After the Mount Diablo Fire Series IX and After the Fire X

              After the Fire IX 16 x 20

This is where a fire break was created that stopped the fire .
The burnt part of the slope on the left contrasts with the unburnt part on the lower right, the fire broke through at the far end. Getting closer to the trees and burnt areas required careful selection of what to leave out so that it doesn't look like a fall scene.

After the Fire X 14 x 14

This shows what the recovering chaparral looks like up close.
This was fun to paint because of the returning green contrasting with the copper colored bare soil.
 These plants clearly have root systems that survived the fire and will be recovering rapidly.

My blog just got the 200,000th visitor on November 19th 2014! Thank you!

"Bay Light", plein air watercolor 11 x 14

Bay Light 11 x 14. Plein Air Watercolor

This was painted on South Gate Rd on Mount Diablo, just down from junction. As I' ve been looking inland as I paint the After the Fire Series, when I turn to go home at about 4 pm and see this wonderful view of the late afternoon light reflecting off San Francisco Bay. It is interesting painting the late afternoon light as it changes quickly. Painted in about an hour.

Signature Artist Member of the Month, LPAPA

http://www.lpapa.org/features/2014november/robin_purcell/paint01.html

I was happy to be selected as a Signature Artist member of Laguna Plein Air Painters last year about this time.
 LPAPA just recognized me as the Signature Artist Member of the month for November.

When I moved to Northern California in the mid 90's, I fell in love with the plein air painters from Southern California both the turn of the century and the contemporary landscape painters doing wonderful work so this means a lot to me!

They selected a great assortment of my paintings to feature on the page that's linked above, please check it out and explore the wonderful programs LPAPA has for artists and collectors.