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 Haze

Summer Haze - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

It's always nice during a plein air painting session when you know exactly what you love about a scene. I loved the way the backlit cottonwood glowed against the hazy, dusty purple hills. 

Heat of the Day

Heat of the Day - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

I had a fantastic day out painting with a couple other painters today, we braved the outdoors despite predictions of temperatures in the 100s. Definitely worth it!

Palm Breeze

Palm Breeze - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

While in Florida I loved seeing all the different shapes palm trees could take, especially when silhouetted!

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!