Creekside Willows

Creekside Willows - Oil on Linen Panel - 6x8

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Another quiet eastern Oregon scene! One thing I loved about the reflections in the photo I took was the shade of green. It's probably because the water was gross, but aesthetically it complemented the willows nicely. =)

Willow Thicket

Willow Thicket - Oil on Gessobord - 6x6

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The same drainage as the last one, but at a slightly different angle. I think I'm partial to this one, but I can't decide!

Old Oregon Trail II

Old Oregon Trail II - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord

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Second in this series! The atmosphere was simply entrancing.

Old Oregon Trail I

Old Oregon Trail I - 6x8 - Oil on Canvas Panel

This scene is from a farm area somewhere between Baker City and Ontario, Oregon. My husband and I drove by last winter and there was just something about the red willows against the fog that made the drive beautiful. Some people consider grey days dreary, but I prefer to think of them as serene. Unless it's really cold, then I'll start thinking about running away to Arizona!

January Skies

January Skies - Oil on Linen Panel - 6x8

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It's been a fun experience returning to the same (or nearby) location daily for a painting. The weather here has gotten chilly, grey, and foggy, which leaves me wishing for the sunny days I painted last week!

Sauvie Island Inlet

Sauvie Island Inlet - Oil on Linen Panel - 6x8

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I was in Portland for the weekend, so I decided I should see for myself what all the hubbub was about concerning this Sauvie Island I keep hearing about! It's definitely a gorgeous area, I wish I could have spent more time exploring!

Freezing Fog

Freezing Fog - Oil on Linen Panel - 6x8

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I was so spoiled the past few days with warm and sunny weather! We had some freezing fog roll in and the temperature dropped, but it made the scene along the Lower Yakima River very interesting! I love the way fog simplifies all the shapes.

Grey Skies Over Fossil Beds

Grey Skies Over Fossil Beds - 6x8 - Oil on Linen Panel

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Yikes! Long day, I'm so glad I had this little study from my visit to Fossil, Oregon, ready to go! I hope later this year I can stay longer in the area, these rock formations are amazing.

Winter Wetland

Winter Wetland - Oil on Canvas Panel - 6x8

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I loved seeing Rattlesnake Mountain out behind the Yakima Delta wetlands. The skies were a little hazy near the horizon, but the sky was still blue and the sun was out. No complaints here!

Yakima Delta - Day 14, 30 in 30 Challenge

Yakima Delta - Oil on Canvas Panel - 6x8

Click Here to BidThe crisp winter air seemed to make the water bluer today!

Northwest Clouds - Day 13, 30 in 30 Challenge

Northwest Clouds - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord

Click to Bid!I was looking back in my reference photo file and found some fantastic clouds!

Last Light on Rattlesnake - Day 12, 30 in 30 Challenge

Last Light on Rattlesnake - 6x8 - Oil on Canvas Panel

Click Here to BidI'm told it's not cheating to paint ahead, this was my second one from yesterday's plein air session!

Dusk in the Delta, Day 11 - 30 in 30

Dusk in the Delta - 6x8 - Oil on Canvas Panel

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I was lucky enough to get out and do some plein air work today! I even felt adventurous enough to do them closer to sunset than I normally work. Usually this time of day is an exercise in frustration, because the light is only consistent for about 15 minutes, so I put down the very basic color notes and composition, and filled out the details back at home.

I stayed in the jeep while working on this, because the wind was at a sustained 35mph, with gusts of 50!

A Day in the Sun

A Day in the Sun - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord

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Juniper Stand - Day 9, 30 in 30

Juniper Stand - Oil on Gessobord - 6x6

Click Here to BidFound another great bunch of Junipers outside of Bend on Google Streetview!

Oregon Juniper - Day 8, 30 in 30

Oregon Juniper - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord

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Well, with the mandarins gone I needed to move on to a new subject. I was listening (for probably the 5th time) to my audiobook version of Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey and was struck by the passage about wanting to study a single juniper tree for a lifetime. It made me remember driving through the sage and juniper filled area east of Bend, Oregon.

So I "drove" around on Highway 26 on Google Maps Streetview, and found not only some amazing juniper stands but some outstanding clouds too!

The Last Good Mandarin - Day Seven, 30 in 30

The Last Good Mandarin - Oil on linen panel - 5x7

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All good things must come to an end, and so to must good fruit. In hindsight, the fridge probably would have been a better storage place than my studio to enhance the longevity of these beautiful mandarins. The things are growing wrinkly and the leaves brittle faster than I can eat them! If I were more sensible I would have painted a couple of them the day I got them, but I'm not that good at planning ahead!

Mandarin Shadows - Day Six 30 in 30

Mandarin Shadows - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

Ever had a really bad painting day? I mean REALLY bad. I tried to paint TWO different landscapes from photos I've had in my file for a while; I should have known better. I think I just saw them as making good paintings, and ignored that nothing was really speaking to me. I've been in a more analytic mode lately, due to rewriting my artist statement and resume and trying to map out long and short term goals. I blame all this typing and planning for getting me out of a more visual mode. At least that's my excuse today. =)

After two failed paintings I needed something simple but beautiful. The mandarin with a leaf fit the ticket! Although at one point the leaf looked great but I had to wipe off and repaint the mandarin itself! BUT I'm so happy I was able to pull through and finish something, I think if I had let myself give up I wouldn't be happy with myself. =)

Buoyancy - Day 5, 30 in 30 Challenge

Buoyancy - 4x8 - Oil on Panel

Click to BidI took the reference photo for this during the summer from the top of a local ridgeline, nothing beats a wide open sky!

Mandarin with Leaves - 30 in 30, Day 4

Mandarin with Leaves - Oil on Gessobord - 6x6

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I saw this big bag of mandarins with leaves still on them at the grocery store. Now those of you who live in areas that grow citrus fruit probably don't think twice about it, but I realized that for me, citrus just materialize in the fruit isle, I'd never thought about one growing on a tree! So I had to buy them, of course. And the leaves had such an interesting shape they were perfect for painting!

Surrounded by Orange

Surrounded by Orange - 6x6 - Oil on gessobord

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I think the hardest part of the 30 in 30 challenge might turn out to be coming up with titles for all the paintings!

A Little Sketchy

A Little Sketchy - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord

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A little out of my wheelhouse, but hopefully still life painting can keep me entertained until it warms up a little bit! I like the sketchy brushwork, to me it feels energetic.

Palisade Study

Palisade Study - 6x8 - Oil on Linen Panel

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**Please note, I didn't sign this one while on location, a signature has been added in the lower right corner since this photo was taken**

I had the most fantastic New Years Eve and Day! My husband was working in Condon, Oregon, and I decided to tag along and paint the scenery. That's right, this desert scene is from the Pacific Northwest, believe it or not! These palisades are part of a huge National Monument called the John Day Fossil Beds, in the remote Clarno Unit. They are the remains of ancient mud flows, called lahars, and are chock full of fossils! But more importantly to this plein air painter, they are stunning and have a decent restroom nearby!

Work in progress on the trail