Desert Jewels

Click on the title to view painting within the online blog/ Gearing up for my summer workshop in Sweden and catching up on commissions but I wanted to share this painting I did while in Arizona. The cactus there are captivating with all their varied textures, shapes and colors and especially at the close of day when the light is yummiest. Hard to resist wanting to touch them as we do with typical garden blooms, but a safe distance is best in this case! Happy Summer and I hope to connect again soon.

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Miniature Mendocino

Click on the Title to see image within blog/ I've been developing a new habit of creating small value studies or sketches before I do large paintings. I liked this composition so much that I decided to add color and post it today. It's super small, only 5 inches high and 3/5 wide, but the dominance of the dark watertower and the cluster of buildings placed just below make it pretty strong even so. I look forward to creating the large painting one day soon, but in the meantime here is a sneak peek. 

Check out a class I've added just after my Mendocino Art Center workshop and consider coming on over to the coast for one or both!

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Desert Snippet

Click on Title to view image within online blog/ Long time you no hear from me eh? I remember posting last time that I've been dealing with some health issues and a few people have shouted back at me. I am happy to report that things are calming down and I'm feeling much better and sure appreciate everyone's concern. 

I attended the Plein Air Painting Convention in Tucson April 15-19 and had an amazing time watching other professionals paint up a storm. It was exhilarating, inspiring and exhausting all at the same time and now that I'm home I'm quite anxious to practice some of the things I learned. One day, my friend Robin and I sat in her teeny tiny car and did small watercolor studies while avoiding the heat outside. This is my wee offering and I look forward to staying in closer touch as the weeks and months of this year progress. Thanks so much for tuning in.

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Backlit Beauties

It has been far too long since I have posted to this blog and I'm terribly sorry about neglecting you! I have been dealing with some health issues that have left me quite fatigued but continue to push through to find solutions and am definitely making headway. I have realized that my days of ultra-multi-tasking may be completely over and it feels nice to move at a slower pace. Getting fewer things done is a bit hard to get used to, but my heart and mind aren't so crammed with anxiety and endless lists. I'm working on exploring some new techniques with my paintings and hope to post about some of that very soon.

In the meantime, I found out this week that this watercolor won Best Overall Watercolor in the recent Plein Air Salon competition for Feb/March and will now compete for the cash prizes that will be announced at next month's Plein Air Convention in Tucson. I had already signed up for the event, so it will be fun to see what that gathering is all about and I'll let you know if this piece garners any additional awards. Not long ago, I took a week off to paint for fun, without any particular end result or gallery in mind and this painting was created during that time, measuring 22x15. Happy Spring and much love to all.

Filtered Sunlight

Click on the title to view image within my blog/ Always carry my camera on jaunts around Mendocino and seem to discover new angles or inspirational lighting conditions. On this particular day, the sun was breaking through the clouds and spotlighting this sweet house on Ukiah Street, so I was thrilled to capture that moment for a later painting date. I really do think that it gives me that same feeling I had the day it caught my attention and hope you also catch a glimpse.

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Jubilant January

Click on Title to view image within blog/ Last weekend was a barrel of fun because my buddy Leslie came to visit and we were able to paint together a few times. The weather was changeable but we managed to enjoy this dramatic scene at Todd's Point at the mouth of the Noyo River and actually sat in the car due to high winds. The sun was setting behind us and casting these yummy colors onto the billowing clouds and who isn't drawn to a scene like this that serves to broaden the borders of your heart?

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Greek Salad for One

Click on Title to view image within blog/ It's true, I haven't posted to my blog since last year! Alright, it's only been a few weeks, but my goal has been to shout out at least once a week and I'm falling short. We traveled to Los Angeles to be with our kids and everything went haywire with the regular goings on but now we are back in the saddle, here at the studio and the computer. 

I'd like to continue sharing my paintings from the Greece trip since I created a treasure trove of small pieces and this one is the yummiest for sure. It is the daily diet for me each and every time I travel to the islands and it was torture to see it sitting there the entire time 3 of us made paintings.

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Sale Corner

Click on Title to see Many Works within my Blog/ We decided to take a wee break from making small paintings and work on getting this batch of previous pieces framed and ready to show. We had a lovely First Friday opening at our little frame shop the other night and since many of you were unable to attend, you can sit in your cozy chair and view them this way. Many of these works are familiar to you and have been sleeping in my studio for some time, waiting for me to get around to making revisions. Funny thing is, a frame can pull a painting together all on its own! Prices between $135-$300 including the frame. Happy browsing and Happy Holidays and many happy thanks for tuning into my Easel Events.

