Friday, May 30, 2014

Daises and Square Jar on Gray and Gold

It's daisy time again.  The ones in my garden aren't open yet, but I found these in a sunny ditch at the edge of the road.  I like the structure of the flowers and how the white makes a colored background stand out.  On my ETSY store

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Nisqually Delta

The best place to photograph the Nisqually delta is on the Interstate overpass with cars whizzing by and no place to pull over. So I took a very blurry picture while we were zooming down the road and played with it a lot in Photoshop  before I used it as the basis for this painting.  This is a favorite view of a favorite spot.  The tidal flow in the delta had been diked for about a century and the area used as a dairy farm.  Recent restoration of the delta removed the dikes and a much larger area is now marshland.
On my ETSY store

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Edge of the Dunes

Another painting from our clam digging trip to Grayland Washington.  I trudged toward the beach with all my painting gear and set up here at the edge of the dunes.  I've done paintings like this from photographs and it's amazing how much more information there is when painting directly from nature.  I have a tendency to put in everything, so I have to make sure at the end to spend time simplifying and massing the values.  The yellow flower is from the invasive weed, Scotch broom, a pest and a nuisance, but so pretty in bloom.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Southworth Ferry from Colvos Passage

A view of the Southworth Ferry from Vashon Island looking north up the Colvos Passage.  This one is a bit larger, 18" x 36", and was created from photos taken at Valerie's beach cabin.  The ferry turns 180 degrees at Southworth so that it can have traffic pointed in the right direction for offloading at both Vashon and Fauntleroy.  The turn gives a view of the ferry lit up in the late afternoon light.  This one will be in a show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts gallery in September.  Click here to send me your mailing address if you'd like me to add you to my postcard mailing list for the show.  (The mailing list will be used for show postcards only)

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Grayland Motel

A backlit scene of a rustic motel in Grayland where we stayed while clam digging.  The long walk  to the beach is behind me and I'm looking at the coastal hills and thinking about where to go in case of a Tsunami.  I had a great deal more detail in this painting but spent the last two minutes smushing it out and wiping it out, and massing the lights in the foreground and the shadows in the background to make it more readable.
On my Etsy store

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Grayland Shore View North

On my ETSY store.

At the ocean beach in Grayland Washington--sunny and hazy and windy.  This was painted as the tide was still coming in but almost turning.  The water almost touched my feet but didn't get that far.  Everything was very high key, almost no shadows and pale colors.    I enjoyed trying to figure out how to suggest the shallow waves.
On my ETSY store


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Tracks on the Beach

Painted at the ocean beach at Grayland Washington.  The day was sunny but hazy;  wind picked up the sand and added to the haze.   I was interested in that space where beach, water, and sky dissolve together.   I like the close colors and values.  I also like the tire tracks.
On my Etsy store 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Burton from Portage SOLD

A larger painting - 18" x 36".  A view of the Burton Peninsula from Portage looking across inner Quartermaster Harbor.  This painting will be in a show I'm having in Winslow WA at the Bainbridge Arts and Crafts gallery in September.   

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Silver Bowl Lemons Lavender

Another painting of a bowl of lemons, this time on a lavender tabletop.  I placed the bowl on a piece of glass on top of a sheet of paper.  There are some lovely reflections in the silver bowl.
On my ETSY store.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Silver Bowl Lemons and Blue Wall

A bowl of small lemons in the bright light of my spotlight.  I really like the reddish brown of the shadow as it crosses the tabletop.  On my ETSY store

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Kwanzan

A Vashon street near the Post Office.  This was painted from a photo taken when the cherry trees were in bloom.   I like the long shadows and gray sky and the warm light on the cherry blossoms.
 On my ETSY store

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Ferry at Sunset SOLD

A late afternoon view of a ferry crossing Puget Sound.  The sun breaks through the clouds and gives a bit of sparkle to the end of the day.