"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.