Categories
Dry Ink

Rainy Day on the Ranch

The heavy rain thinned out to a drizzle so I hiked up behind my mom’s to check the water level at the lake. As I walked towards the dam I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was full, It reminded me of a Steinbeck quote, “And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.”

The view down the valley to the south was rain soaked and lovely. I watched the clouds crawl down the mountains. Then after a time the rain picked up and it sent me running back to the house with another painting in hand.

9x11in oil on linen panel
Artist’s view
Categories
Dry Ink

Shaver Grade in the Rain

The big storm hitting Marin took out the power at my apartment this afternoon so I went for a little adventure in the rain. I headed over to Phoenix lake to check out the overflowing spillway. On the north end of the lake I found this nice view of some redwoods on Shaver grade. This is just before the Eldridge crossroad. I probably should have painted the flooding creak behind me but I liked the light on the road better.

9x11in Oil on Linen Panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Tam from Hal Brown Park

Stopped on the way back from the morning school drop off to paint Tam in the rain.

9x11in oil on linen panel

Categories
Dry Ink

Lucas Valley

A concerned friend texted me about the beautiful weather yesterday and very colorfully insisted that I better be outside painting, thankfully I was or I think I would have lost my street-cred. I texted back this painting from the Big Rock trailhead overlook above Lucas Valley and saved my rep.

9x15in Oil on linen panel
Artist’s View of Lucas Valley
Categories
Dry Ink

Corte Madera Rain

The weather was very dynamic today in Corte Madera. Dark rain clouds and blue sky. I didn’t want to get caught under a downpour so I just set up on the trailhead across from the mall and painted the view north towards Greenbrae.

9x11in Oil on Linen Panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Citron Fire Rd

Misty rain this afternoon up on the hill above Larkspur.

oil painting
9x12in oil on linen panel
POV
Artist’s view
Categories
Dry Ink

Post Rain Vineyards

I was in Alexander Valley this morning because I was told there was snow on the mountains yesterday. Alas, no no more snow. Perhaps on the higher peaks but they were veiled behind dense clouds. A little disappointed I parked over by the corner of Hassett Lane and Lytton Station Rd to paint the soggy wet vineyards. This is the view looking East towards Pine Flat.

oil painting
9x12in oil on linen panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Misty Ring Mountain Rocks

I woke before the sun so I hiked up to the top of the Ring Mountain Preserve hoping for a dramatic sunrise. Instead I got thick misty clouds and drizzly wet conditions. You play the hand you are dealt so I set up in the light rain and did my best make oil stick to a water soaked panel.

oil Painting
9x12in oil on panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Morning Clouds Above AV

I drove up to the ranch yesterday morning and just as I got to Alexander Valley the rain began to thin. The Light was marbled and beautiful so I pulled over below lake Elizabeth to paint. Worried about another downpour, I set up under the back door of my little hatch back car but it was all for not because the weather only improved. It was another gorgeous morning in Alexander Valley and I was happy to be back home once again. I didn’t even mind when the neighbor’s security guard stopped to interrogate me about trespassing.

oil painting
9x12in oil on panel
Categories
Dry Ink

Winery Driveway

The light yesterday afternoon were pretty fantastic. I had some time before driving back down to Marin so I swung by the winery to paint the view looking south. It started raining on me about an hour in and I had to wrap up earlier than I would have liked.

oil painting
9x12in oil on panel
POV
artist’s view, on the driveway to the winery looking south