This painting is in the late P.M., looking to the north from the ranch on "Foothill - - a scene that is dramatically beautiful each day.

This is a fall scene in Hope Valley. 9 x 12

One from th summer's Plein-air event in Markleeville, painting done in early a. m. in Hope Valley

A summer sketch done in one of our pastures, late August P. M.

Theses are my most recent paintings this year.  Fall was beautiful, and long lasting in our area.  Even today, Nov 1, began as a golden peaceful day!   The shadows on the ranch where I live on the hills, across the valley, as the sun comes over the mt.s from the East are amazing in the mornings.  I will try them one day, but for now, I just love looking at them!!  I do hope to do some winter paintings with snow this year, now all we need is the snow!

New plein air paintings-

I have been doing a bit more plein-air lately, but had not posted the paintings.  Recently, I was painting with the Markleeville Gallery as they hosted their Plein-air week.  It was fun, and had some challenges with the weather.  One day being windy and grey, and the rest of the days , clear, but very hot---we actually had a heat wave that was uncomfortable but also drying for the area.  Sure hope we get our usual snowy winter this next time! Before the Plein-air week I went out on a local Nevada desert area that I enjoy with Oil painter Ray Freeman.  We hadn't painted together in quite a while so I enjoyed this mornings' outing.  This was at the beginning of June:

This is a place I know well as I used to love riding all over this large open desert and hope to get back out here to paint again.

Then a few days after this, I went with Carolyn Thompson from Reno, Nevada, to paint near or at Blue Lakes, California.  It was a windy morning that we chose, and cool.  So I climbed on some huge rocks in the sun and tried this scene, on a 8 x 10 piece of Uart I had  with me:

I am surprised at how  this one came out.  I could look down on the lake from here, but as its name goes, it was just "blue" so I was glad I 

chose the rocks.

The next one is a sketch I made on morning in Hope Valley before the Plein-air week started, I liked how this area looked early in the morning, facing into the sun as it came up from the east---so this is a place I went back to during the week.  The resulting 9 x 12,( and is a bit different than this sketch) is now hanging in the Gallery so I guess the practise helped.  Our paintings will hang for a month there.   We met some nice people during the event, and many really good plein-air painters were there.  I really enjoyed it this year. :

The  whole area , tho , is so different that it was last year as far as color goes,   and is a  lot drier and so we worry about fire.  When fall comes , we have such wonderful color--but this year may pass without  such dramatic color because of the dryness.  I will have to wait and see. So, thats it, Hope you are all out painting!

This is this morning's practice painting.   I was up early, browned  short ribs for the croc-pot, loaded my new pup , and was gone by 6:30-----still not early enough as it is really hot for the month of June this year.  I drove to Hope Valley, hoping it would be cooler!   Its at least a thousand ft. higher that the ranch.  Anyhow, it wasn't!  But it was very pretty, although the "green" will be gone early this year as we had no snow to speak of, so no water.   My new pup, Ruby, is a red boarder collie and is about 5 mos. now.  Very stubborn, but really cute.

  She didn't want to come to me in this shot, she is very independant!  So this morning, she was on a leash, and she had a good time.  I worked fast, this was pastel with a pastel underwash with alcohol. It dried fast, and gave me a good value plan to follow.   I was back home by 10 am!!!  This is 10 x 12.

I, again this year, am doing the Markleeville Plein-air painting week held now for its 3rd year, in Markleeville, Ca--Alpine County.   Alpine County is very beautiful and we are very lucky to have the gallery, and Evelyn Yonkers support and organization skills working for all the artists who attend.   I am hoping this year Evelyn herself has the time to get out and paint also!   Check out the Markleeville Gallery web-site for a list of all the artists and read about the event.   

www.markleevilleartgallery.com 

May 1 st , 2013

Mt's behind ranch.

This was my 4th P. A. for 2013.  I seem to be getting off at a very slow start!  This was done at 11:30 am until maybe 1 PM or there about.  Yes, it was painted when the sun was full  on hitting the whole hill and mountainside!  I never paint at this time of day as I rather like shadows in my paintings.  Two ladies, one from San Jose, and another who moved here about 10 years ago, came by and wanted to paint on the ranch.  Of course I said "Yes"!  So they actually came out 2 days in a row, at the same times.  They used watercolor, and large sheets of paper.  The second day, they had my attention and I joined them. They liked the Mt, and I found a place that was both shady and had some sun for them to paint in- - - - and I joined them.   It was fun, a very nice way to spend a day!     They also told me about an Artists Open Studio event coming up in the Carson Valley on the weekend of May 18 and 19th.   Linda Sandhagen, one of the ladies,  will be in this event.   I am sure I will go!

I  did get out again , and do hope to more often.  Plein-air painting is really fun, and with pastels I really enjoy it.   I do plan to do more in Oils this year tho.   My friend from Dayton, Nev. drove out for the day to paint.  She chose to use Oils, and brought with her a great gift from her very artsy and inventive sister.  This time she  has invented something the Oil painters will love as Oil paint is very expensive.  Its called a Pallet Garage, and is made from arclyic and uses clove oil to keep the paints moist between paintings.   To find out more about this neat tool, go to www.palettegarage.com and check it out.

I used my pastels and found a bank that still had some snow.  It was a cloudy day, very grey light which is something I need to practice anyhow, as well as close up subjects.  Its done on Senniliar pastel card, with a turpinod under painting, and is 9 x 12.

This was painted  on the Lane that leads to the Old  ranch on Foothill road.   I love the hugeness and the closeness of these Mountains.  The light this time of year is so wonderful and I hope to catch it.   Hope you are all painting as well.  This took two afternoons, as I felt a bit rusty and was just staring at everything!   I used Uart with an underpainting wash..