View from Stearns Wharf - 6x6

Took the little one for a walk on Stearns Wharf, loved how the sun was hitting the sea cliffs and all the charming white sailboats that were out :) 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

sold

Grey Skies - 8x10

It's finally starting to feel like fall around here! Of course my husband says that the only proof of fall in southern California is that everything is suddenly flavored pumpkin spice...like my coffee and granola were this morning :) 

8x10 inches, oil on canvas panel

Click to view in shop

Island Fog - 6x6

A depiction of that persistent coastal fog blocking out the view of the Channel Islands from the Carpinteria bluffs. 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Click here to bid 

Upper State, Santa Barbara - 6x6

Spotted this early morning view when I was taking the little one for her checkup a few weeks ago. 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Click here to bid 

Jelly Bowl Beach, Carpinteria - 6x6

Summer seems to be lasting a little longer than usual this year, no complaints here, lots of beautiful beach days! 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Click here to bid 

Early Morning Shadows - 6x6

I've been holding on to this one for a while...catching up on sleep has been winning out over blog posting for the past few weeks :) 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Click here to bid

Clouds Over the Salt Marsh - 6x6

First painting since the birth...I'm depressingly rusty! But still probably not the worst painting that I've done, and it's good to get back to it, even for just a little bit. 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Click here to bid 

Carpinteria Magazine Article

Blessed to be featured in the current issue of Carpinteria Magazine.  Click here to read the full article! 

Afternoon Walk - 16x16 - And upcoming show!

Here's a shout out for my upcoming show.  It officially opens June 6th (which also happens to be my due date, so we'll see if I actually attend).  It will be at Bella Rosa Gallery in Santa Barbara (1103 State St, right next to The French Press).  The show will run until the end of July, and there will be plenty of work to see! The owner is even being super nice to me and picking up all my work, so I don't have to lug it all down there...carrying things is a bit of a challenge lately :) 

Here's a link with a little more 1st Thursday information. And here's a map of all the galleries that participate, I'm at number 11. 

Oil on panel, 16x16 inches

Available at Bella Rosa Gallery, June-July 2013

In other news we moved into our new home on Saturday! And I'm about 75% unpacked, the only thing slowing me down is that the two bathrooms aren't finished (we don't have sinks yet). But still, not bad progress for 4 days (and 39 weeks pregnant lol). We're loving it here! 

Morning in the Park - 5x7

Last auction up for sale today.  I shipped all of my remaining etsy shop orders yesterday, and today my paints got packed up :( It made me sadder than I expected.  I put all my essential painting supplies in a single box marked "studio: open first".  That way I can find it easily when I get the energy to paint again!  Our remodel is almost done, we move in this weekend, which means I won't have to wait much longer to set up the nursery (finally!). 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

SOLD 

Where the Grass is Green - 6x6

Got to hang out in a SB park the other morning, love these springtime greens. 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

SOLD 

Sun and Sand - 5x7

Summer seems to have come early this year...

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

SOLD 

Tree Lined Country Road - 5x7

I loved these tall trees, and the sun was hitting them just perfectly this afternoon...

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

Click here to bid

And don't forget to check out my Moving Sale, only a couple days left!

Ocean View - 6x12

More from that awesome sunset walk on the bluffs.  Loved the different shadows in this piece. 

Oil on cradled panel, 6x12 inches

Click  here to bid

Etsy Shop and Moving Sale

Hi Friends,
Just wanted to send out a quick note letting you know that my Etsy shop will be put into "vacation mode" next week.  Our move date is set for next weekend which means my studio will be all packed up and I won't have the ability to ship things for a while. How long "a while" is depends on: how fast I can unpack, when exactly baby comes, if our move date changes etc (there's a lot of variables going on here!).
Anyway, my point is that if you've been leaning towards a particular piece or just wanted one last look now's your chance! I've also added a Moving Sale section for special sale items (these usually go pretty fast so be sure to check them out!).

Santa Barbara Courthouse Commission - 8x10 Oil Painting

It's been at least a year since I've done a painting of the courthouse.  This commission was a welcome reminder of one of my favorite buildings, something about all that white is just so fun. 

