Sneak Peak of New Publication "Splash 11" on Amazon.com and Five Watercolorists at the Epperson Gallery

Northlight Books Biannual Publication series of the Best in Watercolor has just published the latest edition " Splash 11 New Directions". I am pleased that my painting "A Tangled Place" is included in this book which includes only  111 Artists who entered the competition.

 I usually paint panoramas and began looking in a new direction, directly in front of me as I tackled the challenge of abstracting a foreground. Amazon lets you look inside  and my painting is in the samples  selected.

 A Tangled Place 14 x 14 

Carpet of Flowers 12 x 16 Available at the Epperson Gallery


One of the reasons I was able to succeed with this new direction is that I was interested enough to create a series of the same theme and explore variations.
Another painting in this series, Carpet of Flowers, is a part of the five watercolorists exhibit at the Epperson Gallery, Crockett, on display now through July 11th , with an opening reception June 5, 5 to 7.
Other watercolorists in this exhibit include Linda Sutton, Dick Cole and Michael Reardon who all do some of the most beautiful and accomplished paintings in watercolor I have ever seen.
I am thrilled to be a part of this exhibit and hope to see you at the reception.

Sonoma Plein Air Day Four to Six

We finally got some sun on Thursday and I got in two very different paintings.

Survivor 12 x 12
I was happy to have sunlight to paint and this gorgeous Eucalyptus caught my eye. I like it when there is one tree left of what you know was  once a windbreak .

A Perfect Day 12 x 16

After another fabulous lunch by Terry ( apricot chicken ) I drove over to Green String Farm where Hylla Evans pointed out the way to a wonderful painting spot beside the pond, and out of the wind. There were egrets, cranes, red-winged black birds , crows( having a discussion about what the heck I was doing)  and sheep baahing in the next field. This is the kind of setting I love to paint in and will be back to paint.

Friday was spent staring at paintings touching them up and framing. Friday night was the gala at Cline Cellars where Dick Cole very deservedly won artists' choice with his masterful watercolor.
Saturday, the rain held off and we had good foot traffic all day. A side benefit of the sale is being able to talk with other artists ,something I don't do often enough. It was especially fun talking with Dick Cole and Micheal Reardon, my fellow Watercolor painters.  My hosts, the Bieneman's were gracious and generous hosts.
If you would like to read about other painters at this event, my fellow bloggers for this event are Terry Miura and Bill Cone
In spite of the weather, it was a great week , in no small part because of the wonderful job done by the volunteers who work on this event year round. Art education in the schools needs all the support we can give it. To find out more about the foundation go  to the Sonoma Plein Air Web Site

Sonoma Plein Air Day Two and Three

I have learned not to keep driving around looking for the next view, Sonoma is the size of Rhode Island! On Tuesday, I painted along highway 12, near Kunde Winery for both paintings. I liked the view of a particularly graceful rounded hill and the view of Sugarloaf under stormy conditions. Tuesday was also the first of two gourmet lunches prepared by Terry Wicks. It was partly sunny with some rain scattered about.
On Wednesday I started out at Grove Street and painted a vineyard up on the hillside ( I forgot to take a photo of this and will post it later) In the afternoon , it was raining steadily. I had noticed a pavilion at Kunde so I painted under that because there was a view of a third hill from the shelter there.

Spring Colors Sonoma 11 x 14 Available at the Epperson Gallery

Detail of "Spring Colors, Sonoma ".I was pleased with how the transition of Spring green on the grass to the summer gold made interesting patterns here.

The Dark Side of Sugarloaf 14 x14
My personal favorite of the week. I took a lot of risks with this one but I love the bold colors and dramatic diagonals . These are sadly, taken through plexi in the frames because I forgot to photograph them before they were framed.

Hill at Kunde 11 x 14 watercolor
I was uncomfortable when I painted this, so I asked myself "what are the essential shapes I need to show the form" ( a lovely twisting motion ) for this hill?
Sometimes wanting to get out of the cold makes me hurry  or sloppy but sometimes it focuses my thinking and helps clarify the painting process.

Sonoma Plein Air Day One

 Day 1
Immediately after Carmel, the Sonoma Plein Air Event .

 Unfinished study from Monday 11 x 14

I am still digging out but here are a few highlights. On Monday it rained steadily so I thought I would scout locations but ended up being pulled over and told to stay put for an hour and a half  by the CHP while the bike race passed on Warm Springs Road . I should have known to check and Keith Wicks amazingly thorough notes had mentioned the Amgen Tour !
Since it was the first day and I wanted to try out painting from the back of my SUV in the rain, I started a painting of what was in front of me. Not enough thinking went into this upfront and it is still unfinished, it has a nice atmosphere and captures the moody rain, but is not something I would choose to paint in other circumstances. The tree on the left is floating and that green shape in the middle doesn't work at all. I will stare at it and see if solutions present themselves.
I do like my tentative title "Rainy Days and Mondays"

The Amgen Tour Warms Springs Road Sonoma, Monday May 17

Nature's Treasures: Contemporary Landscape Painters of California, 3rd Prize Watercolor from Richard Mayhew 80th Annual Statewide Exhibition

Here is my accepted painting for this year's exhibit: "Mount Diablo Morning" 22 x 28 Watercolor on Arches.
This painting received third prize watercolor .
The juror for this year is Richard Mayhew, pre-eminent American Landscape Artist.
Here's a link to information about him. 
The exhibit is at:
Santa Cruz Art League
526 Broadway
Santa Cruz Ca 95060.

Update May 2013
Mount Diablo Morning sold long ago but it is the view of Mount Diablo from Danville that I see almost every day, here are a few more paintings from a similar location that are available:

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Two Paintings from the Carmel Art Festival

 Buena Vista 14 x 14

 Corral de Tierra Afternoon 12 x 16

These are low res and behind plexiglass but I wanted to share these images quickly.( I will replace them with better ones later) I was gratified that both these paintings sold. I did a lot of driving to get inland to sun and I liked painting these much better than the foggy ones which will go unseen.  I hope to see you on the square in Sonoma on the 22nd if you are in the area

Busy getting ready for two Plein Air Events in May: Carmel Art Festival and Sonoma Plein Air Event

Vineyard Verde 11 x 14 sold

Top of the World Carmel Valley 12 x 16, honorable mention Carmel Art Festival 2009
Here are two of the paintings from these events last May.  The details for both events are on the web sites linked to the right of this post, but the main events are Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16 in Carmel and Friday and Saturday, May 21 and 22 in Sonoma.

Art in the Gallery :Gallery Elite

top Twisted Mountain 14 x 21

bottom Pacific Meadow 16x 10

I was recently in beautiful Carmel to deliver new work to Gallery Elite. If you are in the area, please stop by and say hello to Teresa and her friendly staff. 

There are almost too many great places to paint there. I took a walk around Carmel Point and it was interesting to see how the beach had changed during this past winter.

Gallery Elite is located on:San Carlos

Between 5th & 6th Street
Carmel, CA 93921