Great White Takes Flight

oil on panel, 14" x 18"

I started this painting of a great white heron taking off from a lagoon a few years ago, then set it aside and forgot about it, until the other day.  Just mainly playing around with color combos on this bird, seeing how far I can push it. 

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.  

Bolinas Lagoon on a Summer Afternoon

oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

A plein air sketch of a section of Bolinas Lagoon in late afternoon, done with a palette knife.  The oranges of autumn are starting to appear along this beautiful stretch of landscape, of which there are many choice views along Olema Bolinas Road.

Bolinas Marsh with Eucalyptus Tree

acrylic on hardboard panel, 12" x 9"

This sketch was painted en plein air in acrylics, which means I had to work even faster than with oils.  It was really just an excuse to paint that eucalyptus trunk with all its beautiful color variations.

Bolinas Lagoon

acrylic on MDF panel, 12" x 16"

This is a plein air painting I did the other day from the roadside just outside the town of Bolinas, looking across the lagoon to the wilderness beyond.  It is a spot I will return to again because it is a scene of such staggering beauty.

The Swimming Hole

acrylic on canvas, 6" x 12"

A plein air sketch that I started tweaking in the studio, then stopped because it all started to go pear-shaped.  I couldn't remember how I mixed the colors that day by the pond, and once you start in with a slightly different palette, there's no end to the changes that ensue.  I liked some things about this effort sufficiently to want to preserve them.  So, I chalk this one up to a successful learning experience.  Onward!

Bolinas Lagoon, Low Tide

iPad painting, 10" x 14"