Yosemite Paintings

"Yosemite Blues"
Original Watercolor
9"x 12"
$180.00

After doing some sketchs on site I was anxious to paint some scenes of the valley back in the studio so I could use my good watercolor papers and really have fun with the blues and greys of the distant mountains done with my sedimentary colors. This painting is done on Fabriano Artistico Extra White cold press 140 lb. It is one of the first landscapes I have done where I have included people in the composition. I felt they were needed to give a sense of scale to the mountains. Yosemite's beauty is almost beyond words and I am fortunate to be able to express my feelings for this valley in pencil or pigment.

This is a watercolor sketch done in Yosemite in May. I was set up to paint while sitting on the tailgate of our car parked near the chapel. My daughter was taking a nap in the car and Bill was over by the river taking photographs. It took more time to sketch than usual because cars kept driving in front of my view. It wasn't such a good idea to go to the park on Memorial Day weekend. There were lots of people enjoying the beauty of this perfect spring day. So my next sketches were done in more secluded spots.

Trip to California

We recently returned from a ten day trip to California where we visited good friends, in-laws and several of the state and national parks. This watercolor sketch was painted just south of Point Lobos. Wildflowers were abundant and growing right down to the edges of the coastal cliffs. It was cold though and even with a coat on I didn't stay more than 20 minutes. It's nice to be painting in the comfort of my studio again.