Painting the Northwest Landscape

New Website!

2016-05-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

After much procrastination, frustration, and a little inspiration, my new website is up and running!

Check it out! There are lots of new paintings, updated information, and just...more. More is better!

As long as you're here, I might as well share a couple of new paintings...

Away From It All plein air pastel 12x24

Under Surveillance 20x20 pastel

November Update

2015-11-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

What a year this has been! I've rolled up my sleeves, and am ready to get this blog up to date!

I have a solo show up until November 5 at Fisher Flowers and Fine Art in Roseburg, titled Painting The Dream. The show looks great!

The annual Painter's Showcase show at The Reserve was mid-September, and I was very happy to receive an honorable mention for my painting The Golden Hour.

The Golden Hour 12x12 pastel Honorable Mention Painter's Showcase

I participated in four plein air events this year. Here are a some of the paintings that I completed...

Wednesday Afternoon at Smith Meadow 12x24 plein air (Lake Oswego Chronicles at the LO Festival of the Arts- sold)

Tuesday at Luscher Farm 24x24 plein air oil paint Lake Oswego Chronicles at the LO Festival of the Arts

12x 24 oil paint, plein air, Willamette Valley Lavender Festival sold

Ninety Seven plein air pastel 12x12 (Willamette Valley Lavender Festival)

Discovering Gold 12x12 plein air pastel (WA County Plein Air)

Spring 2015

2015-04-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

Bliss 12x12 pastel N Equall

I was honored to have my painting "Bliss" chosen as best in show at the 2015 spring juried show at the Oregon Society of Artists. What a surprise!

I've been on a cat painting kick lately. I'm still painting birds too, but there is something so interesting about cats faces. These latest tabby cat paintings are of our last inside/outside cat, Buddy. He has been gone for about seven years, and I can finally see his photos without tearing up. He was a real character, and was a big boy with a big personality. Sadly, he was taken by coyotes. My cats are now indoors, and are only allowed outside on a harness or in a secure area. No more free roaming.

Here are some more cat paintings...

Pussycat, Pussycat 8x8 pastel sold

Where Have You Been? 8x8 pastel sold

Purr 8x8 pastel sold

There is Nothing Like A Tabby Cat 20x20 pastel

New ( Little) Paintings

2014-11-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

I love making these little 6"x6" paintings. These three will be making their debut at the Wild Arts Festival this weekend at Montgomery Park in Portland. There is a link at the bottom of this post for a two for one admission coupon.

The first one is one of my favorite spots to paint on Sauvie Island, just off Rentenaar Rd. It's a beautiful place, and has the added bonus that I can park on the side of the road and paint right out of the back of my car. It seems like there aren't very many places around here where that is possible.

Our Little Corner of the World 6x6 pastel N Equall

This second painting was done on location at the Beaverton Creek Wetlands Natural Area, from the little bridge. This painting was done plein air, which simply means it was done outside, on location.

Beaverton Creek 6x6 plein air pastel N Equall

This third painting was also plein air, and was also painted on Rentenaar Rd on Sauvie Island. This canal is further down the road from the other location- almost to the dike, just before the boundary gate. It was painted on a beautiful October afternoon, with sandhill cranes hanging out in the field to the right of the canal. Their cooing conversations were magic.

The Space Between 6x6 plein air pastel N Equall

Click here for 2 for 1 coupon for admission to the Wild Arts Festival

Countdown to the Wild Arts Festival (and a link for a 2 for 1 admission coupon)

2014-11-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

I'm feverishly working to get ready for the Audubon Wild Arts Festival this weekend (November 22 and 23) at Montgomery Park in Portland. It's bananas around here! I've got stacks of new greeting cards,and a bunch of new paintings all framed and ready to go. I'm excited about the tan kraft paper shopping bags that were just delivered, ready to be filled with a new painting, crisp white tissue, and a black raffia bow.

