13th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational

I am honored and pleased as punch to be part of the 13th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational. Here are a few images from the first day.

Dressed and ready to put pastel to paper in the 2-hour Quick Draw which was the kick-off for the week.

A small bit of Heisler Park right by the Laguna Beach Art Museum, and the location for the Quick Draw.

"Shortcut", my 9"x12" plein air painting from the Quick Draw.

Studio Piece

"Harlösa Moln", 12"x12" pastel piece from the studio

Grey skies threatened to pour all day long and kept me, a pastel artist, indoors. Here's a piece I did indicating a bit of today's sky-show. The clouds were on the move at a fast clip to create ever changing entertainment.

Greetings from Harlösa

First pastel painting from Harlösa, 9x12"

Haven't had easy access to the internet for a while so I apologize for the lack of posts. I also hesitate to post images of paintings from this trip because they need a little tweaking (and they will get it) but here the first painting I did here along one of our little hiking trails in town. I'm posting it only because I don't know when I'll have internet access again. Oh, and did I mention the weather? Well, it has been cold, grey, windy and raining for much of my time here. Everyone says they've not had such bad summer weather in about 35 years so it's usually much nicer here in summer.

Eel Lake Revisited as Demonstration Painting

The Quiet Side of Eel Lake, oil, gallery painting, 9"x12"

I did this as a demonstration this morning at Beaverton's Art On Broadway Gallery during "Breakfast in the Gallery." What fun! Painting and chatting with guests of the gallery during the monthly continental breakfast. If you compare this piece with the pastel version of this view you'll see I used a different color palette. (Please excuse the glare in the upper right hand corner)

It's good to get out and PAINT!

Lake Passage, plein air pastel painting, 6"x12"

Painted on the way home from Coos Art Museum Expressions West 2011 after attending the artist reception. It was one of the first sunny days in April and I'd been champing at the bit to get out to paint when hubby, Walt, was kind enough to pull off the highway at a beautiful spot called Eel Lake. I promised to paint for only an hour (well, okay it was closer to one and a quarter hours) where I knocked out this little piece. I loved that lake and want to paint there again!

Featured Painting at Art On Broadway

Inspirational photograph for the painting below

"Along the Way", 18"x18" pastel on sandpaper - SOLD

I painted this piece as part of the challenge Rae Campbell I gave ourselves as featured artists at Art On Broadway for the month of May, 2011. The show is titled "Another's Perspective" and contains work we created inspired by shared photographs, she in fused glass, I in pastel. I'm happy to report this painting "went to a good home!"

Revised Painting

Canby In Bloom, 6"x9" pastel (redux)

Canby In Bloom, 6x9" pastel (original painting)

There was a lot to like about the original version of "Canby In Bloom" but it didn't quite sing as sweetly as I had wanted. So after looking at the painting for a long time and mulling it over, I decided to unframe it and revamp the piece a bit. It is a stronger painting now and has more to say to the viewer. Can you see all the changes and do you agree with them? If you want to see the revised painting for yourself it will be at Art On Broadway where I'll be a featured artist for the Month of May, 2011.