Cascade Fishing Spot

Cascade Fishing Spot

6x6, soft pastel

This is one of my favorite coves on Lake Cascade where we head each morning to fish during the summertime.  I love the way the sunlight hits the tips of the evergreens early in the day.   It's a painting from memory...can't wait for summer!

I did the painting above ahead of time since I am traveling and from memory but the image for the #stradaeasel 31 Day Challenge for today is below.  A one hour study while waiting for my grandson to finish basketball practice.  Wow, what a busy month!

Odessa, Washington

Edgar's Trees

Edgar's Trees

6x8, soft pastel

This is a take on Edgar Payne's Eucalyptus trees.  I like studying past artists that are inspirational and he certainly was, one of America's best landscape artists.

For the #stradaeasel 31 Day Challenge: I completed this little study below on the 13th looking outside the farmhouse window at sunrise...one of my favorite times of day.

Outside The Kitchen Window

6x8, soft pastel

Pond Ripples

Pond Ripples

12x12, soft pastel

A rainy day at the Botanical Gardens.  It wasn't feasible to paint in the rain that day so I took photos instead.  This one caught my eye because of all the ripples in the small pond.  I'm showing it on my easel because I'm jus not convinced that it's finished...so, for now I'll share it with you and assess it for the next few days, weeks, maybe months.   Ah, that's what happens sometimes.

For the #stradaeasel 31 Day Challenge, "Hanging Around The Spokane Airport"was created in the baggage check area...a great place to paint even though the subject matter was a bit odd.  This "toaster" plane was suspended from the ceiling and caught my eye with the florescent bulbs for the "toast" and "propeller".

Benny

Benny

10x8, soft pastel

A first try at our mini-goldendoodle Benny.  You can see his personality in his eyes...spunky and full of life.  He's now 8 months old and 34 lbs.  This isn't necessarily the best version of him...so I'm sure I'll try again sometime in the future...he only sat still for 2-3 minutes at a time so it's a fairly loose painting as a result.

Saguaro Canyon At Dawn

Saguaro Canyon At Dawn

6x12, soft pastel

It was fun to paint an early morning scene in our neighborhood when the landscape was filled with deep blues and purples and the snow was mostly gone.  This one actually worked out.  I loved the warm tones cast by landscaping lights which is what drew me to this spot.   The bare branches of the deciduous trees looked like glowing lavender spires.  In some spots I can see greenish grass so I played up the greens in great anticipation of spring.  Wishful thinking at this point.

Frosty Morning

Frosty Morning

6x6, soft pastel

Frost laced trees and shrubs greeted me this morning. The colors were quite muted and the neighborhood itself was pretty foggy.  If I waited until the day warms, I'd surely miss the frost and the neighborhood itself would take on a totally different feel.  The snow has been melting quickly the past couple days but in between our streets we have great little walkways where the sun doesn't have much of a chance to melt the snow.

Lime Water

Lime Water

6x6, soft pastel

The snow in our backyard is quickly melting away and my cold is subsiding with it.  Although I didn't have lemons, I decided lime water might just help chase the last of the sniffles away (crossing my fingers).  I've been wanting to paint my little water jug and this seemed to be the perfect time to do it...I especially love the white, purple and green color scheme in this scene.