Long Beach Sunset

Long Beach Sunset - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

Seriously, I couldn't get enough of these beach sunsets!

Last Light

Last Light - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

In my most recent trip to Ocean Park we were treated to some classic Washington Coast grey skies and rain. But the afternoons cleared up beautifully to reveal some great sunsets!

Pacific Shore

Pacific Shore - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

Does it have the big distinctive rocks of Cannon Beach? No. Does it have the sunny warm days of a California beach? No. Are there dead crabs and jellyfish everywhere? Yes. But if there's any stretch of beach that feels like home it would be the Long Beach Peninsula in southwestern Washington. My family has been having annual reunions there for longer than I've been alive; from all corners of the Northwest and beyond we take over the small town of Ocean Park, Washington. My husband and I enjoy the good company AND overcast relief from Eastern Washington summers! I love the challenge of painting the ocean every year, it's such a huge change of subject matter!

Summer Squall

Summer Squall - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

I almost named this one something about spring, but then I realized that it's summer! The weather east of the Cascades has been so mild I'm losing track of what season it is. I painted this at a lovely little park outside of LaGrande, Oregon, looking across the Grand Ronde River valley. What a view!

Sauvie Wetlands

Sauvie Wetlands - 8x10 - Oil on Linen Panel

This is another little study I never thought I'd do anything with. I painted it during a workshop last summer, and finally decided it was time to touch it up and put it out there. I can't remember if this was before or after we got hit with rain, but the atmosphere really made the greens sing!

Country Road

Country Road - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

I love these little country scenes, is there anything more fun than driving back roads with your music playing way too loud?

Wheat and Sky

Wheat and Sky - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

Nothing says late summer quite like golden wheat fields and big puffy clouds!

Walla Walla Summer

Walla Walla Summer - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

On a cold winter rainy day nothing quite beats reliving road trips through the Walla Walla countryside!

Quarry Pond

Quarry Pond - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

Remember that little sunset I posted the other day? Before it got quite  that dark I snapped this photo of a russian olive on the banks of Quarry Pond. For an invasive species they're very beautiful, especially during the golden hour!

Frenchtown Farmland

Frenchtown Farmland - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

I found this scene in the Walla Walla countryside near the Frenchtown Historic Site. There are lots of picturesque fields nearby with some interesting out buildings that turned out to be very paintable! I wanted to challenge myself to put more structures in a scene than I normally would, and I like the result.

Almost Sunrise

Almost Sunrise - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

Trust me, this scene was captured by photo when the sun was rising at much more leisurely hour than it is now, I am no fan of Daylight Savings Time!

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!

Peace

Peace - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

I loved how peaceful this little marsh scene from eastern Oregon was. I've been combing through my photo reference stock and years after I drove by it finally spoke to me!

Single Family Home

Single Family Home - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

More Walla Walla countryside! I'm really enjoying how the valley is changing color for the fall, and the bee boxes add just the right amount of structure to the organic shapes seen alongside the road.

Home for Bees

Home for Bees - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

 Most of the farms along the Walla Walla River don't have much bee activity right now, but the little shelters are still out in the fields catching the afternoon light in such a picturesque way!

Golden

Golden - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

Another view from my newest favorite spot! I can't get enough of these cottonwoods as they turn gold, especially since it won't be long before all the leaves are gone. Maybe I'll have to revisit these spots and paint them through the seasons!

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!

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 Cottonwoods IV

Owens Valley Cottonwoods IV - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

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The trees just weren't enough, I had to throw in some fences to spice things up!

Owens Valley Cottonwood III

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

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Cottonwoods are tricky! They grow in big clumps, and finding which shapes are important to include to show their structure and which aren't needed is a delicate balancing act.