fence posts

The Sacramento Valley stretches north from Sacramento until it begins to fade into low grassy hills studded with gray-green oak trees. These grassy hills are green in the spring and winter when the rains come, but the rest of the year they are brown and golden.

Northern California Coast

This is my first seascape. I worked from a photo I took several years ago of a portion of the Northern California Coast, one of the most beautiful places in the world. I also attempted to paint more loosely. I tend to paint like I used to draw in college, very detailed and precise. This time I focused more on general shapes and color rather than detail.

Birch Grove

I actually painted this several months ago but hadn't posted it for some reason. I was experimenting with backlighting so I wanted to paint a grove of trees lit from behind. A friend pointed out to me later the "path" through the trees, although this was unintentional and just happened.

Magnolia

I bought a couple of used watercolor books online and have been trying out different techniques. With this one, I used a series of washes and focused on painting the negative space around the blossom and leaves.

I seem to paint a lot of flowers and leaves. I think I'll attempt something different next time. And I want to practice loosening up, painting less precisely.

trees

I've been practicing painting trees...trees in the fall, trees in the spring, trees full and green in the summertime.

Winter Pines

I was very inspired by Terry Banderas' landscapes on his blog that I discovered last week. This is an attempt to practice some of his techniques and also to capture some winter scenes.

Last night I went out and bought a good ink pen to use for drawing so this is actually a first attempt at a pen-and-ink with watercolor.

gerbera daisies

I painted four small floral paintings for my friend, Deb, this past year. We had worked on her yard together over the summer and so I painted some of her favorite flowers for her. She loved these gerberas.

miniature african violet

This little painting was painted a number of years ago, I can't even remember when. It was one of those rare moments in the middle of everyday life, when the desire to paint overcame my compulsion to complete my to-do list. I hadn't painted in years and was very, very happy with the way this little painting turned out. The buds, the stems, the faint leaves in the background, the colors...I'm still enjoying this one.

flowering pear leaves and berries

On Thanksgiving morning a few months ago, I went out early and photographed some of the leaves and trees in my neighborhood. I used one of the photographs as a guide for this painting. It has become one of my favorites.

My friend, Jim, saw it and called me wanting to know how much I wanted for it. Not wanting to part with it, I painted another version for Jim.

magnolia bud and blossom

Every spring I especially enjoy the magnolia trees in bloom. The flowers themselves are actually quite large and the trees are a beautiful sight since the blossoms appear before the leaves creating a stunning display.

cyclamen bloom

My friend, Deb, gave me a cyclamen plant this past fall. It's a plant I've loved for a long time. The way the buds form on these long curvaceous stems and how the petals open, twist, and turn up like wings is amazing. The leaves are no less beautiful, heart-shaped and mottled with varying shades of green.

I sat at the kitchen table one afternoon and painted it, trying to capture some of its grace.