Lake in Glacier Park

A sunny day at Glacier Park.  Painted from a photograph taken by a friend who likes to hike.  I like the color of the blue hills surrounding the lake.  On my ETSY store

Blue Green Ferry SOLD

What is more Vashon than the Ferry?  We all use it, some of us every day.  It is a relaxing mini cruise or a source of aggravating frustration.  You have to be a special kind of person to live on an island.  This one will be in a showing at Vashon Center for the Arts during Summer Arts Fest.  My show will be from July 5 thru July 23.  VCA is open every day during July & August except Independence Day. 

Lavender Ferry SOLD

A summer evening when the light is low and warm.  Solid hills become insubstantial and the ferry takes on a different color.  A view looking west toward Southworth.  This painting will be at  Dockton Pottery, stop #12 on the Vashon Island Artist Studio Tour the first two weekends in December.  See you there 25913 99th Ave SW, Vashon, WA.

Towards the Lake SOLD

From a friend's photograph.  I like the compositional form of having a dark and shadowed foreground leading to a lighter background.  It has an emotional feel to it - "things are dark here, but it looks brighter ahead." I worked on losing edges and adding softness.  I also wanted to suggest a twilight with late sun perhaps behind the far hill.  This painting will be on the Vashon Art Studio Tour THIS WEEKEND!  My paintings are at Stop # 23 in Dockton. 

Nympheas

This was painted for a challenge on Daily Paintworks.  It's a subject I've painted before and always enjoy.  The challenge is trying to make all the lilypads recede in perspective and to lay flat on the water.  The trick is to remember that no matter the shape of the lilypad, it is an oval on a plane and the oval doesn't really tilt to the right or the left unless the plane also tilts. Its the same problem as drawing a bowl or cup on a tabletop- ovals that are closer to the horizon become thinner and flatter, and ovals that are at the bottom of the page in bird's eye view are closer to a circle.  A bit larger 24" x 30".  On my ETSY store

Night Ferry on the Vashon Run SOLD

Another version of a night ferry painting  (the other was Night Ferry near the dock).  One of the double-decker boats on the run between Vashon Fauntleroy and Southworth.  This is a twilight moment when the sun has set, but there is still light in the sky and the water is still lighter than the distant shore.  I like the multiple sources of light and the reflections in the water broken by ripples.  This one will be in the Vashon Island Artist Studio Tour at Plum Lodge Painters,  14210 SW Reddings Beach Rd, Vashon WA 98070, during the first two weekends of December.  You're invited.  

Sun and Smoke Ferry Vashon

The Ferry Tillikum leaves the north end Vashon ferry dock.  Sunlight streams through smoke as the boat slowly pulls away from the dock.  Painted from photos I took from another ferry on the same run.  I just put this painting in the Heron's Nest Gallery on Vashon. 

Trees Overhanging the Shore

Painted from a view of a quiet bay on Bainbridge Island.  This is a painting that is less about subject and more about mood.  The water is glass smooth and the deep shadow and sunlight suggests a tranquil warm summer day.  This one will be in a show in Artique Ltd. gallery in Anchorage Alaska  opening September 2. 

Gold Ferry

A painting of the Vashon-Fauntleroy ferry near sunset when the distant hills dissolve in yellow light​, The sky is light enough to put sparkles on the water and the far side of the ferry is hit with light.15" x 12" oil on panel.

Ferry on Sparkles

A view of the Vashon Fauntleroy Southworth ferry just leaving the Kitsap Peninsula on Puget Sound.  The sun sparkles on the water and leaves most of the ferry in shadow.  This is one of several ferryboat paintings I've been doing for an upcoming project.  15 x 12 oil on panel

Ferry at Fauntleroy SOLD

 Another ferry painting, this time, the ferry as it is coming in to dock at Fauntleroy.  I like the backlit subject.  Usually an object that is backlit is seen in silhouette and is dark, but by keeping the values high the entire painting seems infused with light. This one will be at the Vashon Artist Studio Tour, stop #9,  at 14210 SW Reddings Beach Road, during the first TWO weekends in December.  6" x 12" oil on panel.

Blue-Gold Smoke Ferry SOLD

Another Vashon-Fauntleroy ferry painting.  I like the sunlight and smoke on the ferry.  Painted from photos I took from the other ferry that travels the same route.

Smokey Ferry with Pale Blue Hills SOLD

Another painting of the Vashon-Fauntleroy-Southworth Ferry.  Afternoon sun makes the hills dissolve, and turns the white ferry to blue.  Painted from photographs I took while on the sister ferry that runs the same route. 

Pale Ferry on Gold SOLD

One of my favorite subjects - the Vashon-Fauntleroy Ferry in late afternoon light.  This was painted from a photo I snapped one evening while traveling in the other direction from the second ferry that follows the same route.
Click here to see this on my ETSY store.

Dappled Madronas in Bainbridge show

A detail of the painting "Dappled Madronas" that is in my September show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts  151 Winslow Way, Winslow, Washington.  Opening reception is Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.  The full painting, below,  is 36" x 48" oil on canvas.

Bend in the Yakima SOLD

A view of a bend in the Yakima River between Cle Elum and Thorpe, Washington.  The summer light was slightly hazy so the distant hills became bluish and soft even though the day was warm.  This one will be in a show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts in Winslow Washington (next month!) 18" x 36"

Westport Marsh View South

A scene near Westport, WA - one of many inlets and sloughs on the south side of Gray's Harbor.  I like the many different shades of greens.  The colors are cool and soft, and show it was a hazy day near the ocean.  This will be in a show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery in September. 

From the Cliff

A view from the Oregon coast at Ecola State Park.  The cliffs are constantly being eroded by the action of the waves and these trees are clinging to bits of soil that may soon slide into the sea.  I liked the steep perspective.  16" x 10" oil on panel.  This one will be in a show I'm having in September at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery, Winslow, Washington. 

Nisqually Delta

The best place to photograph the Nisqually delta is on the Interstate overpass with cars whizzing by and no place to pull over. So I took a very blurry picture while we were zooming down the road and played with it a lot in Photoshop  before I used it as the basis for this painting.  This is a favorite view of a favorite spot.  The tidal flow in the delta had been diked for about a century and the area used as a dairy farm.  Recent restoration of the delta removed the dikes and a much larger area is now marshland.
On my ETSY store

Edge of the Dunes

Another painting from our clam digging trip to Grayland Washington.  I trudged toward the beach with all my painting gear and set up here at the edge of the dunes.  I've done paintings like this from photographs and it's amazing how much more information there is when painting directly from nature.  I have a tendency to put in everything, so I have to make sure at the end to spend time simplifying and massing the values.  The yellow flower is from the invasive weed, Scotch broom, a pest and a nuisance, but so pretty in bloom.