Gaviota cold spring

Down the south side of the Santa Ynez Mountains near Gaviota, there's a burst of trees by some grass and a spring below.  I found it while exploring the area.  Today, I painted it, with some liberties.

Gaviota Cold Spring
acrylic on stretched canvas
8" x 8" x 1.5"

Dry Lakes Ridge

I stopped and sketched this view at the time, so it is no wonder that I might go back and paint it too.  This is the lower of the false lakes along Dry Lakes Ridge and the one that is full of grass rather than sage.  It is painted on an 8" square of stretched canvas with 1.5" edges, so nearly half the painting is hidden around the outside.  Finished it today.

Lake of grass, lowest of the false dry lakes
acrylic on stretched canvas
8" x 8" x 1.5"

Rocks Along the Ridge to Cathedral Peak (no. 2)

Another of those rocks along the ridge.  This spot was a bit less green and the inclusions all hollowed out.  Completed today.

Rocks Along the Ridge to Cathedral Peak (no. 2)
acrylic on canvas board
7" x 5", $46

Rocks Along the Ridge to Cathedral Peak (no. 1)

I liked the inclusions in the sandstone along the ridge as I hiked up toward Cathedral Peak, so decided to make some small studies of a couple spots.  Only one flower was blooming, but in late summer around here, that's not too bad.  I decided to start with one including the flower.  Completed yesterday.

Rocks Along the Ridge to Cathedral Peak (no. 1)
acrylic on canvas panel
7" x 5", $46

Oak on a Gaviota Ridge, again

I returned to the same tree (as seen in the previous post) the next day, but give it a completely different treatment still combining the schematic nature of my sketches with the more interesting coloring that a proper painting allows.  For this one, I started with the outline, then brought in water and other colors to blur the line and bring in many more colors.  This particular paper (Fabriano Artistico) grabs the colors a bit more than I wanted.  I really have to do a few more like this, but I'll use another paper brand that I was basing my expectations on (Daler-Rowney Langton Prestige).

Outline of an Oak on a Gaviota Ridge
watercolor on 100% cotton, rough watercolor paper
12" x 9", $68

Oak on a Gaviota Ridge

Heading back to Gaviota for some watercolor of an oak on the ridge, from a photo taken back in October and painted in the middle of August.  This was fun, combining some quick, bold painting and the schematic nature of the sketches I do.  I actually rather liked the initial painting and it was hard to carry through with the plan.  Here it is, in progress:

Oak on a Gaviota Ridge
watercolor on 100% cotton, rough watercolor paper
20" x 14", $175

Franklin Pass, passing into the interior

Something a little more recent: this is the view from Franklin Pass as one comes over the Great Western Divide into the interior where there are no roads.  That is the popular direction for hitting this spot, but we were finishing our hike.  Stretched out below was a bit of the last two days.  To the left of the central ridge, we could see the wall of Big Arroyo which we had climbed out from the day before.  Coming up Soda Creek on the left, we eventually climbed the central ridge and dropped slightly down to Forester Lake in the center.  On this day, we had lost a little more elevation before starting the climb up the pass.  The far mountains contain hints of places we were the year before.

Franklin Pass panorama
acrylic on stretched canvas
36" x 12" x 3/4", $540

fencing on the edge

Another one referencing my trip along Piru Creek from Hardluck and completed yesterday.  Once in Hungry Valley, the land is dry and affected by human use.  The difference in vegetation in the areas fenced off, the open area, and the fenced in trail caught my eye at the time.  The peek of cliff that is otherwise hidden makes me oddly happy.

At the Edge of Hungry Valley
acrylic on stretched canvas
20" x 16" x 3/4", $400