Red Bartletts

Here's a somewhat larger watercolor study. These beautiful red bartletts are available later in the year for a fairly short time and I took the reference photos for this piece in the fall. This composition will probably evolve into a larger acrylic piece. This study is 10"x8".
Sold.

Summer Grazing

This handsome bay is completely at peace grazing in his mountain pasture, his coat glossy in the sunshine. This watercolor painting is 5"x7".

Pansies

The pansy has to be one of the most cheerful of flowers. This watercolor is 7"x5". Sold.

Bartletts Completed

It's done and was really a pleasure to work on. This one is slated for the Fenton/Stahl Gallery in WA.

New Pear Still Life Progressing

Here is the first photo of my new bartlett still life, which is sharing my attention with the cherry painting in the previous post. It is actually farther along than it looks and hopefully the next image of it will be its completion.

Progress

Well, progress is a relative term but here is evidence that I have revisited the stalled cherry painting. I am working on it along with another acrylic still life which is in a much too early stage to photograph. Between the two of them I have something to work on when I despair over one. They are both in that difficult stage but this one is beginning to emerge.

Bartlett Study

This small watercolor is a study of the year's first bartletts for a larger acrylic gallery piece. This watercolor is 6"x6". Sold

Blue Willow and Cherries

Here's a little watercolor with a lot of detail. The small blue willow plate provides an interesting background for the cherries. This watercolor is 4 1/2"x 4 1/2".
SOLD

Pear Trio

After quite a few days working on local wildflowers and scenery I thought I would revisit the still life. So here we have a trio of green D'Anjou pears arranged in strong light on my favorite side table. This watercolor is 5"x7".

Another Mountaintop View

Here's another scene from the mountaintop, just a little to the left of the previous post. From here you can see far below the fields in the valley below, and far beyond the faint outline of the sierras. This watercolor is 7"x5"

Mountaintop View

These twisted and weather-beaten pines are on a rocky ledge overlooking the valley below. The elevation is about 9000' and the view below the ledge looks down to nearly sea level. One feels on top of the world. This watercolor is 7"x5"

More Wildflower Studies

Three more wildflower studies. Red penstemon, lupine, and wild iris are done in watercolor, 7"x5".

Wildflower Studies

Here are three new watercolor studies of the wildflowers blooming now. The first is Indian Paintbrush, next is a wild rose and last is the Sego lily. They are all 7"x5".

Iris Meadow

Today I took the dogs up the mountain to photograph some wildflowers for an upcoming project. Once again the meadow is filled with the delicate wild iris. Hiking up higher we found larkspur, lupine, wallflower, sego lily, paintbrush, red penstemon and a great many I didn't know. My field guide is heavy enough I decided to leave it behind and rely on sketches and photos as I was lugging water for the dogs and myself as well as sketching materials and camera. Now I wish I had brought it. Oh well, I'll get back up there in a week or so when the next wave blooms. I am so blessed to live here.

Two Pears

I resisted calling this one Pear Pair. I enjoyed the variety of color in these two, layers of yellows, reds, blues and greens. This watercolor is 6"x6"
SOLD

Summer Pasture

Today is the one year anniversary of this blog. It has been an incredibly difficult year and painting was simply impossible for a good deal of it but now, by the grace of God, I am back in the studio, and staring at the blank paper and/or canvas is no longer a show-stopper.
The pastures in the valley are still green from the earlier rains and this mare and foal, glossy and relaxed are mildly interested in the viewer, too mellow to come over to visit but not about to miss a possible treat if offered. This watercolor is 4 3/4"x 6 3/4".