My booth will be located on the second floor. From the escalator, it will be on the far right aisle, third booth in (#48). I'm still pinching myself that I'm in the show- I'm just thrilled to pieces.

Here are a couple of new paintings that I'll be bringing to the show...

Crow Family Portrait IX 12x12 pastel N Equall

click the link below for the coupon

Wild Arts Festival 2 for 1 admission coupon

Chip- The Indoor Cat 16"x16" pastel N Equall

Hopefully bringing the cat to an Audubon Society art show doesn't ruffle any feathers!

Wild Arts Festival Postcard

2014-11-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the postcard for the Wild Arts Festival. I'm so excited to have my crow painting featured on the card! Happily, the original is available, and will be at the show.

I just shot some new photos of the little crow family that dines here at my house, so I will be working feverishly to have some new crow paintings to show at the festival.

Crow Family Portraits VII 12x12 pastel

What's New?

2014-11-03T12:57:00.001-08:00

Here we are...November already! The summer absolutely flew by. I have one new paintings to show, and a lot of work that needs a little more attention before it's ready for viewing.

I participated in Roseburg's Umpqua Plein Air competition in September, and am finishing up three paintings for the Oregon Society of Artists "200 for $200" show that opens this Friday night. I'll post those soon- they're not quite finished yet. I also participated in my first Painter's Showcase show at the end of September. This painting won an honorable mention...

Goosey V 11x14 pastel

So now I'm working to get ready for the Portland Audubon Society's Wild Arts Festival, November 22 &23 at Montgomery Park in Portland. I was thrilled to find out that they used one of my paintings on the promotional postcard as well as the two for one coupon. Sweet!!!
Click here for 2 for 1 coupon- Wild Arts Festival

Lavender Festival, Art on Broadway and Muse in July

2014-07-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

I've been busy! The Yamhill Lavender Festival is this weekend (July 12 and July 13) and the plein air art show looks fantastic. I have five paintings hanging at the show, and I won an honorable mention for one of my paintings from Jackson School Lavender. It's a wonderful event in beautiful Beulah Park in Yamhill, OR. It's a lovely 40 minute drive west from Beaverton, and is a great way to spend a Sunday. Admission is free, there are vendor booths with lavender products, live music, food booths, beer, pony rides, and the plein air art show. I'll be hanging out at the show tomorrow.

I am part of a group show with Painters Showcase this month at Art on Broadway in downtown Beaverton. The reception for the show is tonight, July 12 6-9pm. The show will be up through July.

I I'm also part of a group show at Muse Art Supply in SE Portland at 45th and Hawthorne with other Oregon Society of Artists open studio painters. I have four paintings hanging, and one of my paintings made it onto the Muse newsletter. Woo hoo!

A Tricky Start to the Plein Air Season

2014-05-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

And we're off. Plein air season has begun. I say this as rain pounds against my window. It's just a spring thundershower, but wimpy me is inside with the heat on. Maybe I'll go outside to paint tomorrow...

I did get my paintings submitted to Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego which is part of Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts June 20-22, 2014. They were due last Friday, and even with the grandkids here, I got the photos of the paintings shot and emailed. At least I thought I did. Yesterday, I got a frantic phone call and email from the organizers, wondering where my work was. What? I sent it. And they didin't have it. I had no idea that there was a problem. No messages on the computer that it didn't send...nothing. The organizers graciously allowed me to resend the images. I'm not kidding...it took 15 emails to get the images to them. Six images. I tried sending them all at once, splitting them into groups of three, sending them individually...and they finally all got there after 15 tries. Some of the emails just vanished in transit, which I think is really weird. I don't get it, but I'm happy that they arrived!

Here are the pesky images that they will be picking from...all painted on location in spring weather at Lusher Farm in Lake Oswego, and the Upper Easement next to Jantzen Island.