Oil on panel, 8x10 inches

Sold 

Sunset at the Bluffs - 6x6

I was really sad to not participate in the annual studio tour this weekend, but since most of my studio is packed in boxes waiting for our approaching move date I guess I didn't have much of a choice :) 

I'm really fond of how this little piece turned out.  It was one of those afternoons that was just perfectly warm and sunny, and the purple sunset shadows were just beginning to creep up.

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

SOLD 

Afternoon Haze - 5x7

I was trying to keep things light with this piece, attempting to capture that beachy haze that happens late in the afternoon. 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

SOLD 

Central Coast Trees - 5x7

Busy week! I'm 5 weeks from my due date, and have been spending most of my time this week doing the following: 

• Prepping freezer meals 
• Making remodel decisions - oh yeah, we bought a house! 
• Packing - since we bought a house that also means we're moving! And packing boxes takes a lot more energy when you're 8 months pregnant. 

So postings might be a little sparse for a while, but not completely nonexistent since painting is excellent stress relief for me, and I'm guessing I'll need that in the next few weeks :) 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

SOLD 

Vertical Avocado - 6x12

I found this painting hiding on one of my studio shelves, I had forgotten all about it! 

Oil on stretched linen, sides painted

6x12 inches

Click here to view in shop 

Jelly Bowl Shoreline - 8x10 plein air

Here's this weeks plein air piece.  It might be the last one for a while, I'm getting a little too big to lug around all my painting gear! 

Oil on canvas panel, 8x10 inches

SOLD

Late Afternoon Walk, Carpinteria - 6x6

I loved the reflection of sunlight on these tree trunks.  I also love how you can see the ocean in the distance over the train tracks. 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches 

Sold

Beach Sunrise - 6x18

My favorite time of day to be out on the beach, everything is so peaceful. 

Oil on cradled panel, 6x18 inches
Click here to view in shop 

Jelly Bowl View - 6x6

One of my favorite spots to hang out, I love April in Carpinteria!

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

SOLD

Golden Lights - 5x7

More from the bluffs, can't get enough of these sunset colors. 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

Click here to view in shop

Path to the Beach - 5x7

I wanted to play with the textures on this path a little, and making the horizon line so high gave me the perfect opportunity. 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

Sold

Jelly Bowl Outlook - 5x7

The perfect spot for a picnic...well as long as you don't sit in one of the big pools of beach tar :) 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

Sold

View from the Tracks - 6x6

I really liked this view, especially the color of the mountains in the background, and the way the tracks curve through the scene. 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Sold 

Carpinteria Wildflowers - 5x7

Has anyone been to the bluffs lately? They are covered in wildflowers, I love it! 

Oil on stretched canvas, 5x7 inches, 7/8" wide painted sides

SOLD

Carpinteria Campground - 9x12

A favorite vacation spot around here.  I'm not a huge camping fan, but camping right by the beach doesn't seem too bad :) 

Oil on panel, 9x12 inches

Click here to view in shop 

Palm Trees in Fog - 8x10 Plein Air

I really liked this one.  It was one of those days that's really foggy but still warm because the sun is trying so hard to break through.  The beach was empty with the exception of a few surfers in the water. 

Oil on canvas panel, 8x10 inches
SOLD 

State and Gutierrez - 5x7

Downtown Santa Barbara, trying to capture that late afternoon light. 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

Click here to bid 

Sunset View from the Studio - 5x7

Although the noise level in my current studio drives me crazy, it does offer some great views on occasion to make up for it. 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

SOLD

Bluffs Panorama - 10x30

I'm finally making an effort to do larger paintings of all those small works I really loved.  This was definitely at the top of the list. 

Oil on 2" cradled panel, 10x30 inches 

Click here to view in shop 

(ps. I'm offering 10% off to local buyers who would be willing to arrange a studio pickup!) 

Colors of Nepal - 6x6

The last in my Janine series! I loved the rustic blue windows and the sunlight reflecting on them. 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Click here to view in shop

Read more about this series in this post

Temple on a Hill - Tibetan Landscape Painting, 5x7

Here's a view I definitely wouldn't come across anywhere around here! I loved the color of the bright blue sky next to the golden hued hills, and the light on the temple structures made it even better. 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

SOLD 

See this post to read more about this project! 

