"Autumn in Santa Ynez" © 16 x 20

We spent a lot of time in the Solvang/Santa Ynez area last fall and this was a scene that captivated me. A bit of artistic license was used because I eliminated a building that was there but otherwise this is just as it was. I would love to paint it again at a different time of the year or different time of day.

"It Rained All Morning" © 16 x 20

This is one of the paintings that resulted from our March 2009 trip to the Visalia, CA area (Southern Sierra Foothills). We participated in a week-long paint-out sponsored by the California Art Club and the Sequoia Riverlands Trust. Arrangements were made for the artists to paint at three different private ranches in the area and the views were stunning. I wish we could have stayed for a month! The first day, we traveled to Battle Mountain Ranch. We had to drive several miles from Visalia to the ranch and on the way, the rain came down so hard that we had to slow our cars to a crawl several times. When we reached the higher elevation where the ranch is, it started to sleet and snow and blow. Not a very auspicious beginning, but it was exhilarating! It was actually too cold and windy to paint but we took abundant photos. This is a scene at Battle Mountain Ranch as the weather was just starting to clear. I loved the rich colors that resulted from the wetness and the reflections in the puddles.

"Grandpa's Workshop" © 11 x 14

‘Grandpa’s Workshop’ was one of the easiest titles to come by for my painting of this old rustic barn at Circle J-Norris Ranch. Located in the spectacular foothills of the Western Sierras near Springville, CA, Circle J-Norris Ranch was one of several beautiful ranch properties we had the opportunity to paint during this year’s CAC- Sequoia Riverlands Trust plein air painting event. As I was laying in the structure of the barn on my canvas an unexpected visitor walked by and said “Oh my, that’s Grandpa’s workshop. Grandpa spent nearly every day tinkering behind those doors.” Well Grandpa has passed on and the barn continues to intrigue passersby like myself. Interesting, I had a feeling there was something special about this place and felt compelled to paint it. I think Grandpa helped me paint this painting, don’t you? ---Frank Lennartz

"Sierra Stream" © 6 x 8 - Sold

I thought I would continue with the subject of the Sierras. This little painting is of a scene somewhere along the 395 but I can't remember the exact location. There was a old beaten shack along the highway and that is what we stopped to photograph. We took lots of photos of the shack with the mountains in the background and neither one of us has ever painted it! The other pictures we took of the surrounding natural beauty ended up as paintings instead. This is one of them. When you're an artist, plans "morph" as you go along.

"Blue Sunshine" © 12 x 16 Sold

Continuing with images from the Mammoth Lakes area, this is a little intimate scene from Twin Lakes. It attracted my attention as Frank and I were canoeing on the Twin Lakes because of the peacefulness of it and because of the light and reflections. Subconsciously, I think it also reminded me of my childhood and the special days of fishing with my Dad. It touched my sister as well because she chose the painting for her home where it now hangs. I thought that this painting was one that I was doing just for me and I didn't think anyone would take much notice of it but it turned out to be just the opposite. Lots of people loved this painting. I guess it proves that you should always paint things that you feel inspired by because the inspiration shines through.

"Highland Light" © 16 x 20 Sold

As long as I'm on the subject of the Sierras, this is from a Ted Goerschner workshop that Frank and I attended at Lake Sabrina. We went there one frosty dawn, wearing our very warm clothes and by the afternoon we were sweltering in shorts and T-shirts! I did several little 8x10 field sketches of this scene during the workshop and also took photographs. I used them as references to paint this painting in the studio later on. The most difficult part was the water. I think I re-painted it four or five times and finally got it the way I wanted it. This is another wonderful memory of painting with friends in the magnificent Sierras.

"Dawn's Light" © 14 x 11 Sold

Since our last blog was a scene from Twin Lakes, I thought I would stay on the same subject. This scene is the view we had from our room at the Lodge during one of our visits. One morning I woke up early, just as the sun was rising and I saw this magnificent display of colors through our window. I was too tired to get up and venture outside to take pictures but we made a point of setting the alarm for early the next day. We were hoping and praying we would have the same light effects the next morning and we lucked out. Bleary eyed, we got up at the crack of dawn and got some wonderful photos. I think this scene would have been impossible to do en plein air because the light changes so fast at that time of day. Within one or two minutes, the light effects were completely different. I held on to the feeling of the scene and painted it as soon as we got home.

"Winter Bliss" © 16 x 20 NFS

I chose this painting today because it is now 100 degrees outside and our air conditioning just died a sudden death. What timing! Anyway, this painting made me feel a little cooler. This scene is from Twin Lakes, CA and was done from a photo I took when Frank and I went up there on a business trip. Twin Lakes is a special place for us because that is where we got married eight years ago. We were married in July of 2001 and since then we like to go up there as much as we can on our anniversary. We won't make it up there this year, unfortunately. I am so in love with the beautiful Sierras and always feel blissful when are there.

