"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.