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!

Summer's Clouds

Summer's Clouds - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord

Click to BidThe summer skies are typically pretty boring here in my little desert, except for when a massive summer storm rolls through. last week we had two big lightening storms only a couple days apart! Now, of course, we're back to the monotonous heat August should have taken with it.

Clouds over Chinook Pass

Clouds Over Chinook Pass • Oil on Panel • 6x6

My husband described this painting as "a bit loose," which in his language means a little more abstract than is his preference. But to each their own! I was fascinated while taking my virtual trip over Chinook Pass by the interesting patterns made by the cloud shadows, only letting the sun occasionally peak through. I thought the shapes should take center stage, keeping the whole thing a bit more abstract than my usual work.

Storm Over Wallula Gap - Columbia River Landscape Painting

"Storm over Wallula Gap" - Oil on Panel - Landscape

Basalt cliffs are always a problem for me. Which is a terrible, terrible problem to have when you live in an area that has basalt three miles thick! But I snapped the reference photo for this painting while watching a storm blow over Wallula Gap, and fell in love with the way the light hit the cheat grass and basalt covered hills! It was absolutely enchanting, and capturing the light in oil paints was exciting!

Edmonds Plein Air II

Edmonds Plein Air II - 6x6 - Landscape

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Can I toot my horn here? I love this painting. We got into Edmonds late in the day, but the mountains were out and the light was beautiful! I was looking forward to an afternoon of plein air painting. Unfortunately, thanks to all the running around we did to check in, stop by the host gallery, wander around the downtown, I was left with backlit, flat mountains and the rapidly changing light of evening.

All this was forgotten the next day, when the late morning light and some big puffy clouds left shadow patterns across Puget Sound that blew my mind! The colors were soft but powerful, and I did my best to capture that here.

Here's a little snapshot of me and where I set up in Edmonds!

Storm's a Brewin' - Eastern Washington Landscape Painting by Melanie Thompon

Storm's a Brewin' - Oil on Panel - Landscape - 6x6

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This is yet another small plein air work that was painted out of absolute necessity. I saw the clouds building in the east and I really had no choice but to do my best to capture them!

All these thunderstorms have been reminding me of being a kid at my parents house. I remember going out onto our deck in pounding rain to watch the lightening pass by, I always was amazed by it. I'm sure this fascination puts me at a disadvantage with regards to natural selection, oh well!