Paint out at the park

Sunny Saturday at the park in Sellwood:  a wedding, swimming pool, dogs & their owners, frisbie, picnics, the sounds of kids screaming on a nearby roller coaster, a blues concert, and just enough shade under a tree to paint!  "Park Path" is 11" x 14", oil, painted en plein air.

Paint out at the coast!

Last week I went to the central Oregon coast, to Rocky Point State Park, with artist friends to join in the annual Eric Sandgren coast paint out.  Although I did not attend the workshop, artists were invited to join in at the selected locations.  There were painters all over the place among fabulous views of rocks, trees and surf.  The sounds of the waves were hypnotic, and the weather was perfect, not hot or cold, although the wind did knock my easel over once.  C'est la plein air!  My first painting was an overview including the changing sky and foreground with wildflowers.  I noticed a large rock that reminded me of the profile of the Sphinx, later he/she became more of a meditating Buddha, so I painted a second 11" x 14" canvas, called "Meditation on Rocks and Sea".

waterfalls

Two oil paintings of waterfalls, one based loosely on a photo of Proxy Falls, the other completely from imagination, both involving "happy accidents" of texture from previous paintings left on the canvas, both 12" x 12", gallery wrapped and painted on the sides in cool, watery colors.

Sauvie Island

A golden field on Sauvie Island at Blue Bee Farm.  A deer bounded through the meadow and disappeared into the oak trees, represented by a tiny brown dot.  Afterwards, picked blueberries!

Sauvie Plein Air

Sauvie Island Pond, 11" x 14", was painted en plein air with just some minor changes in the studio.

A lovely day, interrupted by a few pesky mosquitoes, enhanced by birdsong and the low buzz of a distant tractor. The water reflections changed at every moment!

Smith Rock

 This is a studio alla prima painting 6" x 12" "High Desert Golden Shades" from a photo at Smith Rock.

At the Smith Rock Paint Out, "Desert Shades" on my easel.  We had between 8 am and 1 pm to complete and present framed paintings.  All the views were beautiful and the weather perfect!

 "Desert Shades" after studio work.  The rock perched against distant Cascade mountains is called "Snoopy"!

"Towers Meet Sky" 6" x 12", my second plein air painting on June 21, was selected by judges from the High Desert Art League to be included in the exhibit at Roberts Field, Redmond Municipal Airport, through August 20.  Central Oregon High Desert rocks!

Plein Air

Last week went to a ranch in Mulino where my friend Renita boards her horse.  She rode while I painted next to a couple of horses grazing just on the other side of a fence.  My subject was the neighbor's old red barn.  Cows were seen in the distance.  Dogs napped in the sunshine, all very peaceful.