Water and Clouds--A Nice Little Discovery

Ocean Sky
6x6

Oil on Canvas

The past few months I've spent a lot of time focusing on how to paint clouds, the shapes, the colors, the way they travel across the landscape. I painted quite a few little paintings and felt happy about the outcomes. You can see some of them in my Etsy Shop.  When I finally tired of painting clouds, I decided to focus on seascapes, a subject I had not spent a lot of time with in spite of the fact that I live near the coast. My mother was a seascape painter and I always felt she did a wonderful job, but I was a bit intimidated with the idea of following in her footsteps. Then I tried a few little ones.

Big Splash

6x6 inches

Oil on Canvas

What I learned was that painting splashes is not unlike painting clouds. Logically I should know this, after all, clouds are made of water. So recently I've been experimenting with some little seascape paintings. So much fun. A couple of them have found their way to my Etsy Shop, others are still sitting on my drying rack and will eventually join the one above. Lesson learned:  look for similarities, not just differences. 

Last of the Sunsets

After a glorious summer, the rains have returned to the Pacific Northwest. A severe windstorm that toppled trees, days of dark gloomy skies, and lots of shower activity mark the return to the usual weather pattern. It makes me glad that I painted some summer sunsets because they remind me that the weather won't always be gray. Today's painting is the last of a trio of 11x14 inch oil painting on stretched canvas. The paint is almost dry, so the original will be available in my Etsy Shop soon along with some miniature sunsets in smaller sizes. Reproductions are available from my print shop. Check out my Sea Gallery for more West Coast Seascapes, boats, and ocean creatures.

Blue Skies at Night

This painting was conceived a last week while visiting the Pacific coast. As I watched the sun go down, the clouds turned rose and deep purple. The wonderful colors inspired the painting in this season of beautiful sunsets. The original oil painting was developed on an 11x14 inch stretched canvas with professional grade oil paints. Reproductions are available here in my print shop. The original will be for sale in my Etsy Shop as soon as the paint is dry.

Pacific Coast Sea Stacks

One of my favorite places is the Pacific Coast.  From Canada all the way to Mexico, beauty is always there.  This miniature oil painting is 4x6 inches and was inspired by the sea stacks that are found up and down the Washington/Oregon coast.  I wish the cool mist and evergreens were in front of me right now.  This little painting can be purchased in my Etsy Gallery by clicking here.

Oregon Coast Pair

The Oregon coast has been a recent inspiration.  It has so many beautiful land formations, rocks, and sea stacks that I never get tired of exploring. This painting is5x7 inches and has already SOLD, but it has a companion on the same theme that can still be purchased.  Click here to view the companion. 

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Sailing--Original Small American Oil Painting--Sailboat Race

This little painting is the second in my current series of sailboat paintings. I wish the paint on it and its companion painting were dry so I could enter them into the Maritime Fest Art Show in Tacoma, Washington along with several other maritime paintings that I will be entering this weekend. The Maritime Fest runs August 20 to September 13 on the waterfront. When these two little paintings dry, I will eventually sell them in the Small Impressions Gallery at Etsy or enter them in next year's competition.

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5x7, American, Art, Boating, Canvas Panel, Commencement Bay Painting, Contemporary, Daily Painting, Maritime Festival, Miniature, oil painting, Original Oil Painting, Pacific Northwest Painting, Pacific Seascape, Painting, Sailboat Painting, Seascape, Shoreline, small format oil painting, small format painting, small oil painting, small painting, small study, Yellow

Rusty--Original Oil Painting

Yesterday's weather broke into triple digits and was registered as the highest temperature ever on the west side of Washington State. At 103 cooling off was on everyone's mind. I focused my efforts by painting the reflection of this old vessel. It kept my mind off the heat and was a feast of color with the contrasting warm reds and cool blues. The painting is 8x10 inches on a hardboard panel. As the heat continues today, I'm contemplating painting this scene again in a much larger version. If I get it big enough, maybe I can just jump into the picture and enjoy the cool of that sparkling water.

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8x10, Abstract, American, Art, Boating, Daily Painting, Harbor, Impressionist, Napthol Red, oil painting, Original Oil Painting, Painting, Reflections, Shoreline, small format oil painting, small format painting, small oil painting, small painting, small study

Coast Guard--Original Small Seascape Oil Painting

The big news in the Pacific Northwest is the weather. Temperatures in the 100's are rare and are breaking records here. Only 15 percent of homes in Washington State have air conditioning. Fans and air conditioning units are sold out in the stores, people are flocking to the air conditioned malls, libraries, and restaurants. My family is begging for a trip to the coast where the temperatures are about 20 degrees cooler. Today's little 5x7 inch oil painting was inspired by days of my youth spent fishing off the Washington coast. The familiar red-striped Coast Guard boat and the rugged shoreline remind me of hours of cool, damp ocean spray. Just what we all need. When this painting dries, it will be placed in the Small Impressions Gallery.

