Red Ridge Farms

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Wow, it's been a whole week since I posted last. What on oith? Well, I'll tell ya it's been Mr. Toad's Wild Ride coming back from the Oregon road trip and getting 27 paintings ready for my Mendocino show opening at the Highlight Gallery on August 10th. I did several on the trip that I've had to make adjustments to and my husband has been busy as a beaver making all those frames as well. This is actually a piece I did on location at Red Ridge Farms near the hamlet of Dundee in Oregon's lovely wine country. We were directed to an ideal painting spot where we had olive trees, vineyards and lavender to choose from, so since I couldn't be in France this summer it was a no-brainer. This is not a miniature painting but I thought it might be fun to post something different and with 'more presence'. Can't you almost smell the stuff?

Washington Park

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Truly enjoying Portland and the dreamy weather and fitting in some painting time amidst the many visits with family and friends. The vast and glorious rose garden is someplace I've never seen, so now at long last I can say that I have!

Oops, now the Umpqua River

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Umpqua River

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While on this current road trip, Leslie and I had the supreme fortune to stay for two nights at a cabin along the Umpqua River just inland from Reedsport. We felt like we had stepped back in time and had an idyllic 36 hours eating, swimming, painting and sleeping IN, like until 10 am on our first "morning". Guess we needed that and soon afterwards we set about to painting and redeeming the day. Ahhhh, a true summer experience and I'm oh, so grateful.

Slow and Simple

Leslie and I discovered Samoa today, just north and west of Eureka. This is the first day of our ten day road trip and we stopped twice to paint. First along the Avenue of the Giants and next to a place I have driven by about a thousand times, but upon a recommendation of one of Leslie's friends we stopped. We ate at the Samoa Cookhouse which was delightful and then we had to stay longer and take in the funkiness of the place. Wow, what a treat!

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Coastal Beauties

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For 11 years we lived in Englenook which is 6 miles north of Fort Bragg and I drove by these trees every single day. My favorite time of course was the end of the day when they were all lit up with that yummy golden light and if I was lucky enough to be the passenger, was able to snap a shot as we whizzed by. I love the grace and strength of these tall cypress trees, so tall and gorgeous but also sturdy enough to handle winter's fury. They deserve some recognition, right?!

Sublime Ceago

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July and lavender are synonymous in my mind, with France being the highest on the list of places to visit, smell, revel in and paint the purple stuff. When I can't muster up the bucks to get there, I tromp around locally and happily sooth that hankering. This painting sees us gazing across Clearlake on the property of Ceago Winery with their guest house and boathouse ensconced in the fragrant and colorful blossoms. I hope to post yet another lavender scene before the month is out, so keep checking in! I'm about to embark on a road trip with Leslie dearest, so my posting might get spotty................

Evening at Emerald Bay

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 We had the supreme fortune to take an evening boat ride a while back with Jack Meiring, the father of my late high school friend Sherri. Vikingsholm is tucked into the west shore of Emerald Bay was always just like a storybook destination to me. My darling grandpa took us kids out and about to all the great places around the lake and this is a place we hiked to a few times. It was fun to discover it on this special summer evening, all buttoned up and quiet with that glowing shimmer in the windows just before the close of day.

Peaceful and Content

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At home and sick today, but feeling peaceful myself if not actually content. However, these sunlit cows are certainly happy in the receding light of a long summer day. Painting a bit of history here as the cows and 'their' tree are no longer in this Caspar field and the Community Center has been remodeled, but thankfully it's still pastoral and a delight to drive by each day on my way home from the studio. 

Boy Have I Been Busy

So sorry you haven't heard from me in a while. I've been entertaining many summer house guests while also preparing for an art show here in Mendocino which opens on the 10th of August at the Highlight Gallery on Main Street. I recently finished this 40x60 painting of our quaint little town and wanted you to have  something to look at! I've also come down with a nasty summer cold which has slowed me down even more, but I'll be up and at'em again this week for sure. Love to all and thanks for keeping up with me. 

Sandy Toes

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My darling young friend Tami, introduced me to a new beach that has been under my nose for 27 years but I never knew about it! It's quite a little trek to get there and my shoulder was aching under the weight of my art bag AND purse, but it was well worth the effort. 'Another miserable day in Paradise' as the ridiculous saying goes and boy was I miserably happy about it.