I Know A Place 12x24 plein air- oil paint N Equall

Through The Trees 12x12 plein air pastel N Equall

A Warm Welcome 12x16 plein air pastel N Equall

The Way Things Used To Be 12x12 plein air pastel N Equall

Lucky Clover 6x6 plein air pastel N Equall

Along The Path 6x6 plein air pastel N Equall

May 2014

2014-05-15T17:15:00.002-07:00

I've been busy painting at Lusher Farm for Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego. It was such a wonderful surprise to be invited to participate, and it's been an adventure trying to get back into the plein air groove. It's coming back...slowly.

One of the best parts of Lusher Farm for me is the dog park. It's big, the views of the hillside and farm are beautiful, there are nice restrooms and safe parking. I took Deuce, my sweet chocolate lab, with me to paint last weekend. It was his 11th birthday, so to celebrate he got to spend an entire afternoon in the previously unexplored timid/shy dog area of the dog park. It was great! In the past, we've gone to the big, all purpose dog area. The last time we went I realized that while my boy is still full of fun, he can't keep up with packs of young adult big dogs. So we tried the other area. Deuce had a blast meeting a steady stream of non-aggressive dogs that were more into sniffing then wrestling. I met some very nice folks who had their dogs there for some off leash fun, and got started on a couple paintings for possible inclusion in the plein air event.

On Monday, I went to my first Painter's Showcase meeting. I'm so excited to be a new member! I had to pinch myself- I was sitting there with more than twenty of the area's finest artists that chose me to be in their group. I'm thrilled to be part of PS, am excited to get to know the other members, and be part of the big show they put on in September.

I also received notice today that I've been accepted into the Wild Arts Festival in November. Yippee! I was rejected a couple of years ago, but tried again this year with a more cohesive body of work, and a clearer vision of what I really want to be painting. Birds. Wetlands. Nature Refuges. Repeat!

I am so happy to have these awesome additions to my art show calendar. It feels great!

Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego

2014-05-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

I am excited to be an invited artist participating this weekend and next in Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego. I'll be painting this Saturday, May 10 at Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego, and somewhere down by the river with Jackie McCartin at Foothills Park/Roehr Park on Sunday. My fingers are crossed that the weather is cooperative! Paint out days are May 10-11 and May 17-18 Finished artwork will be displayed at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts June 20-22.

-click on the link below for more info, and to see a list of the other participants-
Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego

Three shows this weekend!

2014-03-06T13:07:00.002-08:00

This weekend I will be in three shows here in the Portland metro area.

Chip 8x8 pastel at Celebration of Creativity this weekend!

Celebration of Creativity starts this evening and runs thru Sunday at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, OR. I have ten paintings hanging, twenty framed and unframed paintings in the bin, and lots of cards. It is always a wonderful show. The church becomes a big gallery. It's not a booth type art show. This is the first time that I've been invited to participate, and I'm thrilled to be part of it! Click here for more info.

I will also be participating in the Buckman School Art Show and Sell, at Buckman Elementary School in SE Portland (close in). This is my fourth year being asked to participate, and it's sure to be lots of fun with lots of great arts and crafts. This is an art focused elementary school, with something for everyone. They have performers on stage, more than 100 artists showing their wares, and an art room so kids can try their hand at different activities. It's running this year Sat 11-7 and Sun 11-5. Click here for more info about the Buckman art show

Sunday afternoon is the Oregon Society of Artists Spring Juried Show at their gallery in SW Portland. I'm going to try to make it for the ribbons, which will be awarded around 2:30. I have one painting entered into the show.Click here for info about Oregon Society of Artists

Fall Home and Garden Show at the Expo Center Oct 3-6 2013

2013-10-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

Crow Family Portraits VII 12x12 pastel N Equall

Well, I made it! Today is the seventh and final big art shindig in the past six weeks. I can't believe it's already here. In a couple of hours, I'll be setting up my booth at the Fall Home and Garden Show at the Expo Center in Portland. The show runs Thursday thru Sunday, and I'll be part of the artisan village. Apparently my booth is conveniently located across from the chainsaw carver. No kidding. All I can do is laugh, and take some ear plugs.

