After the Mount Diablo Fire Series, After the Fire V and VI

After the Fire V 12 x 16
This is looking up at the summit in the fire zone. We had had some rain and there was new growth in the chaparral areas that was a lovely fresh green, the bare chert soil was a  deep red, burnt orange that contrasted nicely.

After the Fire VI 16 x 20
This is at Devil's elbow, just below the summit. The fire hopscotched through this area leaving patches of soil and singeing the lower part of the pines.

"The Curve of the Earth" accepted into the California Watercolor Association 41st National Exhibtion

I am very pleased that my painting "The Curve of the Earth" has been selected to be a part of the 41st National Exhibition of the California Watercolor Association. This was painted from the Summit of Mount Diablo.

The Curve of the Earth.. My Process

First stage, completed outside
The Curve of the Earth, 21 x 14 watercolor on Arches

Recently, I 've been doing what I call hybrid paintings, that is, starting the painting outside and having it visualized completely ,but finishing in the studio from memory . Mostly because the light has changed in two hours and I would be painting from memory even if I were on site.
For instance, The Curve of the Earth was started last summer on the Summit of Mount Diablo, from about 8:30 am until 10:30 when the temperature hit above 90 and the lovely early morning light was gone.
The title is from an outing with the astronomical society years ago, the setting sun makes the mountain cast a shadow where you can clearly see the curvature. I felt as if the horizon was so distant that I could almost see around the planet.