 395) the sun came out and everything sparkled. So we quickly chose a spot. I went with this small format in case the weather turned.

I was drawn to the way the pair of aspen trees framing the bank of on the far side of the stream. I also enjoyed the range of purples, oranges and greens in the sierra willow brush along the bank.

This was painted just off of Tioga Pass close to the junction of Highway 395. There had been worry that the snow would close the pass. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Just a lovely dusting on distant peaks as I painted by this scenic stream.

1I started this on the Devil’s slide trail on a glorious early fall day. The main thing I was trying to capture was the warm glow into the water of the sun hitting the rock and the action of the surf. I have painted the Egg Rock Sea Stacks several times and realized when I got home that this time I didn’t catch the rocks at their best angle so I took some liberties with the shape of the main rock back in the studio.

I found a shady spot to paint this on a friend’s property in Mariposa. I focused on one of the many rock outcroppings covered in moss and dappled light.

Perched on a bluff in Mendocino, this painting invites us to lean over the edge and feel the power of the Pacific below. The turquoise water churns against dark rocks, while bright wildflowers cling stubbornly to the rugged coastline. It’s a reminder of the delicate balance between the raw force of the ocean and the quiet resilience of life along its edge.

On an impossibly clear late summer day along Highway 1 near Elk, CA, I set up my easel overlooking the rugged beauty of Coffey’s Cove. This piece is all about the contrast of the golden grasses in the foreground and the blues and turquoise tones in the water.