Long Shadow

"Long Shadow", oil on canvas panel, 5x7", available at my Etsy Store

I've painted these little barns many times, and each time they're different. It felt great to be out painting again, even if my color mixing skills were a little rusty.

I've been accepted into a new gallery in downtown Petaluma, the Riverfront Art Gallery, and I got a call yesterday that the first day they had their doors open, one of my paintings sold! The official opening for the gallery will be October 13th - we'll be having a reception with all the artists from 4-8pm. It's a great space, and I'm really excited to be showing there.

Fresh Hay Rows - painting a day

"Fresh Hay Rows" oil on canvas panel, 5x7", available at my Etsy store.

I woke up the other morning to dense fog, and knew I had to paint these little barns in the fog. The last time I was there, the grass in front of the barns had gotten really tall, so I was hoping to find the grass cut so I could see the barns. The rows of green grass peeping out from under the cut hay was a bonus.

In progress

"Towering Eucalyptus" oil on canvas, 24x24"

I apologize for the photo quality - this is off my easel and the lighting isn't set up for photography. I generally use my scanner for small paintings, but large paintings require a sunny day in the afternoon when I've got the perfect shady photo spot in the back yard. Much easier than setting up the photo lights for shooting indoors. I've been working on this painting for a while now and wanted to share some larger work in progress. I thought it might be done, but looking at it again I'm not entirely sure. What do you think?

When I first started painting landscapes, I was very conscious of not wanting to paint Eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees aren't native to California, and they release compounds that inhibit the growth of any native species that might try to grow near them. So as a botanist, I think of them as noxious weeds. And the fact that I'm allergic to them doesn't help win my affections. But they're pretty ubiquitous around here. They were planted extensively as wind breaks around farms and ranches, and they're very difficult to remove. As I've been painting more barns and agricultural themes, the Eucalyptus have been sneaking in. And I have to admit they have a certain grandeur to them.

Morning Light - painting a day

"Morning Light" oil on canvas panel, 5x7" [$75+shipping]

Pump House

"Pump House" oil on canvas panel, 11x14" [$425+shipping]

I did this painting last week, and only today realized I hadn't shared it on my blog. This little pump house was in the middle of a vineyard near Healdsburg, and it was the cast shadow of the eaves that initially caught my eye. This time of year the vineyards are just starting to leaf out, and the foliage is the most delicate green.

Eucalyptus Grove

"Eucalyptus Grove" oil on canvas, 12x36"

One of my personal goals has been to try and find a way to do studio paintings that have the same life as my plein air work. I'm finding that one of the keys to good studio paintings for me is viewing my reference photos on the computer, rather than trying to print them out. And I think the other piece of the puzzle is doing the studio painting as soon as possible after completing the field study, so it's easy to tap into the sense memory of what made that place special. This painting grew out of a frustrating plein air session, where I couldn't seem to make things work. I realized when I got home that part of the problem was that the painting wanted to be long and skinny instead of my usual format. So I listened to what the painting had to say.