View From Mission Ranch

Painting the view from Mission Ranch in Carmel, California 

My patron enjoys staying at Mission Ranch in Carmel.  She and her husband especially love looking at the view from their porch of the field of sheep and the ocean with Point Lobos in the distance. So she asked me to create a painting of that view. I have painted that scene a number of times at the ranch and my plein air painting was helpful to make that happen for her. 

 Here are some progress photos for her painting. 

Making sketches of the sheep at Mission Ranch

Toning the 11x14 linen canvas

   

Working from my original plein air painting

Sketching the composition

Blocking in some of the larger shapes

Adding more color areas

My mixing palette

Adding more details

Working on the grassy areas, sky, sheep and background

After more corrections, refining values, colors and some shapes,
I think I am at the finishing point.
"View From Mission Ranch"  oil  11" x 14"

Sand Dunes and Eucalyptus     6" x 6"  oil on panel

Returned recently from a fun time painting in the Carmel (CA) area.  I hiked down through the sand dunes at the end of Ocean Ave. in Carmel to make this painting.  The ice plant is a nice contrast with its red color against the green eucalyptus trees.

You can bid on it in the Daily Paintworks auction 

Here is the scene I painted from in Carmel.

Carmel Mission Note Cards on DPW Gallery Store

 I just added this set of note  cards to my 
Daily Paintworks Gallery Store.  All painted at the Carmel Mission in Carmel, CA.

This is one of my all time favorite places to paint.  There are so many scenes, this place could keep me painting for a life time.  Lovely gardens, sculpture, old adobe buildings, fountains, and so much more.   

If you have not been there I hope you can get to go sometime. 

You can view these paintings on my website as well at:  www.RhettsStudio.com

5 Paintings in Monterey County Show!

I was delighted to learn today that one of my 5 paintings which had been juried into the Art Council of Monterey County's "Celebrating Artist of Monterey County" show has won an Honorable Mention!  We enjoyed the reception for the artists at the government office buildings.
The show is beautifully hung and 3 of my paintings are displayed right under the sign!

All paintings are for sale and the show will be up for one year in the Government Center Administration Building,  168 W. Alisal, Salinas, CA.  

"Carmel Mission Sanctuary"
pastels

I saw this lady walking down the aisle at Carmel Mission one rainy day.  She had a very large umbrella which she was using as a cane.  I was captivated by the warm glow in the mission and the refections on the well worn tile.  

Salinas Valley Lettuce Farm  -  oil,  9 x 12

< Also accepted to this show

Harvesting Radicchio   oil  12" x 16"

It is interesting to see these hard workers in the lettuce fields. 

Monterey Rec Trail  oil  20" x 16"

Above the Salinas Valley   oil   12" x 16"


See more work on my website:  www.RhettsStudio.com

I painted the trail along the beach in Monterey standing in a parking lot.  The eucalyptus trees are so beautiful along this path.  

Painting at Tor House in Carmel 2016

Plein Air Painting at the 2016 Tor House Garden Party
    May 1st, 2016

 Robinson Jeffers house in Carmel is a fascinating place to visit and I highly recommend it!  You can see more photos of the house and grounds here:  http://www.torhouse.org/

Take the tour if you can.
This was my second opportunity painting on these lovely grounds during their annual Garden Party.

 The weather was nice, except for the wind!  And it was blustery!  The only place I was able to set up was near the gate and luckily, it had a nice view.  The roses by the gate were magnificent!  

Visitors were so nice and came up behind me to watch me paint. This year they have note cards of my last painting in the gift shop.  These delightful ladies kept asking me to sign my note card!  They said they collect anything having to do with Robinson Jeffers!  So sweet!

I had not painted in plein air for a long time, and I sure was rusty!  I forgot my paint in the car, left out some important colors, and my water bottle leaked!  Yikes!  Then I decided to paint on a 12" x 9" panel.  And after the painting was done, I realized I had forgotten to bring a wet painting carrier for that size!  How do you get a very wet oil painting to your car in the wind?  I am most grateful to two other artists who helped me out!   

When I got home, I realized my painting was really bad!  So after re-working it in the studio, I feel a little better about it.  I will post it when I get a chance to photograph it.  

Another day in the life of a plein air painter!  

So here is my final version of my painting at Tor House during the 2016 Garden Party.
I call it:
"By the Garden Gate at Tor House"

Those roses were really magnificent with brilliant yellow, orange, red and magenta!  Wow were they beautiful!  And the white calla lilies were a lovely contrast. 

Here is the painting I did the first time I painted at Tor House in 2010.  I had set up an hour early on the lawn next to the Hawk Tower and proceeded to paint the stone house.  I was working toward painting the garden, when they opened the gate and about a hundred people flooded into the small garden!  I could no longer even see the beautiful gardens!  So I had to make it up from what I had remembered.  Then I noticed all these folks resting on the bench and I thought "Why not add them to the painting!"  So I did.  This note card is available in the Tor House Gift Shop and I have the original hanging in my living room!  It was a lovely day and hard to believe it was 6 years ago!