"A Stop Along Highway 1" © 16 x 20

I was attracted to this scene along the Pacific Coast Highway because of all of the colors I saw in the cliffs and in the ocean. The ocean was showing its array of colors, ranging from greens, to blues, to violets. Also, I liked the atmospheric perspective. Atmospheric perspective is the way things in the background appear grayer, cooler and paler as they recede. There is nothing like the ocean to soothe the soul!

"Painting En Plein Air" © 9 x 12

In our last blog, we featured a painting of the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena and that reminded me of this painting that I did last Fall. There were several artists painting in the area that day and I was having trouble finding a spot to paint where I wouldn't be blocking someone's view or wouldn't have someone else in my view. Since the light was quickly changing and I was getting tired trying to find a spot to paint, I decided to paint this scene and include the artist. I am happy with this painting because it is much more interesting with the figure in it. The artist who was "in my way" turned out to be the central focus of the painting!

This painting is currently being exhibited at "The Old Mill" in San Marino (1120 Old Mill Road). The Old Mill ("El Molino Viejo") is a charming historical building and is the gallery of the California Art Club.

"Memories of the Arroyo" © 16 x 20

This painting is called "Memories of the Arroyo" because Frank and I have many fond memories of this location. For many years we’ve enjoyed painting in the Arroyo Seco area with our artist friends and participated in several of the California Art Club’s paintouts followed by an art sale held at the Casa de Arroyo. A portion of the proceeds always went to the renovation and preservation of the Arroyo Seco so we feel a part of its beauty. For several years, it was a "tradition" for us to go to the Arroyo and paint on New Year's Day when it was quiet and the weather was ‘picture perfect.’ I can’t count the number of times we have painted the Colorado Street Bridge and its ‘sister’ bridges further downstream and the paintings always get sold to locals who live near the Arroyo. This painting is my most recent one of the bridge. No "takers" yet, but I have only shown it a couple of times.

"After the Rain" © 24 x 30 Sold

Those of you who live in Southern California know what the "June gloom" is but for those who don't, it is the overcast mornings we have during the month of June. The gloominess usually "burns off" by 11:00 a.m. to reveal a nice sunny afternoon. Anyway, the June gloom we are experiencing right now reminded me of a painting I did last year of a scene in Bishop, California. It had just rained and the sun was just trying to peek out afterward. The mountains in the background were still misty but the sun was shining in the foreground. This was my attempt to capture that mood but some of nature's light effects are elusive when it comes to painting. I guess I got close.

While I was in the studio painting this scene, one of our patrons stopped by, spotted the half-finished painting on my easel and said she wanted to buy it when it was done. I wish I could sell all of my paintings that way!

"Summer's Gold" © 6 x 8 Sold

Our posting of last week prompted me to look back at some of my paintings of coastal scenes. I'm not sure anymore where this scene was from but I think it was somewhere on the Malibu coast. The obvious reason for this painting was the "glow" of the sunset and the reflections on the water. I sold this one almost immediately after it was painted. As I recall, the paint was still wet when I sold it to a lady who had lived in Southern California for several years. In a matter of days, she was going to move back east and wanted a little painting of the coast as a remembrance. Currently, I am painting a series of paintings from our recent trip to Visalia but as soon as I am done with the series, I might paint some more coastal scenes. I love the challenge of painting the different moods of the ocean.

"A Stop Along PCH" © 16 x 20

Saturday evening, we attended the opening reception of the "On Location in Malibu" exhibit at the Weisman Museum at Pepperdine University. This painting of Frank's is part of the exhibit. The show is a collection of paintings by Artist Members of the California Art Club and all the paintings are from the Malibu area. It is a fabulous exhibit and we encourage you to see it before it ends on August 9th. It is a collection of marvelous paintings by some of the best artists in Southern California. We had a wonderful time at the reception and it was very well attended. It was fun to visit with some of our artist friends and to enjoy the beautiful weather and atmosphere of the Southern California coast. I love the "glow" that Frank captured in this painting which is typical of the beautiful light conditions in Malibu.

"Autumn Song" 6 x 8 © SOLD

This is a small painting I did a few months ago based on a scene from the Santa Ynez valley. It sold this past weekend at the Sierra Madre Art Fair. Frank and I both exhibited paintings at the show and, as usual, had a very pleasant time. The Fair was on Saturday and Sunday. We have been doing this annual show for several years now and always have a nice time even though it is a lot of work. So many of our friends and fellow artists stop by and it gives us a chance to visit with people that we only see once a year at this show. Thank heavens the weather wasn't as hot as they predicted. We have had years where the temps were over 100. (Not fun when setting up heavy equipment and paintings!). After spending yesterday unpacking, I am ready to get back to the easel.

