california

Color in the hills

| Susan

Our wet Winter brought brilliant wildflowers to California in the Spring and I was delighted. While on my walks, I photographed the variety of colorful blooms and then went to the studio to paint.

Flower painting in my studio
Sizes ratios are not consistent here
Sometimes it’s hard to identify the species, even with the Seek app.

Spotlight on Pride of Madiera

Pride of Madiera is an invasive species that thrives in NorCal coastal areas. The blossoms on this bush start as cone-headed shoots, which grow into a plethora of tiny purplish blue flowers, some with fuchsia hairs . The bushes can grow to be 20 feet tall.

This year, I pulled off one of the little buds to find that it was its own gem: an incredible curl of plant with tiny periwinkle colored flowers along with that fuchsia hair and buds. I was mesmerized and drew numerous studies of the flowers.

Pride of Madiera from a variety of distances and angles

Here are some photos of Pride of Madiera in action

Incredible, right?
Some of the blossoms are pink, some are more on the white side
Hillside surrounding the Robin Williams tunnel entry going into Marin County from the Golden Gate Bridge

The Yosemite Landscape

| Susan
Half Dome at Sunset

Last June, I learned a new style of capturing landscapes in Yosemite Valley (what better place?). My teacher was the fabulous Oregon painter, Lindsey Fox who was teaching the week-long retreat.

Cathedral Rock, across from El Capitan

Every day was jam packed with lessons as we trekked to different locations in the Valley. While I was learning new techniques, my family was gallivanting in the same natural playground. I’d scored a camping permit so we could all enjoy the majesty that is Yosemite.

Dreamers campsite
North Dome from our campsite

After the record breaking rains of 2022-2023 Winter, the Merced was raging. We could hear the river’s roar by day and feel the vibration when we lay in our sleeping bags at night.

Sunrise from Tunnel View
Sunrise at Tunnel View II

We woke up at 4 am to make it to Tunnel View for sunrise. It was COLD but worth it.

Tunnel View studies
Half Dome at sunset. Colored Pencil drawing

Needless to say, I get jazzed just thinking about Yosemite and I am at my happiest making art there.