Crow Family Portraits VIII 12x12 pastel N Equall

I've got a few new paintings making their debut's, including two more from my Crow Family Portraits series. In case you missed it, I have become the crazy crow lady in my neighborhood. One of my neighbors asked me why I feed the ravens. That cracked me up. We don't have ravens here in the suburbs, but we do have crows, and I have been feeding a beautiful pair that work this sector of the neighborhood for a couple of years. Just the two of them. Well, until this past July when my pair showed up with three loud fledglings. I had thought that my pair were siblings. Wrong again! Anyway, they enjoy eating our table scraps and the babies hang out here part of the time while the parents go out to work. I love watching their antics. They are adorable, and very curious. Sometimes they sit on the gutters and try to look in the windows when I'm working in the studio, or holler at me from the tree outside my bedroom window.

Click here for coupon for the Fall Home and Garden Show

People's Choice Twofer!

2013-10-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

Yamhill County 24x24 pastel People's Choice winner at OSA Fall Juried Show '13

I was very honored to be awarded the People's Choice award at the Fall Juried Show at the Oregon Society of Artists Gallery in Portland, OR.

I also was awarded the People's Choice award at the Hillsboro Plein Air event last week. Along with a lovely ribbon, I won a beautiful Guerilla pochade box and gift certificate.

Thank you to the People!

Hello Autumn 11x14 plein air pastel available at the Walters Cultural Center Gallery in Hillsboro OR thru October 2013

Umpqua Plein Air 2013- Best of Show!

2013-10-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

First Look 6"x6" plein air pastel Best of Show- Umpqua Plein Air 2013

This was my third year participating in Umpqua Plein Air, put on by the Umpqua Art Association in Roseburg, OR. As in previous years, the plein air event was wonderfully organized, with all the information spelled out ahead of time. The actual schedule of events was different from previous years...this year, the quick draw was held for two hours on the afternoon of the first day.

I arrived in Roseburg about an hour before the event began, so I had a chance to check in to my favorite little place to stay in Roseburg, the Rose City Motel. It is the cleanest and most comfortable motel I've ever stayed in, and at about $50 per night, it is a real bargain. The rooms look like they are straight out of Country Living magazine circa 1983. I was in the garden room, and the bed was as comfortable as my own at home.

The quick draw was held in the park outside the Umpqua Art Association gallery. My painting was nothing to write home about. It happens. Plein air painting is hard!

Quick draw entry- photo shot in the back of my car, complete with reflections on the glass and poor color choices. It started off a pretty nice painting, but I killed it somewhere along the way. Oh well.

There was a catered dinner in the park after the quick draw, followed by a nice talk from the show juror Brenda Boylan, who spoke on the Good, Bad and Ugly in regards to painting plein air.

The next day dawned partially cloudy, with a high chance of thunder showers. I had signed up to paint at the Norris Blueberry Farm about ten miles NW of Roseburg. The farm was awesome. I wandered around for about a half hour, taking lots of photos and trying to decide where to set up my painting gear. Once I got near the pond (complete with two swans), I knew my search for a painting place was over. It was absolutely amazing. The swans begged to be painted- beautiful white feathers, exotic black lined eyes and beaks, and then those weird legs that looked like their flesh colored tights were falling down. They spent over an hour preening themselves on a little island just off shore from where I set up my easel, and I was very tempted to paint them, but I just couldn't once I started to really soak in the territorial views.

I couldn't decide which view to paint, so I started two paintings- one looking north, and one looking east. I could see both directions from my easel. Because of the chance of rain, I set up my big Eddie Bauer beach umbrella from Costco. It's huge, it's beige, and it works.