Til the Cows Come Home

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I simply had the hankering to do something out of the ordinary, that is for me. Cows are ordinary I suppose, but I don't necessarily tune in to them. My husband gravitate towards animals of all types and was the one that discovered this group of cows all clumped together. I have to say that I adore the red one peeking out from behind the other large black one's behind and that is what pulled my trigger. Hope it makes you smile.

Daydream Garden

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Sometimes a girl gets lucky and is invited to visit secret places that delight and amaze. This Napa location was one such place, and in an earlier post I shared the view from the patio so it is 360 degrees of fabulous. Long evening shadows only add to the inherent drama and dreamy quality, sigh.

Somewhere Over the Vineyard

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While I was gallivanting in Napa last week, I came upon a property with a gazillion dollar view. Flowers, olive & cypress trees, vineyards, ponds and mountains all screaming for attention. I held my hand over the sun with my camera up to my nose and shot away the evening hour, all in hopes of capturing the essence. One day I hope to do some larger pieces from what I gathered, but for now here is a snippet of paradise for some happy daydreaming.

Patio Perfection

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I seem to have a sniffer lately for 'all things French' and this scene is no exception. I discovered this lovely spot while making a quick trip to Napa the other day. After a lovely lunch made by our host was able to commit this to canvas. You can't see it, but just on the other side of that dark interior is a majestic view of rolling hills, vineyards and a luscious blue lake. If I can't be in France, I might as well find it right in my own backyard right?

Alegria Inn

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For our 35th anniversary, we were blessed to stay in this lovely local B&B right here in Mendocino. I drive by it everyday but had never really investigated it until June 3rd and was bowled over. It is quintessentially Mendocino, meaning not overly fluffy and stuffy but truly relatable, relaxing and perfect. The owners are down to earth, gracious and professional altogether and we had the best getaway ever. So cool that we didn't have to drive very far but experienced a whole new world. I can't recommend it highly enough, so check it out!!!

South Harbor Drive

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I had quite the hankering to head to the harbor late this afternoon since the sun is blasting and the wind is at a minimum. However, once I turned onto South Harbor Drive, this scene just struck me. I hopped out of the car and shot a few pictures and decided not to stand on that busy corner but jet back to the studio to paint it instead. It's been a pleasant summer evening here in my 2nd story loft like studio and with this vision fresh in my mind, it was a delight to interpret. I love boats, but I think that those rambling roses taking over that roof are what yanked me to a halt.

Busy Filming

Hi Y'All-

Believe it or not I have still been painting, but this week in front of my son Levi's video camera. We are working on a series of art instruction DVDs that should be available later this year if everything comes together. The weather has been quite windy here in Mendocino and though we took today off, I feel too exhausted to lift my brush! However, I did want to tell you about this great project and how blessed I am to be working on it with my own professional videographer. Sweet times in exceptional locations, so stay tuned for the finished product.

The Glories of June

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Around here one can be engulfed in June Gloom or Jubilant June just depending on the temps over the hill. Of course I prefer the sunny days and when they do show their faces I am truly at my happiest. This scene is within spitting distance of my house and this cluster of houses along Rundell Lane never cease to delight in just about any kind of weather. I painted this while I was waiting to arrange flowers for a wedding reception the other day and it sure was a fun way to spend that snippet of time. Hope you like hanging out on the corner there 'with' me too. 

Cluster of Color

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I completely neglected to tell you that Sunshine's garden is immense and so are her many talents! Besides being a gardener extraordinaire, she is a fabulous painter AND dancer and a local Mendocino icon. I am blessed to know her and to have been invited to paint on her fabulous property recently and certainly look forward to going back again. Every nook and cranny is beautified and her house is no exception as it truly resembles an art museum! She spreads sunshine and invites it as well, kind of like a never ending cycle of fun and color. Glad you could get to know her a little bit via this blog and I hope you check out her fun artwork too.

Tomato and Friends

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I scavenged around my kitchen for some stuff to present as a paintable still life to my Mendocino students over Memorial Day weekend. Came up with this batch of yummy ingredients for making a great meal, all against a backdrop of warm orange tones. We were happily working indoors out of the rain and made some truly great memories. Wish we could have cooked up something amazing as a finale but we left feeling inspired and energized and hope to gather again to push the paint around.

