Round the Bend: Road to Covelo

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 12"

This is just a quick little landscape study of a section of Highway 162, which is the road to Covelo in Mendocino County, where I was headed to spent some time with my friends at their ranch.  I had thought that the reference photo I worked from was taken somewhere in Sonoma County, as many of the local roads have a similar look.  But upon closer inspection, that is not Black Mountain in the distance but the mountains of Mendocino National Forest.

Indian Summer Dusk, West of Petaluma

oil on panel, 8" x 16"

This painting of the hills of West Sonoma County near Petaluma was done from a photo I took in the early evening on my drive home from work recently.  I love the pink and orange hues in it, as I was trying to conveying the warm glow emanating from those velvety hills.  I never get tired of this view.

Abbott's Lagoon

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 10"

This rough color study was done with a palette knife from a photo because I couldn't figure out how to haul my painting gear to this spot, as I've been told there is a long sandy path to get here from the road.  I really wanted to paint that light caramel colored water.  

Estero Creek

oil on hardboard panel, 8" x 6"

This palette knife plein air painting was a rather hurried attempt to capture the golden light of late afternoon in a sweet pastoral setting that I discovered the other day in West Sonoma County.  I will definitely go back for another try, as I found it to be enchanting.  There were also black cows dotted here and there, but I didn't attempt to capture them.  Maybe next time.