I am a fair weather girl, and I just don't paint outside when it's anything but dry and pleasant. That is, up until now. This was a timed event, and I had until 4 pm to produce something for the show. I was pretty excited about the sky show that was going on, and the constantly changing state of the light on the landscape. A pretty major storm was moving into the northwest, and it was fascinating to be a witness to the subtle and not so subtle changes.

I chose to do a 6x6 and a 12x12 painting for the competition. I hoped that at least one of them would turn out ok. I never know if my idea is going to pan out, especially with the added stress of being in a timed competition. Painting outdoors is challenging under the best of conditions. I settled on my compositions, sketched them in, and using thin oil paint, completed both underpaintings. It was feeling pretty humid outside, so I did a little blotting onto the underpaintings to try to get them to dry faster. I didn't want to put much pastel onto the surface before the Gamsol was dry, as it melts the pastel onto the surface, and gives a darker look to the light colors.

photo- the view to the north, Norris Blueberry Farm

The 6x6 almost painted itself. As soon as I noticed the sun lighting up the edge of the treeline, I was interested. Then I noticed the trees that were a bit further back, and that I could see through the trunks to the fields behind. That was it. I was totally besotted with the scene. I love it when that happens!

The 12x12 scene was almost as easy to choose. The view up the valley was spectacular, especially with the storm clouds piling up against the mountains to the east. Purple and blue. Delicious!

I had not really planned for inclement weather. I had a fleece zipup, but I had neglected to bring long pants or real shoes. I was fresh from Hood River, and it had been around 90 degrees there. If not for that Eddie Bauer umbrella, I would have been up the proverbial creek.

As the storm blew in, it got colder. The wind started blowing. And then it started raining. Hard. I saw other artists make a run for cover, and I thought about packing it up, but then I realized that I was dry under my umbrella. My easel, cart, pastel box- everything stayed totally dry. I was chilly, but dry. I figured I may as well stay put and finish my painting.

I was amazed when, in the middle the pouring rain, there was a tiny break in the clouds behind me and a brilliant ray of sun lit up the trees I was painting. It lasted about 45 seconds, and was absolute magic. I've never seen anything like it. Probably because I NEVER paint outside when it is raining. It was fun adding the bright gold sunlight to the back of the field in my painting, and made coming up with the title much easier!

Sunbreak 12x12 plein air pastel N Equall

I had no problem finishing both paintings before 2:30, and was even graced with a break in the rain, allowing me to pack up and get back to my car without getting soaked. I backed into an open shed, and got both paintings framed without incident, and then safely turned in at the art center.

I was totally surprised and thrilled to be awarded best of show for my little 6x6 painting First Look. The paintings from the plein air event will be on display at the Hallie Ford Gallery at the Umpqua Valley Art Association in Roseburg through October.

I'm looking at these cloudy skies a little differently now, and actually had another opportunity to paint an approaching storm a couple of weeks later at the Hillsboro Plein Air event. More on that next time...

Intermission- between Hood River and Roseburg

2013-09-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yamhill County 24x24 pastel N Equall

September has been my art vortex of craziness. The saga continues...

Cluck 12x12 pastel - Note there are weird reflections in the glass- I will replace this image as soon as I get the painting back...I forgot to take the photo before framing, and figured awful was better than nothing! OSA Gallery

PNPA was finished, and I had one day in Portland before I had to be in Roseburg (175 miles south of Portland). I was afraid that we were going to run out of food for our diabetic dog while I was out of town, so I cooked up a batch of chicken, vegetables and barley, did five loads of laundry, straightened up the house, framed two pastels for the OSA Fall Juried show, dropped them off at the gallery, and repacked for the three day plein air competition in Roseburg.

Crow Family Portraits IV pastel N Equall
Artreach Gallery thru 9/29/13

I was already committed to participate with the Westside Artist Guild in a group show at the Artreach Gallery in downtown Portland in a show titled Five O'clock Shadows. I decided to use only bird paintings for that show, so before I had left for Hood River, I packed and delivered ten 8x8 pastel bird portraits , and three 12x12 crow portraits for my friend and artist Patty Gifford to deliver to the gallery for me. That show will be up thru September 29.

