McNary Summer

McNary Summer - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord

This was a great little wetland area on the outskirts of town. As I drove out to the spot I wanted to paint on a summer morning I was looking forward to painting the hazy light, but as I started working the haze moved off and left a blinding, hot sun. It was still beautiful!

Near Hurricane Creek

Near Hurricane Creek - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

This little scene came from my photo reference file, I really can't get enough of the Wallowa Valley!

Golden Cluster

Golden Cluster - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

One of the more interesting things I've noticed as the cottonwoods and poplars are turning for fall is how different the yellow looks against various elements in the landscape. Against the hillsides and other land features the yellow appears quite light, but when you see the same color against the sky it becomes clear how dark an ochre the leaves really are. Trees have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves to confuse us poor artists!

Cottonwoods at Dusk

Cottonwoods at Dusk - Oil on linen panel - 5x7

I found a fantastic new little area to paint just outside of town! It's not really new, just a little gravel road in a wildlife area that I never took before. The cottonwoods are turning colors and dropping their leaves, but these guys were stubbornly keeping their green!

Stand Up Tree

Stand Up Tree - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

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Yes, another cottonwood. But this one is from somewhere along a lake shore in Teton National Park, in a spot I found on Google Maps. Wow, did that park blow me away! Many many years ago I visited Yellowstone National Park and it was absolutely amazing, but as far as I can remember we never made it over to the Tetons. This is something that will need to be corrected! 

Owens Valley Cottonwood V

Owens Valley Cottonwood V - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

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Wow! After painting this tree from Google Maps Streetview I decided I should probably paint more backlit trees from life, just as soon as summer rolls around and the trees have leaves. It's definitely a tricky light to catch.

Owens Valley Cottonwood II

Owens Valley Cottonwood II - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

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Some trees have so much character. As I was looking through Google Streetview down Owens Valley in California this little golden tree really jumped out at me, it almost seemed to be posing!

Owens Valley Cottonwood I

Owens Valley Cottonwood I - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

OK! I think I got the grey snowy paintings out of my system, now onto a new series! I've been virtually driving through Owens Valley on Google Maps and really love the way the trees stand against the mountains and the sky. I decided I could use some dedicated tree studying, so I'll be doing a series of these cottonwoods for the next little while!

Winters Touch

Winters Touch - 5x7 - Oil on Panel

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A little plein air piece, completed at my new favorite car painting site along the Yakima River Delta, where the Yakima River meets the Columbia. I'm a sucker for the red willows in winter already, but I loved to golden cottonwoods and the patterns the snow made.