Sunshine's Garden

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I had the pleasant opportunity to be invited to paint in my friend Sunshine's garden just the other day and was  certainly happy as all get out. It was breezy outside the gate, but in this little spot tucked up against her porch I was able to see this sculptural cypress tree beyond the flaming red rhododendron. It was all I could do to paint it fast enough before the shade overtook all the bright color, but I managed to put down the basics then and tweaked things later on. Thank you sweet friend for alerting me to the blazing blossoms all over your lovely property and allowing me such a fun and memorable day.

Poppies, Poppies and More Poppies

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You're right to think that I'm stark raving mad about poppies as I have done yet another version of the fields and view at Pacific Star Winery. This one has been sitting quietly on my studio shelf, patiently waiting to be revised and refined. It was the last painting of the day and was executed in a mad rush, so it needed sensitizing before it was willing to show its face. I am happy to report that I like it much better than I did when I first painted it and hope you like revisiting the poppy theme!

Fences and Flowers

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Fences and flowers pretty much define the village of Mendocino and since the climate is so mild there's always something blooming. However, May is the crowning jewel of the year as every blossom is demanding   to be gazed upon and enjoyed. Happily enough, my recent workshop fell at the perfect time and the weather was dazzling for 2 out of the 3 days. This scene is right outside the Art Center's studio door, so it was a no brainer to take it on. Hope you're inspired to come visit this amazing little haven on the edge of the sea and be swept away by its wonder, color and history. For those of us that live here, it never ceases to be a cheek pinching experience.

Leaning Into the Light

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I had yet another idyllic day on Saturday beside this lovely pond a few miles up from the village of Mendocino. A dear friend offered the use of her property for my little band of students and we enjoyed every waking moment in the sun. Next month, this very garden will be on the Mendocino Art Center Garden Tour, so we were blessed to get a lengthy sneak peek with our art materials in hand. Even a few miles from the coast one can experience some might fierce heat, but the occasional sea breeze wafted about and kissed each face with just the right amount of cool air. We had a simply marvelous time and will cherish the memory. Thank you Bart and Tracy!

Fanciful Fields

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I kind of seem to jump around from deep and dazzling color to subtle and serene don't I? To tell you the truth, I get bored doing too much of the same thing so it's fun to shake things up with subject matter and color. AND locations I might add. When you can't get your tushie to France or Greece, what's wrong with Colusa or Yuba City pray tell??!! This humble little lane can be found someplace out near Sutter and is surrounded by reflective rice fields, poplar and eucalyptus trees and the smallest mountain range in the world, the Sutter Buttes. I gave you a peek of those the other day along the river and you just might see them pop up again soon. Hope you feel like taking a little stroll on a lazy summer evening down this road to no place in particular, just for the fun of it.

April Showers Brought May Flowers

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It is just so much fun to wander around Mendocino on foot because discoveries like this actual scene take place. These are flowers behind the Sandpiper Jewelry Store and don't they create the perfect foil for that distant pale green house? I did omit the snippets of buildings to the right because they just cluttered things up. I wanted you to be able to breathe all of that salt air while gazing at the ribbons of blue water and sky. We all need times of refreshing and I hope that my paintings can add such an element from time to time.

Lazy Day in May

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I can't think of a better way to usher in the summer season than to have enjoyed the Sacramento River under  shady trees with a nice bunch of painters. Colusa is one of California's best kept secrets with its lush riverbanks, quaint cottages and  farms and ranches galore. I thoroughly enjoyed every hour with my friends and students and truly look forward to going back again one day. We waved to boaters and floaters and though I didn't include them in my painting, just imagine yourself in this idyllic spot sipping some lemonade and feeling like you're transported to a calmer and quieter time.

Spring Surf and Blossoms

Those poppies got the best of me as I couldn't stop painting them! Each angle a little different and this one includes the dazzling wild iris. Iris was my grandmother's name, so this flower is even more special for that reason and this color in particular. Hope you're not sick of this theme but love it as much as I do.


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Windows on the Sea

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Mother's Day just got better when I shifted my gaze from north to east and tried my hand at a simple version of Main Street behind the flowering fields. This street is so unique because in the late 50's all the buildings on the south side of the street burned down in a fire. If you watch the 1955 film 'East of Eden' you will see how the town used to look. It's certainly to the advantage of all the businesses, residences and visitors to have a wide open view toward the beautiful bay. We relish it on a daily basis and happily share it with all who are blessed to tromp the paths and treat themselves indoors.