Next time...Umpqua Plein Air 2013!

Pacific Northwest Plein Air 2013

2013-09-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

All I Ever Wanted 6x6 plein air pastel N Equall

This past month has been bananas! Like the rest of my crazy life, everything happens at once, and September has been no exception. I participated in three plein air competitions, had 15 paintings in two group shows, and have been preparing for the Fall Home and Garden Show at the expo here in Portland, OR which will set up Oct 2.

May Days 6x6 plein air pastel N Equall

At the end of August, I went to the Columbia River gorge to participate in Northwest Plein Air 2013, a juried plein air event put on by the Columbia Art Gallery in Hood River, OR. A juried event is one where the artists submit an application with examples of their work and the organizers choose who they want to participate, in this case 35 artists. This was my third year participating in this event. I rented a great one room cabin in White Salmon, WA using www.airbnb.com. It was just across the Columbia river from Hood River,and served as a peaceful home base during the five day paintout. For this event, each artist could submit up to five paintings at the end of the five days of painting, all done in plein air, meaning they were all painted outdoors in the open air, and had to be painted within the past year.

Fluorescence 11x14 plein air pastel

I was a bit nervous about the weather. It had been stormy during the week before the event, and the hard rain actually woke me up the night before the event started. I was pleasantly surprised on the first day when the alarm went off at 6 and the sky was bright pink with no clouds in sight. It ended up being hot and sunny during the days of the paintout. I brought two finished plein air paintings with me, one painted in May across the gully from the Tom McCall Nature area in Rowena, and one painted at Wild Rain Lavender Farm in Yamhill. I painted and framed three new paintings during the paintout- two painted at The Gorge White House, and one painting of the view looking east down the gorge from the AniChe Winery in Underwood, WA.

Painting is normally a solitary endeavor, although I do attend a weekly open studio at Oregon Society of Artists, and oftentimes paint outdoors with another artist or two. Attending plein air competitions is the complete opposite- lots of people painting similar subjects in the same real estate. I love getting to know the other artists, but it can really mess with my mind to see other artists doing spectacular things when I either haven't started, don't have a clue as what I'm going to do, or don't like what is happening on my easel.

Inevitable 11x14 plein air pastel

Then there is the problem of where to paint. The gorge and surrounding areas are stunning, but deciding exactly where to paint can be a real problem. The organizers had suggested painting locations every day, and they were all terrific. I have to find some type of connection, inspiration or emotion with the landscape if I hope to come up with a painting that pleases me. That little piece of the puzzle can be elusive. It's always such a relief when an idea for a painting floats up to the surface like the answer on a Crazy 8 ball.

I struggled a bit, but finally came up with three paintings that I wasn't embarrassed to let people see. I spent my last day at a nice quiet park with a boat launch on the Washington side of the river where I touched up and framed my finished paintings. I really wished I had found that park earlier in the weekend, because it had a beautiful brushy wetland area with the gorge as its backdrop. Next year.

The Sunny Side 12x12 plein air pastel

As Labor Day weekend came to a close, I turned my paintings and cabin keys in a day early, and drove back to Portland to spend an extra night at home to do laundry, regroup and repack the car before driving to Roseburg, OR to participate in Umpqua Plein Air 2013.

The Plein Air Northwest show at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River, OR will be up thru September 29.

Fresh Off the Easel- new paintings

2013-07-16T11:01:00.002-07:00

Fresh off the easel!

