Here are my most recent paintings. On the right is an octagonal building, one of several buildings on the property, which were once used for rearing chickens, but are now abandoned. My artist friend, Ida, was able to get us on the property, as she often does because of her many many contacts in the area (and I'm always greatful for her efforts). The colors are very much a typical winter day in the valley. This is a plein aire painting (8 X 10 oil on linen panel), except for some of the tree limbs and some of the lighter passages on the front of the building, which were finished in the studio. The day was overcast with high thin clouds and an occasional spot of sun. I attempted to capture to the sun each time it peek out.
The other is a small (9 X 12 oil on linen panel) completed in the studio, from a photograph taken in August, 2009. We've had an unusual number of gray days this winter and I was longing for a bright Nevada sky to paint. However, we have had several years of drought conditions and need the water (via the Sierra snow pack), so I'll gratefully accept God's blessing of the moisture and look forward to painting those bright blue skies in a few months.
