“Strength is Beautiful” 15 x 22 watercolor

Yesterday I got the very good news that this painting (and an oil painting landscape, which I will post soon) has been accepted into the next California Art Club show at the Women’s City Club in Pasadena. The show will run for six months beginning Saturday, June 23 with an artists’ reception on July 12.

I am absolutely thrilled to have this portrait included. The theme of the show is Natural Beauty and I love the look of beauty and strength in her face, which I attempted to capture in transparent watercolor. I found it challenging to paint African-American skin tones because there is such a wide range of values. The light-struck side of her face is quite pale, but the deep shadowed side is rich with color. Making the transition work was the objective, without resorting to using many small brushstrokes and ‘overworking’ it. Her beautiful wavy hair was the most fun to paint as I used negative painting to separate the tendrils. I chose a blue background for this lovely woman because I thought the blue would be a good complement to the rich warm browns of her complexion. Her garment was left understated as all the attention is really on her face.

Well, that’s about all I can think to say about it, but if you have any questions about it, please feel free to ask.

And don’t forget - this weekend … The Sierra Madre Art Fair in Sierra Madre’s Memorial Park 9:30 -6 Sat and 9:30-5 Sunday.

Spring Medley - 11 x 15 - mixed media

Here’s a painting that combines both watercolor and acrylic - one for its transparency, the other for its opacity - each used to its best advantage (in my opinion!)

It was inspired by a photo I took at the Anza Borrego State Park in N. San Diego County when we went there to look at the wildflower bloom several weeks ago (better make that months ago!) What attracted me to this scene was the contrast of textures - the hard rocks and the soft desert flowers, plus the contrast of shadows and bright sunlight.

Right now I’m in final preparations for the Sierra Madre show. All of the pictures (more than 35!) are in their frames, although I don’t think I have enough space in my booth to display them all at once - so I’m going to have to make some hard choices.

In addition I have a number of matted but unframed watercolors, like this one, which will be in a bin for people to look through.

“El Matador State Beach, Malibu”
12 x 16 in. - oil on canvas

The beautiful eroded cliffs, with their sinuous curves attracted me to this scene at El Matador State Beach in Malibu, just a little bit north of Point Dume, which I have painted on several other occasions. It’s a hike to get down to the beach, but worth the trip. You park in a small lot at the top of the bluff then follow a trail to a staircase that can be covered with sand and is more than a little slippery.

I might be taking this painting to the annual Sierra Madre Art Festival this coming weekend May 17-18 in Sierra Madre, CA, northeast of Pasadena. Look for me in space 34 if you’ll be going there.

Now I’ve got to get back to framing!

“Huntington Hotel Palms” - 9 x 12 oil on canvas

Paintout report:

It was a picture perfect day in Southern California, although it didn’t start out that way. We had been getting a little early taste of “June Gloom” which meant that a low marine layer hovered over much of the southland until it burned off around 12:30. I had anticipated this happening, so I didn’t start to paint the sky until afternoon - I spent my time blocking in the trees, lawn and palms, knowing that I could change the color to represent the warm light when the sun came out. A purple jacaranda tree had started blooming, and some bird of paradise plants provided welcome contrast to all the green.

We arrived around 10:30 and I found my chosen spot on the Terrace balcony - right outside the tea room. I had a panoramic view of the great lawn and this clump of palms attracted my attention. The paintout was organized by the Laura Segil Gallery as a kickoff to the Huntington Artist in Residence program. One of the most enjoyable parts of the day was taking time to chat with all the passersby who were strolling after Mothers’ Day brunch or perhaps were guests of the hotel. The hotel is the former Ritz Carlton, but is now part of the Langham Hotel chain.

Altogether, a delightful way to spend the day. Since my two kids are out of town, we will defer Mothers’ and Fathers’ Days (and a passel of birthdays) until we are all together again sometime in June. But they did send me a beautiful big bouquet of roses which I adore.