May Days 6x6 plein air pastel

Out to Pasture 2.5x3 plein air pastel

Untamed 12x12 plein air pastel

Crow Family Portraits VI 12x12 pastel N Equall

not yet titled 16x20 plein air pastel N Equall

not yet titled 6x6 plein air pastel

not yet titled 18x24 plein air pastel

The Mighty Bushtit 24x24 pastel

Summer Plein Air Fun

2013-07-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

As usual, the seasons are flying by. It's already midsummer. My yard is filled with a variety of fledgling birds, all screaming for food. The phlox and bee balm is blooming and the lawn is going brown. My feet are tanned from hours of standing in at my easel attempting to paint just a speck of the beauty and magic that we call summer in Oregon.

I just finished two weeks of painting area lavender farms for the Yamhill Lavender Festival Plein Air Art Show and Sale. The show this year was gorgeous, with work from 50 artists. The actual festival is over now (it's always the second weekend in July), but a selection of paintings will be on display at Currents Gallery in McMinnville and the Coldwell Banker Office in Newburg. I have two paintings from the festival at Currents. They will be on display through August. McMinnville has a nice artwalk the 3rd Saturday of the month 5pm-9pm. Stop by this Saturday evening for a glass of wine and take a look!

The Sunny Side 12x12 plein air pastel N Equall Currents Gallery- McMinnville OR
Excellent award at Yamhill Lavender Festival

Wild Imaginings 20x20 plein air pastel N Equall Currents Gallery- McMinnville OR

New Year, New Paintings Part 2

2013-02-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

W S Jay I pastel 6x6

W S Jay II pastel 8x10

W S Jay III pastel 8x10

Songs of Love pastel 8x10

Commonwealth Goose pastel 8x8

Amused 8x8 pastel
available at Currents Gallery McMinnville Or

New Year, New Paintings

2013-02-13T16:40:00.000-08:00

I have been having a blast painting the local crows. They're loud, clever, and endlessly fascinating to watch. I just love their rictal bristles(those whiskery, eyelash looking feathers between their eye and beak).

I will have these paintings, along with much more at the Spring Home and Garden Show next week (February 20-24) at the Expo Center in Portland, OR. I'll be set up in the Artisan Village, along with some of my Oregon Society of Artist buddies. I will be spending my time painting during the show, so I'll have my own little studio area set up. This is my second year at the show- it should be great! Click on the following for a discount coupon into the show...Click here for $2 off coupon to the Spring Home and Garden Show!

Crow Family Portraits I pastel 12x12 N Equall

Crow Family Portraits II pastel 12x12 N Equall

Crow Family Portraits III pastel 12x12 N Equall

Crow Family Portraits IV pastel 12x12 N Equall

Art in the Burbs- This Weekend!

2012-10-17T17:41:00.003-07:00

Misunderstood 8x10 pastel

I am proud to be participating in this weekend's Art in the Burbs in Tigard Oregon. This is a juried show, which means that all of the participating artists were chosen based on their work. I've visited this show many times over the years, and was always impressed with the variety and quality of the work there. This will be my first time participating in this show.

I will be bringing my newest goose painting "The King of Empire Lakes", along with some other bird paintings and landscapes. I will be bringing a bin of sale priced original paintings that have been hanging around for a while, and a few prints. I have greeting cards available for the first time too!

The King of Empire Lakes 16x16 pastel plein air

Art in the Burbs is held at the Alberta Rider Elementary School in Tigard, and runs Friday evening through Sunday. I hope you can make it!

What A Summer!

2012-10-17T17:24:00.004-07:00

I've been busy these past few months! Keeping the blog updated took a backseat to my crazy life. Now that the pace has slightly slowed, I'm here to report on what has kept me occupied since July.

I participated in four plein air events, several juried shows, went on two trips to the Oregon coast, took a driving trip to Missoula Montana, and welcomed a beautiful new granddaughter into our family. Every time I thought that things would slow down, something else would pop up.

