Morning's Warm Embrace

 

Morning's Warm Embrace, 18" by 24", depicts Mt. Diablo in the early morning light, as seen through the trees and foliage on the hills in the foreground.  It has been painted on masa paper, with watercolor and Sumi ink, using the crinkle technique taught by Cheng-Khee Chee.  I am honored that this painting has been juried into the "Slopes of Diablo 2026" Exhibit by Paul Kratter and Tia Kratter.  Exhibition Dates at the Valley Art Gallery in Walnut Creek will be from June 6, 2026 through August 1, 2026.  A reception at the Gallery is planned for Sunday, June 7, from 12:00 - 3:00.  

Monterey Morning

 

This painting, 10" x 14", was done in plein air during a recent trip with the Jade Fon Painters.  It is currently on exhibit at the Valley Art Gallery in Walnut Creek, along with the other two paintings below.

Monterey Clouds

The clouds over the ocean are constantly changing and are always complex and dramatic.  This painting, done in plein air, is 12" x 16".

Oh, Happy Day!

This 10" x 14" painting, done by the side of a busy highway, is one of a number of paintings done en plein air with the Jade Fan Plein Air Painters during a recent trip to Monterey.

Pescadero Beach

 

An art teacher once said:  "Natural substances, obeying their own laws, create beautiful things."  He was trying to tell his students that the movement of the paint itself can create many beautiful passages in a painting.  The shores of Pescadero Beach create unending beauty with their rocky cliffs, sandy coves, and seagulls above the waves.  This painting is currently on exhibit at the Valley Art Galley.  22in by 19in framed.

Mt. Diablo, Afternoon Light

 

As the sun rises overhead to midday and in the early afternoon, the crevices in the slopes of Mt. Diablo become more pronounced.  This painting has been accepted in the current exhibit at Valley Art Gallery.  16in by 21in framed.

Mt. Diablo, Early Morning Light

 

In the early morning, the hills and valley of Mt. Diablo appear in soft, muted colors that almost blend into each other.  This painting has been accepted in the current exhibit at Valley Art Gallery.  21in by 25in, framed.

Sierra Winter

 I am honored that this painting was accepted by juror Carolyn Lord into the California Watercolor Association's 54th National Exhibition.  Sierra Winter was created using watercolor and diluted Sumi ink on damp, crinkled Masa paper mounted onto watercolor paper.  Image is 21" by 29".

CWA's 54th National Exhibition can be viewed at www.californiawatercolor.org.

Marin Headlands--View of the Golden Gate

 The Marin Headlands provides one of the best views of the Northern California coastline and the Golden Gate.  Our plein air group has had the good fortune to be able to paint from atop these cliffs often.  Image is 10" x 14".

Diablo Wildflowers

 Diablo Wildflowers was painted en plein air in two early morning sessions and completed in my studio.  The flowers seemed to be waving to the mountain and welcoming Spring.  Image is 11" x 15".

Upper Yosemite Falls

 This year, Yosemite's waterfalls have reached proportions not seen in years as the immense snowpack in the high Sierra began to melt.  This painting was done with Sumi ink and watercolor on damp, crinkled masa paper mounted onto watercolor paper.  Image is 17" x 23".

Red Trees

 

A view near my home in the East Bay Hills.  This painting is currently on exhibit in the Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek.

Mount Diablo After the Rain

 Majestic Mount Diablo seen from the East Bay Hills.  The Spring rains make everything come to life.  This painting is currently on exhibit in the Valley Art Gallery.

San Francisco Hilltop

 

This scene is typical of the beautiful, foggy views seen in San Francisco.  This painting is currently on exhibit in the Valley Art Gallery in Walnut Creek.

Mount Diablo Foothills

 This is the view of Mount Diablo near my home in Walnut Creek and is always an inspiration.  The shapes in this painting seemed to fit together almost like a quilt.  This painting will be on exhibit at the Creekside Gallery until December 5th.  It was sold in the first few days of the exhibit.

Spring Morning on Mt. Diablo

This painting of Mt. Diablo was juried into the Slopes of Diablo 2022 exhibit at Valley Art Gallery, which runs through June 25, 2022.  

View From My Window, Juried into the Creekside Gallery

 

From my living room window I often watch people walking on the hill outside. Sometimes  they almost look like flowers blooming on my plant.  The play of light, warm inside and cool outside and the warm and cool colors in the plant itself were the inspiration for this painting.

Two new paintings juried into the Valley Art Gallery

Lake Tahoe Blue
The Sierra snow is beginning to melt and Spring is coming. This scene is from the North Eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, looking Westward.  14" by 28.5"

Maria Rosa's Dress

This scene from an alleyway in Bellagio, Italy, held the story of a beautiful dress and its owner. I could only imagine what the story was, but it reminded me of the dresses of my dear friend Maria Rosa, whom I met many years ago when I lived in Italy for a year and studied at the University of Padova.

                                                                    29" by 22"

 Three New Paintings Juried into Valley Art Gallery's Spring Exhibit

Mt. Diablo Spring  11.5" x 15.5"

Majestic Mt. Diablo rises above the East Bay hills on a Sunny Spring morning.

Diablo Hills   11" x 16.25"

The path to Diablo Hills, framed by the trees and shrubs atop an East Bay foothill.

Roses for Lilly   14.5" x 10.5"

These roses are called "Double Delight" because they are both cream-colored and red, but also because they are both beautiful and wonderfully fragrant.

   

   

Breakfast with Tiffany

 

Breakfast with a friend.  A simple pleasure taken from us during 2020.  I am grateful to our scientists and our country for providing us with vaccinations and treatments to protect us against this virus.

City Patterns, Juried into the CWA National Exhibit, 1/11/20 - 2/22/20, Harrington Gallery, Pleasanton, CA.

This scene was originally intriguing to me because of the overall pattern of dark, organic shapes juxtaposed against the light-colored man-made buildings and streets.  Other patterns emerged, too, that were of interest in their own right--the pattern of the facades seen from a side view, the pattern of the movement of the people and vehicles.  This painting is a happy one for me--the figure is leaving a downhill journey and heading uphill into a colorful, lively street.  28" by 20"

Juried into the Valley Art Gallery

 Half Dome from Glacier Point, 9.5" by 12.5"

 Mt. Diablo Valley, 14.5: by 21.5"

Sonoma Valley Vineyard, 11 by 15.5"

Barcelona Moon

Based on a photo taken several years ago in Spain.  29" by 21".

Jan's Flower Pot

Jan has a terrific view of Mt. Diablo from her deck, and invited me to paint it.   The gorgeous patterns made by this plant on her patio table were equally paintable.