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Strait of Juan de Fuca--Original Oil Painting

Today's little 5x7 inch painting is the shoreline on the Washington State side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The strait runs inland from the Pacific Ocean and joins Puget Sound. Vancouver, British Columbia is to the North. This particular scene is looking west toward the ocean. When I was in my early teens I spent many summers in this part of the state working with my father who ran a commercial fishing operation. It was a lovely way to spend a few summers --fresh air, mist, and early morning wake ups.

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Pacific Storm--Original Seascape Oil Painting

Spring weather off the coast of Washington State is always changing . One minute it is sunny and bright, the next the clouds are dropping moisture in thick, heavy drops. I love to watch the weather move across the water, morphing its way along. This 5x7 inch painting was inspired by the clouds and heavy moisture of a Pacific Coast rain storm. The painting is oil on a gessoed hardboard panel. It is for sale in my Etsy Gallery for $50.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses along with other small format paintings of water and reflections. Click here for more details on purchasing this painting.

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Pacific Rain Storm--Original Oil Painting

Today's painting was inspired by a view of rain clouds approaching over the Pacific Ocean. As I write this, a storm is blowing in from the Pacific Ocean and pelting the Northwest with rain and wind. Although this painting doesn't depict today's storm, it does provide a typical view of the changing vista of the Pacific Ocean. The painting would be a wonderful little souvenir for a visitor to the coast. Although I've enjoyed this little painting as a reminder of my many visits to the coast, I have decided it is time for us to part ways. The painting is a petite 5x7 inches and was listed today in my Etsy Gallery. It is available for purchase for $50.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses. Click here to purchase or view closeups of the texture and brushstorkes, or here to view more water and reflection paintings.

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5x7, American, Art, Blue, Clouds, Coast, Coastline, Daily, Daily Painting, Miniature, Northern Coast, Ocean, Oil, oil painting, Original, Pacific Coast, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Storm, Painting, Rain, Seascape, small oil painting, small painting, small study, storm, Stormy, Surf

Splash--Original American Oil Painting Seascape

Last week I went to the mountains, and now I'm getting an itch to go to the ocean. One thing that is wonderful about living in Western Washington State is that I can visit the mountains and within just a few hours be at the coast. The North Jetty of Gray's Harbor in Washington State was the inspiration for this little 5x7 inch oil painting. It was created with a brush and a palette knife so has a lot of thick impasto (thick paint). I love the abstract quality of the water, the rocks, and the orange and purple paint. This morning I listed it at Etsy. You can purchase it for $50.00 plus $6.50 shipping to US addresses by clicking on this link.

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5x7, Abstract, American, Art, Beach, Coast, Coastline, Daily, Daily Painting, Etsy, Gray's Harbor, Harbor, Impasto, Impressionist, Jetty, Nautical, Northern Coast, Ocean, oil painting, Orange, Original, Pacific Coast, Pacific Northwest, Painting, Palette Knife, Purple, Rock, Rocks, Rocky, Seascape, Shoreline, Surf, Washington State

Cloud Storm--Original American Oil Painting

I'm still hoping for a trip to the Washington coast. I love to sit and watch the surf roll in and the clouds lumber across the sky. This little painting was inspired by cloud formations that form out at sea. Watching storm activity is a special treat when vacationing on the coast. This painting is 5x7 inches on a gessoed hardboard.

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5x7, American, Art, Blue, Clouds, Coast, Coastline, Contemporary, Daily, Daily Painting, Green, Miniature, Northern Coast, Ocean, Oil, oil painting, Original, Pacific Coast, Pacific Northwest, Painting, Rain, Seascape, Shoreline, Sky, Storm, Stormy, Weather

Evening Beach Grass--Original American Oil Paining

Another beach grass painting has emerged from my easel. Beach grass is fascinating because it changes color throughout the day and across the seasons. The last of the evening sunlight on a summer evening prompted this rendition. A red glow broadcasts from those last dwindling rays of sunshine at the end of a summer's day. This painting is 8x10 on gessoed hardboard.

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8x10, American, Art, Beach, Blue, Bright, Coast, Coastline, Daily, Daily Painting, Evening, Grass, Grassy, Landscape, Northern Coast, Ocean, oil painting, Original, Pacific Coast, Pacific Northwest, Painting, sand, Seascape, Shadows, Shoreline, Summer, Sunlight, Sunset, Washington State

Pacific Clay Bank--Original American Landscape Oil Painting

Today's painting is based on a clay bank on the North Pacific Coast of Wasington State. I like te way the red of the bank contrasts with the evergreens that cling to the top of the cliff. The beach is wide, beautiful, and often full of clam diggers. I have listed this 5x7 inch oil painting in my Etsy shop. You can purchase it for $35.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses by clicking here.

