In November my husband and I visited a favorite inn in Ashland Oregon, the Ashland Mountain House Bed and Breakfast. This was our second trip at the same time of year. We love the area in Southern Oregon and the rich fall colors of the landscape there. My previous series revolving around Litha Park were created from there and I continue to reach into my vast array of photographic files and sketches to create studio paintings. Interestingly from all of the beautiful landscapes I have captured on film, this little composition from the inn called to me. At the time this was a sweet moment captured. I remember wandering the grounds with my husband as we crunched through a sea of leaves and I happened upon this little courtyard. I can still feel the crisp fall morning air as I look at this and how I felt at the time – very calm but alive, much like the scene. There is something about small moments in time and how they resonate over and over. I’ll still revisit the vast, colorful landscapes in future work but at times it is wonderful to be able to relive sweet moments in time through the process of painting.
"Arbor at the Inn" Pastel 14x11
In December I finished a commissioned painting – a 30×40″ pastel depicting the land and view of Mt. Diablo from the Emerson Dairy property in Oakley California. I met Trish Emerson at the Sausalito Art Festival and she told me about having grown up in Oakley and the Dairy was in her family for generations going back to the late 1800’s. Ironically enough, I had lived in the same area from 1989 through 1999 and was familiar with the arid landscape that exists there.
Now, the last of the land, property and buildings had been sold and she wanted to give her parents a gift for Christmas to memorialize the property – a pastel painting for their new home which they were in the process of building. After spending an afternoon walking the property and taking reference photographs I chose a composition from one of Trish’s favorite areas of the property to do the painting from.
On Christmas, Trish’s parents were presented with the painting and were reportedly elated. This was one of the most enjoyable commissions I’ve worked on and I’ve created hundreds in my career. Trish selected another painting I created from the site – of the grainery building seen below. After giving a gift like that she had to go home with something to remind her of such an amazing and historically significant place. Thank you Trish and thank you Emerson Family!
"Yellow House at the End"
My recent pastel painting “Yellow House at the End” received a “Best of Landscape” award at the 52nd Annual Spring Exhibition at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, CA this past weekend. This is one of a continuing series I have been developing over the past few years of compositions from local alleys and street views from the area in which I live. The juror for this event was Debra Lehane, curator of the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation in Geyserville, CA.
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Garden
French Vineyard
Dining Room Wall
We recently delivered and installed a three piece pastel painting commission to new collectors in San Francisco. Their home, which they completely restored, was stunningly beautiful inside and out so it was an absolute joy placing my work in their surroundings. This is the same commission discussed several posts earlier. I’m confident that they were happy with how everything turned out. Custom framing was done by Art Brokers Inc. in Sausalito.
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Renowned Publicist and online marketing maven Anne Marie Baugh is featuring an interview with me on her site Whopple.com I am so delighted to have met her and that she is currently featuring me on her site which is devoted to highlighting and promoting fine artists and their work. Thank you Anne Marie!
Kennedy Publishing has posted the entire Vol. II of Best of America-Pastel online. To view the portal page to the book
click HERE. To go directly to the section of the book where my pages are click HERE. I am on pages 73-74. The actual book can be ordered directly from the Publisher.
Thank you Kennedy Publishing for inviting me to showcase my work in this beautiful book!
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