Sunset Oak

This is painted from a really old reference photo taken here along Putah Creek when my husband and I were in college. One of my all-time favorites. I keep coming back to it. It's comforting somehow and each painting turns out differently.

Sunset Oak
oil on wood panel
7.25" x 7.25"
lightly varnished and distressed along the edges
contact me for availability

Late Afternoon, Co. Road 102

This stand of trees is along my favorite country road. It makes such a beautiful contrast--the warm glowing fields and the cool green grove along the creek.

Late Afternoon, Co. Road 102
oil on cradled board
11 x 14"
stained wood edges, suitable for immediate hanging
lightly varinshed + signed

Dusk, July

Sometimes I get hung up on painting the sky at sunset and forget to look at the beautiful glow and deep dark shadows it creates. I'm very happy with how this little one turned out.

Dusk, July
oil on wood block
5 x 5"
lightly varnished + signed
available in the shop soon

*sold, thank you Lisa!*

Enlightened

I painted this on a "wipedown"--what I like to call it when I decide to start over on a piece. I had another landscape on this board which was not cooperating with me. So we parted ways. I love these deep wood cradled boards and wasn't about to waste one on a painting I didn't love. I am much happier with this one--proof that sometimes something better IS waiting around the corner.

Enlightened
oil on extra deep cradled gesso board
6 x 12 x 1.5"
lightly varnished + signed
available in the shop

I still have my paintings available at Haute Again if you are in the area and would like to see them. They'll be there through the first week of July. Thank you (so much) to those of you who have come by and visited them. So many of them have been adopted to happy homes!

Pacific Sky

Being landlocked in the Central Valley, I don't get the chance to paint the ocean much. I painted this (mostly for the sky) from a photo taken ages ago.

Pacific Sky
oil on cradled board
6 x 6"
lightly varnished + signed

Sundown

There's something magical about painting a sunset..almost as magical as witnessing one. Too much work and it gets muddy and loses all the pop. I remember taking the reference photo for this one--running to the end of the street (a good 1/2 mile or so) in flip-flops. I'm lucky I didn't fall and break my camera! Which, if you know me, is quite likely.

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

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

No. 4

No. 4 for Jennifer in West Sacramento

A little sunset I saw yesterday here in the Valley. Happy Friday, wherever you are!

Country Road

Finished! I am very happy with the way this one turned out. Whew. It encourages me to paint larger pieces more often. I like to paint all at once and only come back to a painting to add a few details here and there. No layering or glazing. Here, that meant bringing out some big brushes and working quickly. Luckily, the elements the customer ordered were things I love to paint. She wanted something to remember Davis by when she returns to Japan. I hope I give that to her.

In response to a comment yesterday (hi Lisa!) I wanted to share a few words about custom pieces. Up until last Fall, I just didn't do them. The stress of somehow conveying an emotional connection to something or someplace that wasn't MY connection was just too hard. I now do them on a case-by-case basis with lots of communication beforehand, especially for landscapes. Shoes, of course, are always welcome. I choose to not "repaint" pieces I've already done. The convergence of mood, strokes, and colors happens once. It can't be recreated easily. Pumping out the same painting isn't what I'm interested in. (Although getting paid for it is always tempting..but that's another blog post in itself!) The uniqueness, the moment--that's what I love about art. With every painting I've sold, I remember where I was and how I felt when I painted it. For me it's a serendipitous, shooting star kind of moment. The moment passes, but the art remains--whether it's a little shoe, a branch, or a sunset. To be able to share that moment with others is what makes it truly fantastic.

Country Road
(custom order)
oil on canvas
16 x 20"
lightly varnished + signed

Finished

Blue Skies
oil on cradled gesso board
6 x 12"
signed
lightly varnished

contact me for more information

Blue Skies

..Smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see

I was blue, just as blue as I could be
Ev'ry day was a cloudy day for me
Then good luck came a-knocking at my door
Skies were gray but they're not gray anymore

I've had this song stuck in my head all morning (the Willie Nelson version, oddly). I think it's a good sign. Hoping to finish up this one later this afternoon.

Blue Skies
oil on cradled board
6 x 12"

End of the Line

Finally back to painting after having two shows in a row. I love seeing people and talking about my work but I love painting more. I feel like I literally threw the paint on the board on this one and now I'm thinking it may be a little too bright. My husband likes it..so I'll leave it as is for now.

I painted this on a piece of wood from my daughter's board-breaking karate class. That would explain why it's not exactly even at the top and bottom! It's proof I'll paint on just about anything. I'm not positive but it might be Baltic birch? At least it makes a good story.

End of the Line
oil on wood
6.25 x 9" (approx)
lightly varnished
sawtooth hanger

contact me for availability

Long Shadows

Driving home I had to pull over and take a picture of the sun coming through the trees. I immediately painted this one and I am so happy with how it turned out.

Long Shadows
oil on cradled gesso board
6 x 12" (3/4" thick)
lightly varnished + signed

contact me for availability
*sold*

Autumn Sunset

I was able to break out the brushes today! I had fun pushing some Fall colors around.

Autumn Sunset
6 x 6"
oil on cradled gesso board
lightly stained edges, perfect for immediate hanging

contact me for availability
*sold*

Another Day Done

One of the first successful paintings I did in oil was an oak tree at sunset. I enjoyed painting another and seeing how my style and approach has changed in the past years. I really like how it turned out.

Another Day Done (Putah Creek Sunset)
oil on 3/8" gesso board panel
6 x 6
slotted on back for easy hanging
signed
lightly varnished
*sold*

County Road 102

One last little bit for the ArtAbout show tomorrow in Downtown Davis. Visit their site for the full list of places hosting artists--it's going to be a busy night! In addition to the new pieces I've been finishing up, I'm bringing along works from my etsy shop. So, if there's something you've been wanting to look at in person, please stop by! The weather has cooled, I'll be bringing cupcakes, it's Friday..does it get any better?

5-8 pm
Nina's Haute Again
nina + tom
129 E Street
Davis
530-753-7008

painting above:
County Road 102
oil on laminate chip
3 1/2 x 5"
lightly varnished
*sold*

Summer Sunset

I was driving along, lost in my own internal "to-do list" when everything began to glow. That glow of the heat turning to cool. This little house's face was all lit up watching the sunset.

oil on masonite
9 x 9
signed
*sold*
available in the shop

Bike Path at Sunset

Another one I worked on very loosely. Even though it's only 8x10, it's one of the bigger canvases I've dealt with in a while. I like it from a distance, not so much close up. The bottom half of the trees was against the side of a warehouse, but you can't really discern that from the sky. I probably should have left that out. I'm learning to make adjustments from photos--to try to not be so literal! I think I will leave it as is for now.