“… I think it was the fourth of July”

8 x 10 oil on canvas

Or we could just call it “State Street”. If you are old enough to name that tune, name it and the band that made it famous.
I was trying to get this painting finished for yesterday, the fourth, but just ran out of time. So here it is, a day late. It was inspired by a recent trip to the Windy City, where the flags were already on display - and had probably been up since Memorial Day.

I loved this big clock on Macy’s (formerly Marshall Field’s) department store - there’s one on every corner of the building which covers a large city block.

“Wisconsin Sunset”
12 x 16 oil on canvas

This is another in the series of paintings inspired by the beauty of Wisconsin which we saw on a recent trip.

After visiting the Art Institute of Chicago, I was impressed by the works of George Inness, an American “Hudson River School” painter who was greatly influenced by the French Barbizon painters (who were impressionist forerunners.) Although I had not seen an Inness in person, before, I remember seeing a Theodore Rousseau painting (Barbizon school) at the Norton Simon Museum near us in Pasadena - and my response to it was the same: I found it breathtaking and deeply moving. These painters’ choice of dramatic landscape subject matter and the use of powerful darks is something that I’ve included in my paintings from time to time and it may be one area I’ll be exploring in the future. They also were fond of spectacular skies, and I am, too.

This location was near a farm in the southeast part of the state where there were numerous outbuildings. The water feature is probably a seasonal pond, left as a result of the spring floods in that area.

When I look at this painting, it takes me right back to that time and place. I’m satisfied with it. What do you think?

12 x 16 oil on canvas
“La Canada Memories - Oak Grove Park”

This one is not for sale but was a last Christmas gift to my daughter. But it wasn’t really practical for her to schlep it back on the plane to Northwestern U. so we agreed I’d get it framed up for her to take to her new place in the SF Bay area. So, it’s all finished up and here it is.

This is a scene of Hahamongna Park looking northward to the San Gabriel Mountains. (Formerly Oak Grove Park.) It is right across the street from the high school where Kelly and her brother went to school, as well as right next door to their preschool. So this truly is a hometown painting. Hahamongna Park is also known as the northern part of the Arroyo Seco, an area I’ve painted often and will again in the very near future!

“Wisconsin Breeze”
5 x 7 oil on canvas on board

On our recent trip to Illinois for our daughter’s graduation, we took some time to cross the border to the north and enjoy some of the farmland of one of my husband’s favorite states.

This small study reflects the serene beauty of the southeast part of the state. The day we were there the sky was filled with cumulus clouds which occasionally sprinkled a little, then drifted on.

Kelly Winters, MBA

If you’ve been wondering where the art was this past week … here’s the reason for the hiatus. We just got back from Chicago for the graduation of our daughter from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Needless to say we couldn’t be prouder of her accomplishments. Not only did she learn lots but she was so active in service to her school that she received the Dean’s Service Award. From managing the school newspaper to being a creative director for the school play to mentoring first year students and leading a trip to Dubai (to name just a few of her activities) - she made a contribution, made lifelong friends and made lots of memories.

Congratulations, Kelly! Your future is as glowing as you were last Saturday!

nodp

“The Trail to Malibu Creek”
12 x 16 oil on canvas

Malibu Creek is becoming one of my favorite painting locations. In fact, the whole Santa Monica Mountain range is filled with beautiful spots that represent the natural wonders of California in every season. There are two ways to enter the Malibu Creek State Park. (Maybe more than two, but two that I know of.) You can enter by the big parking lot, or come in from the north, following a trail up and down grassy hills. At the top of one of the hills you turn and see the valley laid out below you. The trail is well worn by hikers and rutted from the spring rains. Wildflowers grow here and there and clumps of sage dot the meadow. In the distance, the mountain range, the result of active tectonic plates, rise steeply from the creekbed. Yes, we are in earthquake territory and those sharp young peaks are a reminder. If there are any geologists reading who know something about the natural history of this area, I’d love to know more.

“California Summer Hillside - at Pacific Palisades, Will Rogers State Park”
Plein air painting 11 x 14 oil on stretched canvas.

Yesterday I enjoyed the company of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains for a paint out at Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades.
I saw many faces I knew from the California Art Club, Artists of the Canyon, and other paint-out groups, and we all had a wonderful day enjoying the mild good weather and range of painting subjects.

It was a little breezy and I struggled getting my umbrella to shade my work but finally gave up and positioned my medium sized Yarka easel so that the sun wouldn’t strike it directly. Note to self: bring a sandbag next time for the umbrella and stand. It had been left in the other car.

Because I positioned myself at a trailhead I had the pleasure of talking with many hikers on that beautiful Saturday morning, including some who were quite knowledgeable about impressionism and the growing popularity of plein air painting. It really is undergoing a revival!

After the paintout we enjoyed a potluck lunch and shared stories about galleries, shows, teachers, art products and more. I always have a good time getting together with artists - for all our solitary pursuits we can also be gregarious.

Yesterday evening my husband and I went to the Huntington Gardens to see the members opening of a photography exhibit and I discovered when we got there, to my dismay, that I had left my camera at home. We arrived at the event at 5:30 - “golden hour”- and the light was fantastic. Upon leaving, I looked toward the mountains and saw a scene like this between some large trees. Without a sketchbook and camera on me, all I could do was to sit down with Corel Painter when I got home to try to recreate from memory the colors, shapes and values of the scene. I like to think of it as a snapshot taken with my “mental” camera. I’ll turn it into a proper painting one of these days. And for leaving my camera at home, just call me a plein-airhead.

“California Mountain”
12 x 16 oil on canvas

This is another in my series of spring landscapes, capturing the beauty of California in an impressionist mood. When I’m out painting and taking pictures for reference I don’t always know the name of the landmarks, especially if they are out of my home territory. But this strong summit is around California’s central coast area.

This painting was such a pleasure for me to paint - especially mixing all the different colors of greens that represent grass covered hillsides, trees, meadows and wildflowers. Can’t you just imagine this in a gold plein air frame? Eternal springtime!

“Into the Sunset” 9 x 12 inches oil on canvas

You know how all those old movies used to have great scenes where the hero and heroine strolled off into the sunset together? Well this is my idea of one of those kinds of sunsets. Technicolor, over the top, romantic, sentimental and, for Southern California, an occasional and treasured occurence. They aren’t common because of our lack of clouds, but when they do happen, they are worth recording and enjoying again.

In this plein air style painting a stately eucalyptus towers over the landscape, its uppermost branches catching the last rays of warm light. Can the appearance of the evening star be far behind?

This painting was photographed soaking wet, so some of the light spots are a touch shiny. But it’s a pretty faithful representation of the color and dynamic range between the darkest darks and lightest lights.