Tule Fog

It feels so good to be back painting again! This one is an homage to our local Valley fog. When present, it makes driving miserable but it's gorgeous at the same time.

Tule Fog
oil on cradled board
6 x 6"
lightly varnished + signed
wood edges, suitable for immediate hanging
available in my shop here

Sunflower Field

I am missing the fields full of sunflowers now that winter has arrived. There is something magical about living somewhere where you can tell what month it is by what's growing (or not) in the fields. When your dinner conversation involves "they harvested the tomatoes today" or "the sunflowers are now gone", you feel a connection even if you're not actually farming the land. For me, it makes the passing of time less jarring..more fluid. A continuum.

Sunflower Field
oil on wood block
4 x 6"
lightly varnished + signed
contact me for availability

Converge

That point where it all comes together. Off in the distance. You can't really see it but you trust that it's there.

Converge

oil on deep cradled panel

6 x 12"

stained wood edges, perfect for immediate hanging

lightly varnished + signed

contact me for availability

Moo.

California cows do seem to be pretty happy. And happy paintings come from happy cows.

Brown One
oil on cradled gesso board
6 x 6"
lightly stained wood edges, suitable for immediate hanging
varnished + signed
please contact me for more info

Rice Fields

Right now it's harvest time, but I love painting the little shoots of Spring. The green meandering carpet almost glows.

Spring Rice
oil on cradled gesso board
6 x 6"
lightly varnished + signed
*sold

His + Hers

It's that time of year. Bring out the boots.

His + Hers
Oil on cradled gessoboard, no framing required
8 x 8"
lightly varnished + signed
contact me for price and purchase info


P.S. Someone was asking if my new(ish) paintings will be in my etsy shop. Most of them are being stockpiled for upcoming shows in December and I will probably not list them just to keep inventory simple on my end! But they are available, so feel free to e-mail me if you have any interest or questions. Thanks!

A little different...

Hi there. I've started doing a few little paintings in watercolor over the past month. It's great practice for painting with fresh, un-muddied strokes. Plus they dry in a jiffy! I'll share them with you here every Wednesday. Thank you for stopping by!

Spring Break
watercolor 8 x 10"
matted and ready for 11 x 14" frame
please contact me for purchase info

Cheep!

I love painting chickens. They are such funny little critters.
Happy Friday!

Cheep!
oil on deep canvas
4 x 4"
lightly varnished + signed
contact me for price or to purchase

Leading In, Complete!

I still might make some tweaks here and there, but I'm pretty pleased with how this one turned out. I'm hoping to get a few more of these mid-sized pieces under my belt before the holiday show season.

Leading In
oil on gallery-depth canvas
12 x 12 x 2"
lightly varnished + signed
contact me for availability

Leading In

I've been working on this one for a couple of days. I really want to paint larger pieces but they can be challenging--both because of the time they require and adapting my technique to still have a spontaneous feel to it. This one is 12 x 12". Not huge by any means, but it's still an adjustment. So far, so good!

Freckles

Freckles
oil on wood block
3.5 x 3.5"
lightly varnished + signed

These small wood blocks are actually fancy moulding corners that I found at a barn sale. Flip them over and they make perfect little planes for painting on.

Favas

I'm a little rusty to say the least. It's probably 80% psychological, but I thought I'd do a little still life in the few free moments I had today. Whenever I take a week or more off from painting, little doubts begin to creep in--should I change my style? should I stick to only landscapes? Having very few sales from my etsy shop doesn't help the 'ol confidence much either. I'm determined to power through it, though. Like I told someone the other day, it's not like I can just stop painting. I have to. The rest will follow, I have to believe.

Favas
oil on canvas
4 x 6"
painted edges, suitable for immediate hanging
available in the shop when dry

Covell Barn, Late Spring

I've been away from the easel for over a week..funny how rusty you can get. I did this little barn study this morning. Besides being a tad crooked (or it may be my photo..it's been a long day!), I'm happy with it. I look forward to picking up the brush again this evening!

Covell Barn, Late Spring
oil on gesso board, slotted for easy hanging
8 x 8"
lightly varnished + signed
*sold*

Pt. Reyes Mist

I started this painting about three years ago. I was painting in a dark, drippy studio and my mom was dying of cancer. It was awful. After she passed, I moved out of the studio and put this painting away. I couldn't finish it and couldn't even stand to look at it. I'm sure can you understand why. Well, I woke up this morning thinking about it. I could almost hear her telling me, "Just finish it, silly..and get on with it." So I did.
Thanks, mom.

Pt. Reyes Mist
oil on canvas
18 x 24"
lightly varnished + signed
contact me for purchase info

Tallest to Shortest

Another painting from photos taken at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. I loved how these trees seemed to be lining up for something.

Tallest to Shortest
oil on cradled panel
6 x 8 x 3/4"
lightly varnished + signed
stained edges, suitable for immediate hanging

available in the shop

Folsom Powerhouse

I have a soft spot for historic buildings and places. This power plant in Folsom was one of the first hydroelectric plants in the state. From the California Parks website:

"On July 13, 1895, with only two generators in actual operation, electricity was successfully transmitted over uninsulated copper wires the full 22 miles to Sacramento. Newspapers in Sacramento and San Francisco covered this event in detail on their front pages the next day. Sacramento celebrated this technological breakthrough with a "Grand Electric Carnival" on September 9, 1895, stringing electric lights along its downtown streets, and decorating the State Capitol with thousands of bulbs."

I wish I could have seen that.

Folsom Powerhouse
oil on canvas
6 x 6"
painted edges, suitable for immediate hanging
lightly varnished + signed
available here soon

Happy Weekend!

Blown

The wind was almost unbearable last week. Zipping through your head and eye sockets, making you feel disoriented and crispy. The air was almost fuzzy and white from all the pollen and dust, something I tried to carry over into my painting. Aaaaah--choo. I'm happy with the movement!

Blown
oil on cradled board
6 x 6"
wood edges, suitable for immediate hanging
*sold*

Something different

Sometimes paintings do just as I want them to. The end result is what I had envisioned for the piece. Other times, I fail and it's not what I wanted . But still other times, the painting leads me in a new direction. A little scary, but very rewarding. I'm so used to the small horizons and big skies--I didn't imagine I'd paint this today. Huge foreground and small sky. Huh. Well, there you have it.

End of Day
oil on cradled wood panel
6 x 8"
lightly varnished + signed
available in the shop soon
oil

Staredown

When it comes to staring contests between me and cows, the cows always win.

Honestly, I'm having a hard time with these cows. I keep coming back to them, fiddling a bit here and there and still not thrilled with the results. It's frustrating when you know where you want to get but can't manage to find your way there.

Staredown
oil on canvas
6 x 6"
lightly varnished + signed

Available in the shop soon!

Mud Room Wellies + next show

It's wet and rainy here all over again. Fingers crossed it's sunny by Saturday for my next Indie Davis event. I will have all the newest paintings shown here..come out and see them in person!

Mud Room Wellies
oil on canvas
4 x 6"
lightly varnished + signed
*sold*