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This piece began as a plein air painting that was later finished in the studio.

I began this just outside Mariposa and when I brought it home I felt the painting needed something so I added cows.

This plein air piece was painted in Lundy Canyon in the Eastern Sierra. In this piece, I focused on observing the junction of sunlit and shad on the other bank of the stream.

I was struck by these two California Blue Oaks and their sympathetically arranged branches and painted them as if caught in a dance … perhaps a slow and sensuous bolero.

Sometimes the criteria for a perfect place for a plein air painting is a spot that is protected from the rain. I painted this under a portico. Of course, the sun came out just as I was wrapping up.

There’s lots of history to discover in the town of Mariposa. This clapboard home is situated on the grounds of the town’s history center. I enjoyed looking at the patterns created by the sun passing through the trees as I painted and concentrated on getting the perspective right. I worked out the foreground and added details after returning home.

In this coastal scene from Mendocino, I’ve focused on that quiet, fleeting moment when the morning sun begins to burn through the lingering fog. The air is fresh, the beach is hushed and rising tide is creeping closer. You might get your feet wet if you linger too long.

In this piece, I am feeling the wind and enjoying the repeating sail patterns.

Those of us who grew up in the Bay Area know how much it’s changed which makes us appreciate the rural spots that remain. This neighborhood is located in the Almaden section of San Jose. There is a sense of wide open spaces in this area that is enhanced by access to Santa Teresa County Park.

I painted this while enjoying short painting trip down the coast with a friend. In this scene, I was drawn to the rocks that can be seen below the water’s surface at the base of this coastal bluff.