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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.

This was one of the last paintings I did on a recent autumn trip in the Eastern Sierra. The plan had been to find a spot next to one of Lundy Canyon’s beaver ponds upstream from this spot but it was raining when we got there. It still was plenty photo worthy though. As we were leaving the canyon (close to Highway 395) the sun came out and everything sparkled. I went with this small format in case the weather turned and enjoyed to chance to enjoy the colors dancing in the water next to me.

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.

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.