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!
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