"CF 9500 and the Balboa Bridge" - 12 x 9" oil on Board

I finally decided I would join the group at Balboa.  My scare before was the parking.  I left early and made it by 8:00 am and found one spot.  Walked over to this spot and stopped.  I was drawn to the lamp posts and flags on the railing.  I was happy with the outcome.  I had left my phone in the car so I was not able to take photos of the original scene.  A seal stopped by and posed for me for about 15 minutes.  I decided to leave him out.

"Historic El Toro Grammar School - Plein Air" - 9 x 12" oil on Board

 What a hidden gem!  I have lived in Orange County for 30 years and have never heard of Heritage Hill tucked at the bottom of the Ralph's parking lot on the corner of Trabuco and Lake Forrest.  Go visit!  It is free.

I will paint there once again and hope to see my nearby family again as well.

Third Place and Honorable Mention at the OC Fair!

Peter's Canyon - End of Trail 
8" x 10"
3rd Place at the OC Fair - 

Plein Air Division

Santiago Oaks - Historic Dam 9" x 16"  Honorable Mention at OC Fair

Professional Oil Painting
Division

Feeling Blessed -  Two paintings sold today and it is raining! 
Back Bay Show and Sale - July 18, 19

Come join us in our Back Bay Plein Air Show.

First time involved in this type of sale and painting style.  I hope to learn a lot from this great experience!

Accepted into the Back Bay Show and Sale - July 18, 19

Come join us in our Back Bay Plein Air Show.

First time involved in this type of sale and painting style.  I hope to learn a lot from this great experience!

Orange County Fair Acceptance!

Yeah!  Just delivered the 4 paintings that have been accepted into the Orange County Fair.  This is exciting because they accepted my old traditional style paintings and the new impressionistic style I have been trying.  The use of the palette knife has been helpful.

"Treasure Cove Waterfalls - Laguna" - 11 x 14" oil on Board

This painting was juried into the OC Fair 2015.

Wanted to go paint outdoors today but RAIN!  I was planning tomorrow but rain is scheduled for tomorrow as well.  So.... I decided to paint from a photo I had from a walk with my husband along the shores of Treasure Cove in Laguna.  Such a beautiful place.  Again this is with a pallet knife.

"Aquatic Center - Back Bay" - 9x12" oil on canvas

SOLD


Another pallet knife painting.  It was a very overcast day, and when I decided to stop at 1:30, well after the other painters left, it started to rain when I hit the car.  Good thing I stopped.  I did not have an umbrella set up.  I think I am getting close to where I want to be for my Plein Air paintings.  I hope to start selling soon, but wish I had an expert to tell me if they are at that level.  I think we sometimes think our work is better than it is.  HELP!


Sold

"Nature's Surprises - Peter's Canyon" - 9x12" & 10 x 16  oil on Board

One is fall, one is spring.  One is impressionistic, one is realistic.  Painted on site, the realistic one took 3 different days to paint.  Impressionistic paintings are much faster.

"Statue of Mary - Roger's Gardens" - 8x10" oil on Board

50 artists painted at Roger's Gardens on their annual Paint Day.  This is the painting I painted while there for this day.  I had so much fun and nervous about so many people watching.  But thought I did well for the first time painting in this environment.  They even put a photo of me painting on their blog about the event.

Take a look!

https://www.facebook.com/rogersgardens/photos/pcb.10153300419524533/10153300418254533/?type=1&theater

"Muth Interpretive Center - Back Bay" - 9x12" oil on canvas

SOLD

Overcast day.  Tried the pallet knife again.  I really enjoyed and happy with the turnout.  Finished on site.

Pallet knife puts the paint on faster, thicker and less detail.  I love the look and the texture.  The shadows you obtain from the thick paint can be amazing.

Sold

"Open Space - San Jaun Capistrano" - 9x12" oil on canvas

Never knew this place existed.  It is near Ortega Hwy and known as "Open Space".  It is a hiking area and during the winter you can walk to a water fall.  Driving in the driveway, you pass a winery where you can sample some wine.

"Heart of Irvine Park" - 8x10" oil on Hardboard

Started painting this for a friends daughter's wedding but when I went back to finish it, the limb above the heart was gone.  The painting was still wet for the wedding so I ended up giving the new couple a different gift.  Their last name is Hart :)

"Foggy Day - Peter's Canyon" - 8x16" oil on Hardboard

On one of my hiking days, my hiking partner told me to turn around.  This is the view we had that morning.  A low hanging fog in the Canyon.  This is painted from a photo but I tried to capture what I remembered from that day.

"Roger's Goddess - 10x16" oil on Board

 SOLD
This painting was in an exhibit at Roger's Gardens.  This is in a more realistic style. The flowers are much more vibrant in the real painting.

"Cherub" - 8x10" oil on Hardboard

I loved this cherub statue.  So..... I painted it.

"Roger's - Statue of Mary" - 8x10" oil on Hardboard

To learn more about painting outside and to become comfortable painting in front of people, I got up the courage to paint with 50 artists onsite at Roger's Gardens.

This is the composition I chose from one of the multiple beautiful scenes at the Gardens.

"Peter's Canyon End of the Trail"

"Peter's Canyon End of the Trail"

"End of the trail, Peter's Canyon" - 9x12" oil on canvas

3rd place in the OC Fair Plein Air Division

To have a group of people to paint with and to learn a new style of painting, I joined SoCalPapa, a plein air club here in Orange County.

For those who know my tight, detail painting style, you can imagine how difficult it is for me to paint loosely.  I have been becoming a bit more impressionistic but two paint outs ago, I hated my painting and wanted to start over.  Instead, I took a knife to it.  A pallet knife that is.  This was the outcome.  Not bad for the first time with a knife.

Under the Redwoods - Carbon Canyon

Did you know that Carbon Canyon in Brea has a Redwood forest?  Walking in the park one day, we came across this area.  It was morning and the sun was shining thru the trees.  I thought this was a great opportunity to take photos and to paint this for an art competition coming up in Brea.

"Love My Jars and Paints"

"Love My Jars and Paints" - 8 x 10" oil on canvas

I love jars!  All kinds of shapes and sizes.  I use this honey jar for my paint brushes.  Makes me happy.  So today, being a bit under the weather, I decided to paint happy. Here it is :)

Planes of Fame paint day

"Planes of Fame Air Museum Paint Day"

Had such a great time painting at the Chino Planes of Fame museum.  I picked this Warhawk fighter plane to paint due the the colors and details.  I am not finished with the painting but plan to finish soon.  Here is information about this particular plane thanks to Paul Salverda
This one started life as a Canadian P-40N Kittyhawk IV. The US called all P-40s Warhawks but the British Commonwealth called them either Tomahawks or Kittyhawks depending on the version. This one was used to shoot down a Japanese incendiary balloon off British Columbia in early 1945. The man who started the Planes of Fame museum purchased it in 1960 and restored to flight in 1980.  It has been in many tv shows and movies including Pearl Harbor and Valkyrie. It is painted in the colors of the 325th Fighter Group - the "Checkertails".