Marsh

Marsh - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

Click to Bid

A little break from my virtual ramble through Yellowstone, this one is a REAL plein air! I love the willow and cottonwood filled marshes that surround the Yakima River Delta, where this was painted.

McNary Marshland

McNary Marshland - 6x8 - Oil on Panel

Lots and lots of grey here in the Columbia Basin recently, but thankfully the wetland areas have some color!

Big Bend on the Colorado

Big Bend on the Colorado - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

Once again I've been reading too much Edward Abbey, which always puts me in the mood to "drive" around the Southwest in Google Maps! I loved the scale of this monolithic peak, with just the slightest hint of the Colorado River poking through the brush.

Frost in the Air

Frost in the Air - Oil on Linen - 5x7

Click Here to Bid

I painted this little one on location back when we still had snow on the ground, now the past few days we've had highs in the 50s and 60s!

Valley Wall

Valley Wall - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

Click Here to Bid

I was really drawn to the warmth of the distant shadows in this scene! And of course I'm always partial to oceans of sagebrush.

Hart Point Shadows

Hart Point Shadows - Oil on Canvas Panel - 6x8

Click Here to Bid

Doesn't that just warm you up seeing that southwest light? I was out painting en plein air today and the wind chill brought the temperature down to 7 degrees! So this whole virtual southwestern roadtrip is really making me happy. I just keep telling myself it will be wildflower season here soon enough!

Sandstone and Sunlight

Sandstone and Sunlight - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

Click Here to Bid

I loved the patterns of light and shadow on this rock formation I found on Google Maps Streetview. The more I explore the area virtually the more I want to pack up and move to Moab!

Shadow of a Monument

Shadow of a Monument - 5x7 - Oil on Linen Panel

Click  to Bid

I wanted to get out on the road this weekend, but a cold took all the wind out of my sails. Instead I decided to go on a virtual road trip through Arches National Park in Utah! I'd definitely like to visit this place in person, because of its beauty and also because it's the primary setting for one of my favorite books, "Desert Solitaire" by Edward Abbey.

Creekside Willows

Creekside Willows - Oil on Linen Panel - 6x8

Click to Bid

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

Click to Bid

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

Click to Bid
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

Click Here to Bid

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!

Freezing Fog

Freezing Fog - Oil on Linen Panel - 6x8

Click to Bid

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.

Palisade Study

Palisade Study - 6x8 - Oil on Linen Panel

Click Here to Bid

**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

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!

Under a Southwest Sky II

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

Sold

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

Sold

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!

Pastoral Reverie II

Pastoral Reverie II - 6x6 - Oil on Panel

Sold

A peaceful summer day leans toward dusk, with the thick smell of smoke from distant fires coloring the sky.

This series has me missing summer. Here in the Tri-Cities we've had about 3-4 inches of snow today, which makes for a wonderful white Christmas and all, but I could do without the cold!

Pastoral Reverie I

Pastoral Reverie I - 6x6 - Oil on Panel

Sold

Smoke rolls into the Columbia Basin from fires in the mountains, blanketing the farm lands in a thick, warm haze. The landscape becomes more intimate, more simplified, and allows one to slip into a reverie.

Over the summer here in Washington State we had several major forest fires burning at once. All that smoke sank down into my home, the Columbia Basin. Even though it's been two years since I fought wildfires, the smell of smoke still gave me an adrenaline rush and dreams of the paycheck  a 120 hour work week brings in. 

But this summer I had to content myself with taking pictures, and enjoying the unique atmosphere the smoke gives to the acres of farmland around the Tri-Cities. Less adrenaline, but still quite a bit of enjoyment. I love the way smoke simplifies the shapes of everything, and gives such a peaceful and warm cast over the land.