"Eaton Canyon Meadow"
22" X 28" Oil on CanvasIt seems everytime I go to Eaton canyon I end up in the meadow. It is just as you cross the water when hiking from the parking lot of the nature center there. There are some giant oaks and sycamores that line the meadow on one side and the bottom of the San Gabriel mountains on the other. This is the kind of trail my brother and I used to love running along playing as kids set free in the mountains. Lots of fun painting this one.
Here is a detail of the painting.....
I had the good fortune to visit the canyon 3 or 4 times this past year and that's pretty cool considering I now live over 130 miles away. When I was a kid we used to ride our bikes up to the canyon...or just walk if someone had a flat tire. They had the coolest pictures of a hiker who had been biten by a local rattlesnake. Our hikes were mostly in summer so it got pretty hot in the canyon by afternoon. Now I like to go there either in early morning or later afternoon to watch the colors of the San Gabriels ignite as the sun falls into the Pacific ocean. Sometimes the mountainsides are the most amazing pinks, reds and peach colors....just awesome to see this at various times of the year.
7 comments:
Ron, It's always good to paint things that mean something emotionally to us, especially landscapes. I love this...it's subtle and very appealing. Also love your story about riding your bike around the area as a child.
Your emotional involvement with your subject leaps off the canvas. This one has everything, great colour, strong value control, depth and love. A special piece, Ron.
Hi Maggie - My little brother Johnny was chased by a dog nipping at his pants one time on the way back from the canyon on his bike...oh my god was that funny! A great place to hike and explore. Thanks so much for the comments Maggie.
Hi Mick - The mountains here are very rugged...lots of rock and scattered groth so they are really hard to paint up close. I'm still working that out...painting the San Gabriels, what a challenge. The canyon below is always fun to paint and I do love painting it. One day I'm going to get to the point of really doing it justice. Thanks too Mick.
Hi Ron,
Very nice work! I am down in Redondo Beach, been to Eaton Cyn many times. You captured the light well. I do watercolors, might be worth a trip to the San Gabriels sometime. All the best!
Hi Frank,
If you get there in the afternoon you'd love the light along the canyon walls. If you drive just past the parking lot entrance there is a nice little pullout you can park your car and view the canyon from the roadside...great view of the mountains when they are lit up at dusk. Thanks!!
Hi Ron...
I think this may be my favorite painting of yours yet. Just spectacular!!! Beautiful shadows.. wonderful color!!
Thanks Marian...I like the results here too. Working on a large one of some sycamores in the Arroyo Seco just above the 210 & Colorado bridges. Started blocking in the shadows and background last night and spent today finishing it up. Will do touch ups tomorrow morning.
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