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5 x 7, American, Art, Bank, Beach, Blue, Cliff, Coast, Coastline, Contemporary, Daily Painting, Evergreens, Green, Hillside, Landscape, Nautical, Northern Coast, Ocean, oil painting, Original, Pacific Coast, Pacific Northwest, Painting, Seascape, Shoreline, Washington State

Jetty Rocks--Original American Seascape Painting

This afternoon I took a quick trip to the coast to pick up a couple of paintings that had been in a show. Unlike the inland where it was raining, the beach was coated in a cool layer of sunshine. I was able to take a beach walk and grab some inspiration from these sun-coated jetty rocks. After picking up my paintings, I headed inland again and back to the rain. It was a magnificent little break from the drizzle that sat on the rest of the Pacific Northwest Region. This 8 x 10 oil painting is a little reminder of my afternoon.

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8 x 10, American, Art, Beach, Coast, Coastline, Contemporary, Daily Painting, Gray's Harbor, Harbor, Jetty, Nautical, Ocean, oil painting, Original, Pacific Coast, Pacific Northwest, Painting, Rock, Rocks, Rocky, Seascape, Shoreline, Sunlight, Sunny, Sunshine, surf, Washington State

Cape of the Arches--Original American Seascape

The Cape of the Arches is at the northwestern tip of Washington State, just south of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the time, the weather is damp, cold and foggy. It is a fairly easy hike to reach the coast from the Lake Ozette area and provides amazing views for those who are willing to trek through the damp forests of the Olympic Penninsula. This little 5 x 7 acrylic painting provides a glimpse of the rocks that stand prominentlly guarding the coastline.

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Acrylic Paint, American, Art, Bay, Beach, Blue, Coast, Coastline, cold, Contemporary, Daily, Fog, Foggy, Lake Ozette, Landscape, Ocean, Oil, oil painting, Olympic Peninsula, Original, Pacific Coast, Painting, Point of the Arches, Puget Sound, Rain, Rocks, Seascape, Shoreline, Washington State

Summer Kite Original American Oil Painting Seascape

I'm dreaming about the beach. I love spending time on the Pacific Coast--walking, taking it easy, and flying kites. There are kite festivals in the spring and summer all up and down the coast--Long Beach, Westport, and Ocean Shores. They all partake in sponsoring kite festivals. This 11 x 14 oil painting on stretched canvas is my contribution to the sport of kite flying.

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American, Art, Beach, Blue, Bright, Clouds, Coast, Coastline, Colorful, Contemporary, Daily, Festival, Figurative, Kite, Nautical, Ocean, Oil, oil painting, Original, Pacific Coast, Painting, Recreation, Seascape, Shoreline, Sport, Sports, spring, surf, Wind

Fishing in the Rain--Original American Oil Painting

In the mountains it is snowing which means it is pouring rain on the coast. Living in Washington State, it is a treat to know that within a couple of hours I can be either in the mountains or on the Pacific Coast. This 8 x 10 oil painting on gessoed hardboard is reminiscent of cold, wet days on the coast where hearty fishermen practice their skill even on the wettest of days.

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American, Art, Beach, Blue, Coast, Coastline, Contemporary, Daily, Figurative, Fishing, Nautical, Ocean, Oil, oil painting, Original, Pacific Coast, Painting, Puget Sound, Rain, Recreation, Seascape, Shoreline, Sports, Storm, surf, winter

Stormy Rocks--Original American Oil Painting

This 8 x 10 oil painting is one I did some time ago. It has gone through several transformations in its short life time. It began as an experiment with underpainting of cadmium orange. Adding several layers of warmth gave it a very tropical feeling. The water develped an light aqua tinge. The entire painting felt foreign to my sensibilities. Living in the Pacific Northwest provides few opportunities to experience tropical waters and sunny, warm rocks. After the painting dried, I changed the mood again. Creating a foggy, cool environment felt more natural. The contrast between the water and the skyline almost disappeared as it does when banks of rain clouds and mist drift across the water's surface. Darkening the rock and adding a cool blue scrumble brought the temperature down considerably. Whether I liked the results or not was ambiguous, so I put it in the closet to dry. I often send paintings of questionable behavior to the closet. After its stint in solitary, I took another look and decided it was time to present it to the world and quit fiddling.

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American, Art, Beach, Coast, Coastline, Daily, Nautical, Ocean, oil painting, Original, Pacific Coast, Painting, Rocks, Seascape, Shoreline