Temple in Tibet - 5x7

It's always a challenge to know how best to portray sunlight like this.  I'm not saying this is the best way, but I'm pretty happy with the effect. 

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

SOLD 

Read more about this project in this post. 

Rice Fields of Nepal - 12x12

I was a little nervous about this one.  It's definitely a different type of landscape than I'm used to, but I'm really enjoying how it turned out. 

Oil on canvas panel, 12x12 inches

SOLD

Kathmandu, Nepal - 6x12

Something about this orange building against the blue sky, I just love that color combination. 

Oil on cradled panel, 6x12 inches
SOLD 

Snow Leopard Hotel, Tibet - 6x6

When I saw this photo I knew I had to paint it.  There were so many fun elements, the bold shadows and angles, the bright colors, this was just a joy. 

Oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Click here to view in shop

Painting for the Nations

This is my friend Janine

Janine is a missionary who has recently spent some time in Nepal and Tibet.  You can view her team's site here.  I especially recommend this post which includes the story of their 4 day trek into the small village of Darma (a journey I would never survive!). 

Well this season Janine is back at YWAM preparing for another journey into the unreached world (possibly Cambodia or Afghanistan).  I've decided to start a small project to help support her.  While she was on furlough we went through all her photos from her trip and I picked out ones that I would just love to paint.  I get to play with new subject matter, and she gets all the proceeds when they sell (a win win!).

There will be 7 paintings in this series, starting with this one:

"Into Nepal"

Oil on panel, 5x7 inches

Click here to view in shop  

Carpinteria Jellybowl - 9x12 painting

Completed this commission a few weeks ago, love it when Carpinteria gets dramatic clouds like these. 

Oil on panel, 9x12 inches

SOLD

Before the Tide - 8x10 Plein Air

Finished this piece just in time before the tide got me (but not before I got a sunburn!).  This was one of those paintings where I hated it the whole way through, until suddenly at the end I liked it. 

Oil on canvas panel, 8x10 inches

Click here to bid

February on the Bluffs - 8x10 Plein Air Painting

A bit of a unique situation of how this painting came to be, let's just say I felt a little more "watched" than normal,  and you'll be able to see photos of me painting it in the summer issue of Carpinteria Magazine :) 

Oil on canvas panel, 8x10 inches

SOLD 

Plein Air at Goleta Beach - 8x10

Had to make an unexpected trip to Goleta one day, so I thought I'd at least make good use of it by making an extra stop and painting a new beach :) 

Oil on canvas panel, 8x10 inches

SOLD 

View from Third Beach - 8x10 Plein Air Painting

I painted this the same morning as yesterdays painting.  I usually wouldn't paint a bright sunny scene without any shadows to play with, but I decided to have a go at it anyway.  My favorite part is the brushstrokes in the sand, and that deep teal color of the wave about to break.  

And for some reason the camera didn't want to cooperate with me for this one, in person the sky is not that splotchy looking! 

Oil on canvas panel, 8x10 inches

Click to view in shop

Early Morning Sun, Carpinteria Beach - 8x10

The best part about being at the beach so early in the morning is that no one is there! Everything is so peaceful, it's also when I see the most dolphins :) Painting into the light like this was a bit of a challenge though, I hate wearing hats, so my arm got a little tired shading my eyes. 

Oil on canvas panel, 8x10 inches

SOLD

Rain and Birds - 8x10 Oil Sketch

I wanted to go out and paint (because the clouds were amazing!), but I could tell they were going to open up and pour on me any second.  So I stayed in the studio and painted the view from my window.  The ocean was an amazing color, a teal shade, that made it look much more tropical than it actually is. 

Oil on panel, 8x10 inches

Click to view in shop

Plein Air Beach Fog - 8x10

I don't usually like to paint outdoors, but recently I've been venturing out more and more, just to get away from the sound of the freeway (and freeway construction!) that plagues my current studio.  Standing in the sand on an empty beach beats a noisy studio any day.  And I'm having fun getting loose with these plein air paintings, I have a vision of what I'm striving for them to look like (and it's nothing like my studio work!) 

Oil on canvas panel, 8x10 inches

SOLD