Powell Butte

 Peaceful Mountain 10" x 10" November

 painting plein air

September Mountain 9" x 12"

Summer Path 16" x 20"

On a beautiful Fall day a few days ago, I went to paint plein air at one of my favorite paces, Powell Butte Nature Park.  From that height, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and other mountains in the Cascade range are visible on a clear day.  I painted on a square to focus on Mt. Hood, bright against a blue sky. 

At the visitor center, there is a quote from John Muir:  "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in, where Nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."  I hope that my paintings will capture some of that healing beauty we all receive from Nature.

Tabor Day

Last Sunday I participated in Tabor Day, the one year anniversary block party for Songbird Cafe.  There was music, food and art to raise funds for the Friends of Mt. Tabor Park.  I set up my exhibit of paintings along with artist friend Celeste Bergin, and other friends came to visit.  We also set up easels to demonstrate painting.  I brought a photo taken at Powell Butte last summer on a hazy day, and completed this 11 x 14"oil painting and started another.  Great fun!

Summer Haze

It's been hot and hazy, due to wildfires in nearby mountains, creating a bright orange sunset and golden moon. Walking on Powell Butte, the haze covered mountain views and it was too hot for me to paint plein air, so I photographed wildflower covered meadows and retreated to my studio to paint. The next day I cut and tore and pasted papers for collages, and painted an abstract on canvas, still influenced by the golden haze.