John Salminen's Inspiring Workshop

In February 2017, I had the wonderful opportunity to take John Salminen's workshop on Painting the Urban Landscape and to meet him and his wife, Kathy.  He generously shared his insights on many aspects of art and watercolor painting, as did Kathy, an accomplished artist in her own right.  Everyone in the class completed a successful painting on a full-sized sheet of watercolor paper!  This is mine (with guidance and new techniques learned from both John and Kathy).  Thank you, John and Kathy, for an amazing and inspiring week of instruction.

La Maison à Nice, France, 30" x 22".  Based on a photo I took when I was there several years ago.

Window on Another Time--China Camp

This is a lovely place with a real sense of history.  You can feel the presence of the fishermen and their families who made this their home so many years ago.  The fog, the movement of the waves, the damp mornings, still remain the same.  (21.5" by 27.5")

Spring Rain on Mount Diablo

Juried into the "Slopes of Diablo 2015" show in the Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek, by juror Randall Sexton.  13.5" x 20.5" Exhibition Dates:  May 9th - June 13, 2015, 1660 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, Walnut Creek, CA 94598.

This painting was done almost completely en plein air near the Northgate High School in Walnut Creek.  "Natural substances, obeying their own laws, create beautiful things."  This is a statement made by Cheng-Khee Chee in a class I took from him many years ago.  When painting in watercolor, I try to remember this statement and try to place the paint and water on the surface of the paper in such a way that they can move freely to create beautiful things.  The rocks, land, water, trees, and clouds were the inspiration.  They were also natural substances obeying their own laws and creating beautiful things.

Poppies of Home

Painted en plein air near a Sonoma winery.  10" x 14.5"  This painting is currently on exhibit at the Valley Art Gallery.

Mount Diablo--Many Paths to the Top

Beautiful Mount Diablo--always majestic, always changing, always inspiring--painted on a very hot Summer day.  12.5 by 16.5

Morning Messengers

Painted early this year as Spring blossoms were beginning to appear and the birds were making graceful loops through the valley.

Tranquillity in Blue

This painting was done en plein air over a number of early December mornings.  The view was so gorgeous and peaceful and amazing that the painting almost painted itself.  15 x 28.5

Blackbird Ballad

Pam and I painted in the East Bay wetlands.  She faced one direction, and I faced another.  There were at times 10-20 blackbirds resting in the reeds.  They almost looked like notes on a sheet of music.  This painting was recently sold through the Valley Art Gallery.  10 X 14

Deer Visitors

This painting began as an abstract design with sumi ink on damp crinkled masa paper.   The hills and mountains emerged as colors were added.  The deer just seemed to fit in at the end.  This is another painting based on memories of Yosemite.  20" x 27"

Foliage and Flora

This painting, done using the Crinkle Technique, was based on memories of Yosemite Falls.  Our family has gone to Yosemite at least once or twice a year over the past 25 years or so.  From many different viewpoints in the Valley the majestic Falls can be seen through the foliage.  18-1/2" x 20".

Mount Diablo in January

The Jade Fon Plein Air Painters usually paint near my home in Walnut Creek in January.  This painting was done then and is now on exhibit at the Valley Art Gallery.  10" by 14"

Evening at Ghirardelli's

10" x 14"

Spring on Mt. Diablo

This is one of my favorite places to paint Mt. Diablo--from the Northgate Valley.
14" x 20"

Upper Yosemite Falls

Done using the "Crinkle Technique" described below, after a trip to Yosemite with friends.  19.5" by 28"

Yosemite Meadow   

This painting was done using the "Crinkle Technique" that I learned in a workshop taught by Cheng-Khee Chee.  Rice paper (Masa paper) is crumbled, placed in water, opened up, and then paint is applied with diluted sumi ink.  Watercolor paint is added as the ink is drying.  The subject was from memory--based on a time our family went hiking around Mirror Lake in Yosemite and it seemed like the deer were following us.  A photo reference was used to add the deer.  15" by 23"

Lakeville Ladies

These beautiful cows almost held still while I drew them.  I also had the help of a photo I could view on my camera.  I was able to draw them and put down the first washes while there and then finished the painting in my studio.  I hope to visit them again soon.  10" by 14.25"

Northgate Valley Below Mt. Diablo

13.5" by 21.5"  This is a beautiful place, with its gentle rolling hills below such a majestic mountain. Many people rode by on horseback the day our painting group was there in March.

Old Tassajara School House

10.25" by 14.25".  I don't often make a building the subject of a painting, but this school house looked so majestic and I could imagine children from my grandmother's grandmother's generation going to classes here. How fortunate that people in the San Ramon Valley have preserved and restored this historic site in Danville.

Sunny Day at Baker Beach

8" by 14"  This week the fog had lifted and the entire Golden Gate Bridge was visible.  Everything looked different than it had the previous week when the fog had dimmed all the colors.

Foggy Day at Baker Beach

9.75" by 13.75"
Painted from a small hilltop at Baker Beach.  It was raining when we arrived, but stopped just long enough to do a painting.

California Coastline

10.5" by 14.5"   Done en plein air on a windy day atop a tall hill.

Coit Tower

19.25" x 13.5"
Coit Tower, San Francisco, as seen from the pier.

Rock, Water, Trees

10.5" x 14.5"
Lower Yosemite Falls

Asleep

This is a portrait of my youngest granddaughter.  10" x 14"