ELLIS WATERSHED

The Monday morning class of Camille Przewodek often comes to this watershed area in Petaluma to paint. During the rainy season lots of grasses grow and as time passes the colors vary from greens and golds, to reds and purples. Observing the color there again and again is reminiscent of Monet's haystack series. This was done on a sunny morning.

Oil on canvas board

9" X 12"

contact: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

GOLDEN HOUR SEA RANCH

Another view looking up from the bluff by the ocean at the edge of sunset. I thought I understood why the impressionists may have painted with broken color. When the wind is blowing you around and you have one hand steadying the easle, you have to paint that way!

9" X 12"

Oil on hardboard

contact: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

SEARANCH BLUFF AT SUNSET

The last light as the sun sets is called the 'golden hour' by painters. There is a brief time when the light is very orange-gold and the shadows very blue-violet. There was so much information and color out there, it was a challenge to simplify what I saw, paint it quickly, and battle the wind that whipped up at sunset.

Oil on canvas board
9" X 12"
contact: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

SEA RANCH COASTAL VIEW

I painted this view from the living room window looking down at the ranch style homes along the coastline in the early morning.


Oil on hardboard

9" X 12"

contact: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

SEA RANCH COLORS

Sea, sky, and golden grasses were the subject of this smaller painting. It was a distillation of the colors from several days of little house studies at Sea Ranch.

5" X 7"

Oil on hardboard

contact: lisagreenstein@gmail.com


SOLD

Sea Ranch Morning II

The view of ranch houses overlooking the ocean in the morning light was lovely to paint.

Oil on hardboard

5" X 7"

contact: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

SEA RANCH HOUSES IN THE MORNING

I shared a house with three other painters at Sea Ranch in September. I loved being so close to the ocean and the light there is so pastel and gentle. Reminds me of melons and mangoes. This was a view from the hill behind our place in the early morning.

6" X 8"

Oil on hard board

contact:lisagreenstein@gmail.com

BLOCKS, SHELL & LEMON IN OVERCAST LIGHT

This was the second study of these objects, painted in overcast light outdoors. The cast shadows are lighter and softer and the shadow side of the objects are warmer than in the full sun variation. I also noticed that objects colors appear more true to their natural hue (local color) than in the bright sun. These were done in three sittings using only a palette knife.

Oil on canvas board
9" X 12"

info: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

BLOCK, SHELL & LEMON IN SUN

Painting colored blocks and some simple objects on a colored cloth outdoors in varied kinds of light was the way Henry Hensche taught his students to discover for themselves how to interpret the light key. You have to struggle to really see the color of light by comparing everything with everything else. I painted this still life in full sun and then again in overcast. El Cerrito is a good place to do this in the summer. It invariably is overcast in the morning and burns off to full sun the afternoon!
I learned so much by doing this comparative study.

Oil on canvas board

9" X 12"

for more info: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

PLASTER CAST COLOR STUDY

This was a class still life study in the Hensche tradition. Every area of color is compared with every other area to re-create the effect of the illumination. After working outdoors with the fast changing light- this indoor exercise with spotlights seems much simpler.

Oil on canvas board

9" X 12"

contact:lisagreenstein@gmail.com

SPIRIT ROCK

This was painted on a summer morning outside the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. The place was named for this rock, which has some sort of bush growing over it. The early light was very pink and the distant hills looked that pink to me. I'm not sure what the rock story is - maybe part of a native American legend.

Oil on canvas board

9" X 12"

info: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

STILL LIFE COLOR STUDY

This is a study of light and color and was done in one sitting at  l'Atelier aux Couleurs- where I have been taking color classes for over a year. The challenge is to paint the color of the light more than the local color of the object and to paint one color note next to another by comparing value, warmth and hue. We use a palette knife, which gets more paint and color on the surface and less detail. Its difficult to do this, but really strengthens the seeing of color.
9 X 12"
Oil on canvas panel

MERCED RIVER

I am finally learning the pleasures of camping. I spent hours on a large rock overlooking this peaceful place near Yosemite last August. The river split around a small island and made a little water fall. This is solitude.

6" X 8"

Oil on maple board

for more information: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

MONTEZUMA SLOUGH

This is looking west from a little hill at Rush Ranch, part of the Solano Land Trust.  I painted this early in the morning, the light was high keyed. In the far distance you can see a freight train with orange cars, and a little fishing boat just behind the reeds. Rush Ranch is open to the public daily- great for hiking and picnic.

Oil on board
9" X 12"

SOLD

KING HILL VIEW 2

This was a second faster study from on top of King Hill looking out over the Suisun Valley. This is being shown at the show Seeing Solano, (see previous post). All of the pieces in the show are for sale and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the land trust.

8" X 10" (11" X 14" framed)
Oil on canvas board
This is mounted on linen and framed in a white washed maple frame.

for more information: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

KING HILL VIEW 1

This plein aire painting is a view of the Suisun Valley from high on top of King Hill at King Ranch which is part of the Solano Land Trust. It will be exhibited in Seeing Solano, art bringing attention to the preservation efforts of the Land Trust. (See info below)

10" X 20"    Oil on board
SOLD


Seeing Solano

Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum

734 Marin Street, Vallejo CA

hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 12 – 4pm

 www.vallejomuseum.org

October 8–December 31, 2011

Opening Reception: Saturday October 8, 3:30–5:30pm

3:30pm brief Solano Land Trust presentation

Solano Land Trust through the eyes of artists

Twenty-five professional artists and photographers have organized themselves and made a commitment to produce a body of work inspired by Solano Land Trust’s open spaces and protected agricultural lands. The artists’ purpose is to bring public awareness and support to Solano Land Trust’s remarkable mission through exhibits and sales culminating in the 2012 Solano Land Trust Harvest Feast Benefit & Auction.

Each artist brings many years of professional study and practice to their efforts, working to express aspects of the visual splendor to be found in the sweeping vistas of King Ranch/Cordelia Hills Open Space, the flora and fauna of Jepson Prairie, and Lynch Canyon, the marshes of Rush Ranch, and the protected agricultural lands of Solano County’s corner of the Central Valley. Explore oak grasslands, vernal pools, tidal marshes, and our agricultural heritage through the eyes of painters and photographers working in a variety of disciplines and mediums to portray a rich visual portrait of the beauty and diversity of the natural landscape waiting to be discovered at the North Bay’s door step and to be protected for future generations.

http://www.solanolandtrust.org/Index.aspx

FIGURE 61

This model is also a brilliant artist and interesting person, as so many of the Bay Area models are.

I saw a one woman performance in San Francisco a few weeks ago called 'Figuratively Speaking', by another local model and actress, Lorraine Olsen. She did a terrific job of dramatizing her life as an artist's model. She addressed many of the questions people ask about how and why she entered and continues to enjoy the undressed profession.

Oil on board

11" X14"

for more information: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

FIGURE 60

A gorgeous ballet dancer modeled for us that night. I was trying to paint her long limbs, angularity and those intelligent dancer's feet.


Oil on board

11" X 14"

information: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

FIGURE 60

A gorgeous ballet dancer modeled for us that night. I was trying to paint her long limbs, angularity and those intelligent dancer's feet.


Oil on board

11" X 14"

information: lisagreenstein@gmail.com

PETALUMA GRANARY BUILDING

I found a bit of shade on this hot sunny morning to stand in while painting this view of the Granary building. The little umbrellas are sheltering the other students who were painting along the river.

9" X 12"
Oil on board

information: lisagreenstein@gmail.com