McNary Sunrise II

McNary Sunrise II - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

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These beautiful sunrises have been the prelude to very hot days here in Eastern Washington. Today we had some stiff gusts of wind which hopefully will be blowing in cooler weather for the 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!

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. =)

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.

October Groceries

October Groceries - Oil on Gessobord - 6x6

I felt magnetically drawn to the chinese lanterns in the grocery store! Maybe it's been a while since I'd been in this particular store, but it seemed like fall suddenly took over with pomegranates, chinese lanterns and pears. I don't even like pears, but I loved their color and wanted to paint them!

Dayton Hillside

Dayton Hillside - 6x6 - Oil on Gessobord

Click Here to BidThese clouds were the last remnants of a rainstorm near Dayton, Washington. It was a beautiful day!

Simplicity

Simplicity - Oil on Linen Panel - 5x7

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I can't quite remember where in Oregon I came across this scene, I believe it was somewhere near the Klamath Mountains. But wherever it may have been, I loved the quiet, peaceful simplicity.

Southwest Spotlight

Southwest Spotlight - Oil on Gessobord - 5x7

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The most wonderful part about cloudy days is when you get those amazing cloud breaks that shine a spotlight on the landscape, making anything they touch look magical! This painting was inspired by one of those moments.

Under a Southwest Sky III

Under a Southwest Sky III - 6x6 -  Oil on Panel

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Wow. I swear it's impossible to take a bad picture on the way from Page, Arizona, to Zion NP along Highway 89! Which of course makes it easier to paint the area. Until I started painting I never noticed just how much variety of color there is in clouds. As they get closer to the horizon they turn progressively from gold to pinkish; when that was combined with the expansive views of the southwest I couldn't resist painting this scene!

Under a Southwest Sky II

Under a Southwest Sky II - 6x6 - Oil on Panel

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The sky was SO big in along Highway 89, my favorite part was the way the clouds reflected back the red of the rocks.

Under a Southwest Sky I

Under a Southwest Sky I - 6x6 - Oil

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What? Still paintings from the southwest? I have no shortage of reference materials from this trip, for the first time ever I filled an 8gb memory card, plus some! This scene, along with the next couple, are from Hwy 89 heading north out of Page, Arizona. Simply stunning country!

Pahvant Dusk - Utah Landscape Painting

Pahvant Dusk - 5x7 - Oil on Panel

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The fading light was simply fantastic along our drive from Phoenix, Arizona, to Salt Lake City, Utah. The intricate pattern in the mountain ranges were highlighted by the glowing sunset, I was wishing we could stop so I could do plein air work! Between our tight itinerary and the freezing temperatures, though, that was NOT about to happen! The photos bring back the vivid memories of this gorgeous drive, and that beats painting in the snow in my book.

Calm in Horse Heaven

Calm in Horse Heaven - 6x6 - Oil on Panel

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This is a companion piece to the previous one, the variety of shapes and possible compositions in the Horse Heaven Hills of the Columbia Basin are endless! I absolutely loved the atmosphere the rain gave to the desert hills.

Complementary Winter

Complementary Winter - 6x6 -  Oil on Gessobord

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The winter haze was thick over the Horse Heaven Hills, the name for a ridge line overlooking Benton City here in beautiful eastern Washington. There was something about the way the cool purple upper crest transitioned into the golden slopes that really caught my eye. The atmosphere was a little mysterious and very paintable!

Golden Winter

Golden Winter - 6x6 - Oil on Panel

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One of the things about winter landscapes, particularly in the wetlands found along the many river deltas around the Tri-Cities, that I love is the way the muted grey tones pop out the golden reeds and grasses. There is just something really peaceful and pleasant about the whole feel of the landscape that even I, an avowed disliker of the cold, can appreciate!

Winter Delta

Winter Delta - Oil on Panel - 6x6

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The beautiful deltas along the Yakima River in Eastern Washington have been my most recent muse. The shapes and shades change with the water level which vary dramatically seasonally and from year to year. I'm embracing the winter and it's chilled palette, it is certainly a distinct sort of beauty!

Here are a couple shots of the work in progress:

Pastoral Reverie III

Pastoral Reverie III - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

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My favorite part of this series has been the many various shapes the trees create. The hazy smoke simplified them to basic outlines, and the groupings created very interesting patterns.