Mustard on Chalk Hill

"Mustard On Chalk Hill"

5" X 7" Oil on Panel
At the end of our street is a field that looks south across the Santa Ynez Valley. The view from the Chalk Hill area is one I have really grown to love. When the weather changes I am never far from my camera. The changes in weather or in seasons usually bring awesome vistas over the valley. This scene was back at the beginning of Spring when the mustard began to bloom here in California. This years mustard was incredible and even the drive along the freeway was a steady stream of mustard and other wildflowers.

"Chalk Hill"

5" X 7" Oil on Panel

This painting gave me the opportunity to try a variation with the sky. I layed on a gradient layer of blue and then went back over that with small specks of cad yellow light. I applied the yellow as you would in the stippling manner. The overal feel it gives is of a warmer and lighter tone near the horizon which also produces an atmospheric look. I think it's pretty cool and will use this technique on more paintings.

$100.00

Summer Skies

"Summer Skies"

5" X 7" Oil on Panel

Oddly enough...this was painted not so much for the skies as it was to work on grasses more. These grassy hills are behind where I live and the distant mountain range are the Figueroa Mountains. A few years back we had a fire that drove slowly across these mountains for months...it started in July and was finally declared extinguished in Sept or October.
$100.00

Over Chalk Hill

"Over Chalk Hill"

6" X 6" Oil on Panel

This scene is practically right in my backyard...it's my neighbors backyard. I saw this scene in late afternoon yesterday as some of the clouds were blowing out of the valley headed for the San Joaquin valley inland. We always get great clouds here blowing in from Pacific storms out at sea. It's always a treat to see them heading across the valley moving inland especially in late afternoon light.