“Arroyo Seco Eucalyptus” 9 x 12 oil on canvas

Not too long ago I did a plein air watercolor sketch of this beautiful eucalyptus which stands along one of the pathways in Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco. The morning light was bouncing off of the ground and causing some of the ragged hanging bark to glow with rich warm tones. A smaller shrub was struck by the sunlight and shimmered in pale chartreuse. Although my objective had been to paint the bridge, I couldn’t resist this combination, which I have now turned into an oil painting.

Tomorrow (Sunday, May 11) I will be painting en plein air at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena (formerly the Ritz Carlton Huntington.) Look for me on the balcony near the Tea Room, enjoying the fresh air and beauty of the grounds. I’m hoping for blue sunny skies - and if they don’t happen, I’ll invent some!

“Mountain Sketch”
approx 8.5 x 11 watercolor

Well, I’m in countdown mode again - looking forward to the Sierra Madre Art Fair benefitting Friends of the Sierra Madre Library in (where else?) beautiful Sierra Madre, California, just a bit northeast of Pasadena.

So I’ll be posting some smaller sketches and paintings this week as I get my framing completed and gather together other items for sale.

This sketchbook study was painted with watercolor first - then the ink was added. It’s a little different from the way I usually work, but my objective was to think about color and shape more than line - hence the “reverse” order.

“Autumn Glow”
16 x 20 oil on canvas

The Japanese Garden at the Huntington Library, Gallery and Botanical Gardens - in all its autumn glory. This painting is now being shown at the Chevy Chase Country Club in a special show themed “The Artist Travels.” Some of our paintings are from far away lands and others just evoke the feeling of distant lands. If you’re in Los Angeles, come join us at our reception this Friday, May 9, from 4 to 6 pm.

And speaking of shows, please come say hello May 17-18 at the Sierra Madre Art in the Park event, the weekend after next. I’ll have a lot of new work to show, plus prints and cards as well.

Other local must-sees if you’re in LA.

Visit the John Salminen exhibit at the San Marino Gallery in Pasadena. John is a spectacular watercolorist and his show is a visual feast. Design is his forte, and although his watercolors are very detailed and realistic, somehow they are abstract at the same time. The San Marino Gallery is at 70 N. Raymond Ave.

See the Gold Medal Show of the California Art Club at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Hundreds of oustanding paintings will be on display daily for another week and a half or so.

“Swift Water - Eaton Canyon”
15 x 22 watercolor on paper

Well, today was the day from computer hell. Once in a very long time my Mac system gets corrupted and I need to reinstall system. However it got balky it now seems resolved. I painted this yesterday but didn’t have time to put any finishing touches on it until I got the puter back in order today. Many thanks to my dear husband for helping with the troubleshooting.

This painting was inspired by the winter and spring rain we had at Eaton Canyon in Altadena (near Pasadena.) Although the water wasn’t deep it was abundant in the wide ravine and fun to paint.

“Laguna Sunset (at Crescent Cove)” - 16 x 20 oil on canvas

This is another of the paintings I’ve taken to the Huntington for the Art Matters event this Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. The inspiration was the small beach called Crescent Cove or perhaps Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach. I’ve seen people refer to it by both names. We were there in late March and stayed until the sun went down, enjoying every last bit of the beautiful sunset.

Pink Magnolia - Huntington Gardens
16 x 20 oil on canvas

This is another new painting I’m taking to the Huntington for Art Matters (see yesterday’s post for information on the event this coming weekend.

In the spring, the Huntington magnolias are a sight to behold. Their delicacy reminds me of the inside of pink conch shells. They are the very emblem of the new season. My objective in this painting was to focus on one unfolding blossom - a plant portrait, so to speak. By using different edge softness and manipulating color it was my goal to make the bloom look as though it was 3D, breaking through the picture plane, enticing the viewer to draw closer.

One of these days I’m going to have to get a small pink magnolia for our garden. We used to have a huge tree that bore white blossoms, but it died due to an oak fungus that must have been dormant in the soil.

So, magnolias are very dear to my heart. I hope this one will go to another magnolia lover.