"Gifts From The Garden" 12 x 12

A couple of weeks ago, Frank and I were invited to participate in a paintout and show at the beautiful Descanso Gardens in LaCanada, CA. In preparation for the show, I painted two still life paintings of roses and one painting of a scene from Descanso Gardens. Unfortunately, on the day of the paintout and show, I got sick and couldn't attend. Frank participated though and had a very pleasant weekend painting with friends. The weather was beautiful and everyone had a nice time. I wish I could have been there but maybe next time! Since I didn't have any real roses to paint from, I used some photo references to paint this painting. Although I like to paint from real life, I think this one turned out quite well. It was fun painting this one because I hadn't painted a still life in quite awhile. For me, it's good to mix things up a bit and paint subject matter that I haven't done in awhile because it prevents uninspired "tunnel vision".

"Hop Sing Tong Benevolent Association" - 11" x 14"

Several weeks ago, Frank and I spent a lovely day participating in a "paintout" in Chinatown. The paintout was sponsored by the California Art Club and there were several other artists there performing their "magic". The weather was perfect and as you can see, there was no lack of color in our surroundings. All day long we were surrounded by shoppers , hustle and bustle. Chinatown is doing a lot of publicity, trying to attract business to their area and one of their ways of doing that is to have performers in this courtyard on weekends. In addition to having a very pleasant painting day, we were entertained with music and several acrobatic shows. They were excellent performers and some of them were scheduled to perform in Cirque du Soleil. The sign on the building with the flags said, "Hop Sing Tong Benevolent Association", hence, the title for this painting. At the end of the day, all of the artists lined their paintings up in front of one of the shops. We were treated with Chinese food and wine and a few sales were made. I think Frank truly captured in his painting the festive feeling of the day.

Companion Pieces: "California Surf" and "Coastal Sun" ©

Occasionally, I love to paint a series of small paintings anywhere from 5"x7" to 8"x10" in size. It's a nice change of pace after painting a large painting and they are such fun to do! Lately, my favorite small size is 6"x8". Very often, when painting small, I will do two of them of a similar subject matter so that someone can purchase them as companion pieces and make a small "grouping" on their wall. We all have at least one little wall in our homes that "needs a little something" and this is a great remedy. It's also nice for people who are on a budget but want to have some quality original artwork or for those who want to buy a nice gift for someone. These two scenes are from the central coast of California where Frank and I love to visit. Specifically, these two paintings are from Cambria. When we go up there we will usually stay in Morro Bay and travel around the area during the day, visiting Cayucos, Cambria, Moonstone Beach, and Montana De Oro. There is absolutely nothing better than a weekend in the central coast area to shed stress and completely "chill out". We always come back rested, inspired, and with great references for paintings.

Recently, Frank and I participated in a couple of paint-out events with the California Art Club. One event was at Chinatown and the other in the southern foothills of the Sierras. Stay tuned for our resulting paintings!!!

"Summer Villa" © Sold

Oil on Canvas 12 x 16

I have never been to Italy but Frank went there many years ago when he was a teenager. I was going through some old photos of his European trip and found a few that I liked. I took elements from three different photos to make this composition. The lighting was different in each photo so I had to improvise the direction of the light. Combining elements from several photos is not always easy but that is part of being an artist. Because I used three references from different areas, this is actually a fictitious place but an inviting "place" I would like to visit.

"Springtime in the Canyon" ©

Oil on Canvas 16 x 20

One thing that Frank and I love is the fact that there are several beautiful little (and big) parks in the area where we live. Oak Canyon Park is where this painting is from and it's a place where we love to take walks together. The entrance of the park is well groomed with a man made duck pond, waterfall, and walkways but the park becomes more wild and natural as you go further in. In fact, there are occasional signs posted that warn of rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and bob cats. This painting is from that more natural area and about three months after I painted it there was a huge fire that burned all the bushes and chaparral. I learned much about painting foliage while creating this painting but I think the most challenging part was painting the cliffs in the background.

"Sandyland Vista" ©

Oil on Canvas 20 x 24

Driving home from a weekend in Santa Barbara, Frank and I stopped in Carpenteria for a quick "photo shoot". It was late afternoon (the golden hour) and we decided to go to the Sandyland Salt Marsh reserve. The sun was getting very low in the sky and a warm, orange light was cast over the landscape. We took as many pictures as we could before dark and this landscape is a result of that day. When doing this painting, I used some "artistic license". There were a couple of buildings that looked like warehouses and I left those out of the painting. I also moved a couple of trees and bushes to make a more pleasant composition. I am generally pleased with the painting, but most of all I had fun painting it.