Alexander Valley Sojourn 5x10 Click Here to Buy

Autumn Confetti 5x10 Click Here to Buy

Bands of Fall Color 6x8 Click Here to Buy

Blossoms Aflame 7x5 Click Here to Buy

Gazing North 6x8 Click Here to Buy

Gleaming Snippet 8x6 Click Here to Buy

Looking Heavenward 5x7 Click Here to Buy

Mustard Season 5x7 Click Here to Buy

October Oaks 6x8 Click Here to Buy

Old but Glowing 6x6 Click Here to Buy

Old Vines Aflame 5x7 Click Here to Buy

Out My Upstairs Window 6x8 Click Here to Buy

Pastoral Daybreak 5x10 Click Here to Buy

Quiet Inlet 6x8 Click Here to Buy

Reading Room in Red 8x6 Click Here to Buy

Riverside Light 7x5 Click Here to Buy

Sandy Toes 6x8 Click Here to Buy

Sliver of Light 5x7 Click Here to Buy

Snippet of Maui 10x5 Click Here to Buy

Snippet of Mendocino 10x8 Click Here to Buy

Snippet of Philo 6x8 Click Here to Bid

Soreze Gateway 5x10 Click Here to Buy

Sparkling River 10x5 Click Here to Buy

Sunny Hilltop 6x8 Click Here to Buy

Surf's Up 6x8 Click Here to Buy

Fun and Festive Display. Check out the gift items on the Erin Dertner Studio page on Facebook.

Coastline Sublime

Click on title to view image within the online blog/ I had the ultimate privilege to stay overnight up at Newport Ranch last week, going to bed and waking up to this majestic stretch of our coastline. I took about a hundred photos as the sun was setting and again as it was breaking over the eastern hills, all in hopes of creating more paintings that evoke some of the emotion I felt. My buddy Robin has been working up there to fill the new inn with sumptuous colors, textures, accessories and furnishings worthy of this truly remarkable location and I have benefited greatly from her visits. Thank you Robin and thank you God!

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Celadon Horizon

 

Click on title to view image within my online blog/ Last weekend I had the privilege of teaching a 2 day class at the Mendocino Art Center. On the 2nd day, we went outside to the cypress grove and peered out between the massive trees to this quiet but majestic scene. A storm was coming on and the colors were very muted as the mist and clouds were winning a battle over the sun. The cathedral of trees provided shelter and we enjoyed bantering back and forth about what colors to choose and how to best describe the white water and swirling foam. 'Painting by Committee' is what I sometimes call it when a group is watching me and adding their 2 cents and it's really fun and helpful. I must say that the darkest area within the foreground cliff looks quite black in this photo but has a deep blueish purple color in real life and is much more inviting. Ok, over and out for now but thanks for tuning in.

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Colorful Corner

Click on the title to view image within the online blog/ I had a great weekend teaching a 2 day oil painting with a palette knife class at the Mendocino Art Center and enjoyed practicing ahead of time. This is one of the sweetest subjects about town, the corner of Little Lake and Kasten Streets as the roofs are staggered and all are set off by the fabulous white fence and overflowing foliage. Come on over and pinch my cheeks for me to prove that this is for real. 

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Colorful and Quiet

Click on Title to view painting within online blog/ Sharing another sweet watercolor I did on Poros Island Greece early last month. The Neorion Harbor has been one of my favorite places to paint since my first visit in 1992 as I never tire of the colorful boats at rest along the waterfront. Ideal that many lovely cafes dot the shoreline, so it is easy to paint and lunch simultaneously!

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Shadows and Palms

 

Click on the title to view image within the blog/ Three weeks ago I was in a remote village on the island of Serifos, soaking up the ancient atmosphere and sharing the experience with 12 other lovely American people and one Dutchman. This was my 2nd painting and done just before we were to board our van and head back to the 'big' town where our hotel and dinner were waiting. The late afternoon sun created a huge shadow from the nearby palm and it was enthralling as it pointed to these small dwellings, the inviting roadway and the rolling hills beyond. This scene could be just about anyplace and the elements here are relatable in their simplicity. Thanks for being an armchair traveler  and hanging out with me.

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Sunlit Stone Wall

 

Click on the title to see image within the blog/ Just returned from 2 glorious weeks in Greece and visited 4 islands plus a night in Athens to visit the Acropolis museum. It was completely delightful and my group couldn't have been better. On the island of Poros we stayed at the Odyssey Apartments and it was perfect. Classic construction with blue shutters and balconies and food that is out of this world. The owners adopt each of their guests and we are family forever! Here is a little watercolor of their colorful stone wall adorned with flowering clay pots. Hope you get to visit this wonderful place one day and escape to a haven of beauty, pampering and rest.

