Blue Oaks at the Lake

Just back from a trip to Atascadero where my sister and her husband live. I always take along my painting gear and make excursions around San Luis Obisbo county. This time I chose Santa Margarita Lake, at the very spot where I painted a couple of years ago.

Fused Glass Cat Mask

A surprise email with this photo attached arrived in my In Box last week. The sender purchased this fused glass piece a number of years ago and asked if I was the artist. It is not uncommon for artists to switch media and I claim to be the artist for this piece.  I worked with fused glass for a decade, but when I moved from Cazadero to Windsor, I switched to plein air painting.

Kunde Vineyards

Yesterday's Monday Morning Painters location was Kunde Vineyard, located on Highway 12 . The place was packed with painters wanting to capture the beautiful vineyards and gardens, and picturesque buildings. My attempt in this painting was to create atmospheric prospective. The building is a bit larger than reality, but this is artistic license.

View from Rio Lindo Academy

This July 4th, Monday Morning Painters were scheduled to meet at Healdsburg Verterans Memorial Beach, but even at 9:00 am, people had staked out their picnic tables and it was sizzeling in the sun. I looked aroung for other MMPs but couldn't locate any, so I drove up to Rio Lindo Academy at the end of Bailache (which becomes Rio Lindo). It was much more peaceful at that location, since I hadn't been there for several years, I was quite taken aback at the changed view. As with a lot of Sonoma county, vineyards are being etched into mountain sides, and along river valleys. The hand of man changed the landscape.

A Maui Visit

Last week I traveled to Hawaii, staying in Maui. While there, the highlight of my trip was visiting Carla Thistle and her husband who moved from Cazadero, CA to Haiku, Maui a decade ago. Carla was one of my art buddies in Cazadero, where we both lived for a number of years. One of her claims to fame is making willow furniture by cutting, stripping and weaving willow from the Russian River area. Several of her willow chairs were featured in Phenomenon, a movie starring John Travolta. Carla and Steve have a sweet home and green house that show off Steve's talents as a builder. Their property is filled with tropical abundance: orchids, fruit trees and just about anything that lands in the rich soil and is watered by the warm tropical rains.

In Sara Lee's Vineyard

This past Monday Morning Painters' venue was located in the lucious vineyards of Sara Lee Vineyards. The vineyards are vast and contain incredible places to plein air paint. We often say to one another how lucky we are to live is such a beautiful place on earth.

Next Door to the Jimtown Store

Last week I was invited to paint on the last remaining 250 acres of the 9,000 acres once homsteaded by Cyrus Alexander in the mid 1800s. Alexander Valley is famous for its wine production, and the valley now contains the vineyards of many Healdsburg wineries. This painting is located next door to the Jimtown Store, and views the back of the house there.