Small paintings from the Inland Northwest and beyond    |  H o m e    |   W e b s i t e

Friday, November 30, 2012

Sun Break - Cloudscape Painting

Sun Break - 6x8 - Landscape

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There is something really touchingly beautiful about the light and shadow pattern created by clouds. I wanted to capture the movement of the clouds and their shadows over the Earth.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Forest Shadows - Daily Landscape Painting

Forest Shadows - 6x8 - Landscape

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Wow! I think this may be the first vertically oriented painting I've done of a landscape. I'll admit, it made me a bit dizzy at first. But when I saw the reference photo it made me want to go take a walk through the trees, and I knew I had to paint it!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Teanaway Ridge - Cle Elum Landscape Painting

Teanaway Ridge - 8x8 - Landscape

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After Peoh Point, the most interesting geologic feature near Cle Elum is in my opinion Teanaway Ridge. I love it's distinctive red basalt, littered with geodes and agates from what I've heard, and it's camel like humped ridge line.

I recently finished a large 24" x 36" painting (see it below), and let me tell you, switching gears and painting the little gems was hard! I started to feel almost claustrophobic. So to ease my tension a little bit, I bumped up my size to 8x8, and felt like I had more room to breathe. After the 8x8, the 6x8 and 6x6s came more readily off the brush. All I needed was a little transition I guess!


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Almost Sunset - Cloud Painting

Almost Sunset - 6x6 - Landscape

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I love big, puffy, interesting clouds! I've been painting a lot of clouds lately, they're endlessly fascinating. I wanted to capture that moment just before the real sunset begins, just as the horizon starts to glow.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Last Light on Peoh Point - Cle Elum Oil Painting

Last Light on Peoh Point - Oil on Panel - 6x6

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The enchantingly unique Peoh Point, looming over Cle Elum in central Washington, had the most beautiful colors cast on it's face by the setting sun when I visited earlier this year. I loved the time I spent painting in the area, it's very paintable! =)

Sunday, November 25, 2012

High Desert Rain - Oregon landscape Painting

High Desert Rain - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

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Sometimes ideas need to percolate before painting them. The reference for this photo was taken last March outside of Bend, OR, as a snow and rain flurry blew past my husband and me.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Tidal Marsh - Marshland Oil Painting

Tidal Marsh - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

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What fascinated me most about this scene was the really delicate lacework patterns created by the tides. I felt like they were pulling me in!

Whimsical Day - Daily Painting

Whimsical Day - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

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I'm not sure why this painting's palette struck me as whimsical, I think it's the purple shadows and vivid gold hill, or maybe all the colors are just a little more pastel than I typically work. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I do think it was a fun palette to try!


Note: Collectors may notice that my shipping costs have gone up! It is because my original prices were set to cover the cost of packaging and shipping USPS First Class, but I've been for several months now shipping USPS Priority Mail for the peace of mind. I am very satisfied with this service, and so I've updated my price to reflect the cost of the upgraded shipping.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Summer Skies - Rattlesnake Mountain Painting

Summer Skies - 6x6 - Oil on Panel

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While the Northwest is being pounded with wind and rain, I thought that a small reminder of the summer warmth was in order!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Windy Day Clouds - Oil landscape Painting

Windy Day Clouds - 6x6 - Oil on Panel

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I learned a LOT from this painting. Lesson one: in winds over 30mph your easel is a sail. Lesson two: clouds move REALLY fast in 30mph winds. Like, probably around 30mph. his makes them VERY tricky to paint. Does this mean I'll never try it again? Nope! But now I can be prepared.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Wonderland Highway - California I-5 painting

Along the Wonderland Highway - 6x8 - Oil on Canvas Panel

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I HAD to paint this view from I-5 on Google Maps Streetview for two reasons. One: the gold and blue of the landscape really spoke to me and Two: For some reason, GMaps calls I-5 the "Wonderland Highway." Now, maybe it's just because I've grown up in the podunk hillbilly side of the Cascades, but I've never in my life heard anyone, anywhere, refer to it by that name. It kind of fascinated me, and I knew I simply couldn't resist!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Summer Marsh - McNary National Wildlife Refuge Plein Air painting

Summer Marsh - Oil on Panel - 6x6

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Ah, these cold days have me remembering back to when I could paint on location without gloves and a hat! This little plein air piece was painted at the McNary National Wildlife Refuge: a beautiful little marshland outside of the Tri-Cities.

Recently I was hiking around and painting at Dry Falls here in Washington. It's a really beautiful area! I blogged about it here, and here's the finished painting:

Dry Falls Winter - 11x14 - Purchase Info

Monday, November 12, 2012

Evening's Approach - Small landscape Oil Painting

Evening's Approach - Oil on Canvas Panel - 6x8

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It's apparent that the days are getting shorter; my plein air paintings seem to have a theme of the last light it's physically possible to paint  in! I loved the seeming glow of the rabbit brush with the dusky desert purples I stumbled across while walking along the Columbia River at Columbia Point Park in Richland. Honestly, my favorite detail in this one is the distant radio towers crowning Badger Mountain. Often I leave them out, but I thought they added a little man made intrusion to remind the viewer that this lovely little park is really in the middle of a city.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

McNary Twilight - Eastern Washington Landscape Painting

McNary Twilight - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord - Landscape

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I have a really bad indulgence. It's driving. I love to drive on solo road trips as long as I can get away with! One great excuse I have is that "I'm looking for new painting spots," and that is half true. The other half is that I want to sing at the top of my lungs while watching the landscape fly by! Anyway, one result of my habit is that I found a new portion of the McNary National Wildlife Refuge in Burbank, WA, that I had never seen before! Not that it was particularly hidden, I had just never taken the road to the trail head before. The light was beginning to fade, but I was still able to catch the shifting reflections along the Columbia River and the soft shadows on the hills.

Wow! It's been a while since I've updated. Fear not, I've been plugging away in my studio, intensely focused on a few larger pieces, and exploring the State Parks here in Eastern Washington for the Plein Air Painters of Washington show in 2013 celebrating the Washington State park System's 100th birthday! Here are a couple shots from my adventures:

Field Springs State Park

Painting at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park


Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park