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Branches Aflame

 

Click on title to see image within my blog/

Off to Greece today but was able to sit calmly on my deck yesterday and paint this view of my neighbors trees. I wake up some mornings and it almost looks like the trees are on fire because the sunlit branches are so red and golden. The sliver of blue as a backdrop adds to the composition by complementing the warm tones and makes me downright happy. I'll be back in a couple of weeks with more to share, so stay tuned!

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Juicy Light and Color

 

Click on the title to see the image on my blog

 

It's been a busy few weeks with the Mendocino Open Paint Out and preparations for my painting trip to Greece. Besides that, it's been downright sad learning about people that we know that have lost their houses in the various California fires. I just found out that one of my fellow MOPO featured artists Dale Laitinen from Mountain Ranch lost everything.

The coast is beautiful after a bit of rain that helped the fire effort a bit, so I went outside on my deck in between packing and fretting and painted a little something to share. I hope to share about my trip with 11 other people including 8 painters within these next couple of weeks, but you might have to refer to my Facebook page as posting to the blog doesn't work very well via my iPad. Please know that I cherish each person that tunes into my goings on and it gives me great encouragement to hear from you as you're able to shout out.

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Mendocino Open Paint Out

Erin's Arbor 12x9 oil

Jewel by the Bay 6x12 oil

Upstairs View 6x12 oil

 

Today was the first day of our 3rd plein air painting event here in Mendocino and this year I'm what's called a 'celebrity' artist. That means I do my painting and people can watch me and at the end of the week I help judge all of the work and decide on prizes for each category. I don't have the opportunity to win prizes this year, so in one way it's relaxing and in another way it's a little boring! Oh well, I get to paint like a fool and enjoy the most amazing weather we've had all year. I started at 9 this morning with the center painting, went home and did the arbor and then sat on my deck just after dinner for the 3rd one. Not so sure my camera is doing these paintings justice but I'm working quickly to paint them, shoot them and then frame them for showing in the Art Center gallery. Visit the website to learn more about the event and read up on the other amazing artists that are here in town this week.

Israel and Sweden plus paintings

Our family on the Old City Ramparts in Jerusalem

We took a month long trip to Israel and Sweden this summer and I am sharing some highlights from our time in both countries. Our boys joined us for 2 out of the 4 weeks and we 'made tracks' and rarely slept! We visited friends and family in both places and did our own thing without taking scheduled tours and it was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. Dear friends in Jerusalem allowed us the use of their fabulous apartment while they used our car in California (yes, we missed seeing them) and other long time friends housed us and showed us special places around their villages. In Sweden, we visited my husband's cousins and were pampered daily with lovely outings and fabulous feasts. We spent time there with close friends of his cousin's as well and had a Midsummer weekend at an idyllic cottage on the southern Archipelago on the south east side of Sweden. I didn't have much time for painting as you might have guessed, but have included a few things that I was able to do while there, plus the last painting that I did upon our return. We feel so blessed to have taken this trip after 29 years when we went to these places with our 4 and 7 year old boys! Nothing like longtime ties with people and places that are near and dear. 

View of the Old City of Jerusalem from Yemen Moshe

My new painting friend Katherine

My watercolor of the Old City

View of Jerusalem from the south

Value Study in pencil

View for the value study

          Men dancing and praying at the Wailing Wall                 Observant Jews in the Old City

Light show in the Old City of Jerusalem

Tel Aviv Farmer's Market

                                                              Old City shadow patterns                                                                                                                    

Ibex hanging out along the roadside

Gathering of old and new friends in the Negev- the couple 2nd from 

the left stood up with us in our wedding 37 years ago

Old and new friends in Tel Aviv-the center girl went to school

with our boys in Fort Bragg and now lives in Tel Aviv with her

husband just to the left

Now onto Sweden and our Midsummer head garlands

My husband's first cousin is 3rd from the left

My husband's first cousin in the center with her family and ours

A typical summer scene on the coast of Sweden

A typical Swedish cottage

Boat harbor where you can see the bridge from Malmo to Copenhagen 

in the distance

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Lovely scene in the village of Vellinge Sweden, near Malmo

Midsummer flower fields outside of Malmo, Sweden

Bent metal bike rack

Malmo park, complete with windmill and foxglove flowers

Children dress up and 'shoo' the geese for summer tourits

Lovely entry garden in the south of Sweden

Red poppies in full bloom in the village of Vellinge, Sweden

My 9x12 oil painting of the poppies

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