september heat wave

we have gone beyond 'indian summer' at this point. 95 degree weather, ferocious sun-downer winds and an odd tropical front that blew us off the beach last monday. goleta slough normally has a decent flow of water moving in and out, but now is quite depleted, even when the tide is up.

low water, goleta slough, 9"x12" oil on panel

east beach wetlands, 3"x 4 1/2" gouache on paper 
from earlier in the month, watching all the water birds including an osprey, enjoy the beach.

lake and clouds II, 3"x 4 1/2" gouache on paper
finished up from last trip to the cabin


This weekend (september 24-25) I have a oil painting in the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum's annual 'Art Walk' - Artists of Distinction'  indoor show. Also 7 new gouaches on the wall at Easton Gallery.

end of summer

Here it is - the end of summer in the air, shorter day length, time change just around the corner.
Spent a week at the cabin and 5 days in Loleta. The stars really aligned for this and we had a great trip from the Sierras to Humboldt County, visits with family that live nearby and a wonderful birthday celebration.
I was fortunate enough to attend a 3-day painting retreat with Jim McVicker in Loleta, CA. The workshop was held at the Morris Graves Foundation - a true jewel and magical place in the foothills above Loleta - a beautiful lake surrounded by 150 private acres with old growth forest.
A lovely small group of people and time to paint all day. Jim is an amazing painter and a kind, easy-going teacher.  Watching him paint was a real lesson.

It's daunting to be in a new environment and paint on the spot. The darkness of the trees, the incredible reflections and changing surface of the lake, the foggy-change-to-blue sky, the variety of greens - I could have used a week in such a beautiful place. But I am grateful to have had the experience and the time I did.

so here are some of my efforts:

dark water, 9"x12" oil on panel

I made a big mess of this, starting just before lunch, and coming back to changed light. Tried to rescue it and even though it's dark it seems to work now.

duck weed, 9"x12" oil on panel

bright contrast of yellow-green duck weed floating/moving on dark reflective water

morris graves house, 9"x12" oil on panel

view from across the lake, still needs work - good comments in our critique about this painting from Jim, so I know where to go with it.

the lake 9"x12" oil on panel

taking advice from Jim about stronger color and bolder strokes, watching as he pushed the blue reflections on the water really helped.

There is one more I just barely started - of Morris's small house that he lived in while the bigger residence and studio were being built. I'll get to finishing it (from memory) soon.