Wild Dreams pastel 12x12 First Place- Yamhill Lavender Festival- sold

In July, I participated in the Yamhill Lavender Festival Plein Air Art Show, and was awarded first place. What a wonderful surprise! Every winter I look forward to the end of June and the two weeks preceding the festival when we create paintings at local participating lavender farms. The festival and plein air show are the second weekend in July at Beulah Park in Yamhill, OR.

In August I was accepted into the Pacific Northwest Plein Air event in Hood River, OR. This is a juried competition, which means that artists submit an application packet along with images of past plein air paintings, and a jury picks who they want to participate. This was my second year as a participant. The paint out took place in the Columbia River Gorge for five days around Labor Day. Each artist submitted up to five plein air paintings (they had to be painted outdoors, not in a studio). I stayed near Parkdale during the paintout in a cute little room that I found on AirBnB.com I had a total blast painting from dawn to dusk every day, and was thrilled to sell three paintings during the show at the Columbia Gallery in Hood River, Oregon.

Invigorated 11x14 pastel plein air -sold

Taking the High Road 16x20 pastel plein air -sold

A Fresh Start 12x12 pastel plein air - sold

Aglow 11x14 pastel plein air

Wild Daydreams 11x14 pastel plein air

sketching in my paintings during Umpqua Plein Air

In September I went to Roseburg Oregon to participate in the Umpqua Plein Air competition. This was a timed plein air event. Artists checked in at 7:30 am and had until 2:30 to paint, frame and submit up to three paintings. There was an hour and a half break, then the quick draw started in downtown Roseburg. We had two hours to paint a cityscape. It was a real challenge for me- a person who doesn't usually paint urban settings. I need to do that more often. I earned an award of distinction for my painting "Along the Way". I also participated in the Hillsboro Oregon Plein Air event where I submitted paintings in all three categories- landscape, cityscape, and figurative quick draw. Both shows are up through October. In Roseburg, the plein air show is at the Umpqua Valley Art Association and the Hillsboro plein air show is at the Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Center.

I was also in the Oregon Society of Artists Fall Juried Show in September. I entered two paintings. My piece "On the Job" won second place.

On the Job 11x14 pastel

Mystify 14x24 pastel

I Believe

2012-07-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

A friend emailed a link of this video to me today, and I had to share it.

Bob Ross had it all figured out.

Painting really does bring a lot of good thoughts to my heart. I'm going to go paint now.

Joy of Painting Video

Accepted: Pacific Northwest Plein Air 2012

2012-07-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I was accepted again to be part of the Pacific NW Plein Air event in Hood River. This is a plein air painting event, which means that all art in the competition has been painted outdoors rather than in a studio. The paint out starts August 31, and all paintings must be submitted by September 4. The opening reception is Friday September 7 at the Columbia Art Gallery in Hood River, OR.

This is a juried competition, which means that all the artists participating submitted an application and examples of their plein air work, and a panel of judges decided which artists would participate. It is a huge honor to be chosen as part of this event, especially considering the high caliber of artists participating.

Investing In Gold 11x14 pastel 2011 PNWPA sold

Last year was my first time participating in the event. I made the mistake of driving back and forth rather than staying in Hood River for the paint out. I'm not going to make that mistake again! I like to paint during the late afternoon and evening, so that's what I'm going to do. Morning light is lovely too, but I'm not really a morning person. I'd like to have some plein air work done ahead of time in case the painting I produce during the paint out aren't up to my standards. I'm going to have fun, stay relaxed, and just paint for the joy of it.

Haven 8x10 pastel 2011 PNWPA sold

I love the Columbia River Gorge, and I'm excited to have a reason to spend more time up there to paint! Paul and I lived in Hood River in the mid-80's, and it's fun to drive around and marvel at how the town has changed from logging town to the thriving tourist destination it has become. Hood River is unique in that it is perched between the hot dry east and the temperate western part of the state. It's right in between Mt Adams to the north and Mt Hood to the south, the Columbia River runs along its northern border. The views are magnificent, and the wind is legendary. I can hardly wait to find more magic there!