Well I continue to find lovely trees to paint, and so this week instead of focusing on the Skagit River I decided this tree was much more interesting. The pinkish distant sky and the high clouds add to the drama of the morning light. Oil on canvas panel- 9x12

Latitude Marine Services is a boat repair business at the south end of La Conner where one can find boats of all variety. Challenging lines and colors are ever present and it is fun to work out the details of both. 

For those of us who live and paint in the Puget Sound, we are forever looking at green. You might say there are as many shades of green as there is light. Green fields, green deciduous trees, evergreen trees, green grass on our lawns, green grass in the fields, and etc. To have an opportunity to paint a subject that is a different color is such a relief. Near Redmond Oregon is a unique geological structure which attracts people who love to rock climb. The colors are pink, copper, blue, etc ... and the formations are spectacular. And there is the token green which runs along the river and in the trees..... 

August is a month full of sunshine, hiking, biking, and painting. These are some of the places that caught my eye on my journey of life in the Pacific Northwest. Smith Rocks is always on my destination list, the Skagit River never ceases to amaze me and our local trees which are prolific are always at my beck and call. 

Over the winter months Shaw Island gets fog and storms like the rest of the San Juan Islands. This quiet winter scene struck me as so representative of life there on the Island. A foggy morning moving toward a bright winter day revealing the life experience every day. 

On our recent road trip we stopped for a few days at Sun Lakes Dry Falls State Park in Eastern Washington. I was there last year but didn't get a chance to paint much. I knew I had to come back to this location and try an put the emotion of the morning scene on canvas. The wind was blowing, I had to strap my pack to my tripod to keep it from blowing away, and I was standing on a rocky precipice, hoping I wouldn't step back and fall into the water below. During my time there, I watched a hawk dive into the water after a fish, and enjoyed the company of several fishermen paddling around on the water. The joy of capturing the scene combined with my love of the outdoors made for a lovely morning and my memories of it shall be with me for a long time.  The scene below was done the day before we left, morning in the basin. Such a unique place this is. 

One of the destinations on my recent road trip was to Smith Rocks just outside of Redmond Oregon. This place is the destination for rock climbers who scale these rocks just for fun! I have visited this place of beauty in the past since my step daughter lives over there, and this was one of the scenes I had on my list to paint. I focused on the rock structures to near completion but laying in the foreground very broadly, no detail. I then took this 9x12 painting to my studio to complete the foreground. I especially liked the halation of the rocks meeting the light in the sky. There were a few clouds but mostly the morning light was lovely. This set of rocks angled sideways to the sun so that the light hit the peaks but not the lower face. 

When the tulips fields are all that one can see for miles, and visitors in the valley, it is what we must paint. So, with my learning curve still rising I have done several paintings of these vast fields of colorful flowers. Each time the work brings new knowledge to what I am doing. As compared to the previous posting, this has linear perspective as well as atmospheric perspective which is an important part of creating landscape paintings. Oil on linen, 8x14. 

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival always brings bus loads of people into the nearby fields to see the spectacular site of tulips blooming in broad sweeps of color. A couple of mornings ago there was a break in the rain and I called Karen to go paint. The wind was cold and blowing and I was bundled up in hat and coat. I had just finished this scene and put my work away. I turned around to look at the distant view on the opposite side of the road and to my dismay there marching quickly upon us was a terrific rain storm. We threw our belongings into the car with great haste only missing the downpour by about 1 minute. SPRING! Ha!

The many times I have walked out on the Padilla Bay trail have blessed me with such beautiful sunsets and glorious days it is worth repeating on canvas. This area is full of bird life, dramatic clouds and reflections. This piece is 12x24, oil on canvas.