Grass Mountain

Grass Mountain

22" X 28" Oil on Canvas

Looking to the north side of the valley we live in a familiar site is Grass Mountain. This mountain is easily recognized due to the year round grasses the cover it's south side. In Winter there is a nice green side to it and in Summer great tones of gold, ochre and yellow blaze in the sun. My attempt here was to go for the afternoon light as it warms the foreground oaks and grasses and push the atmosphere moving across the valley back to Grass mountain. Below is a detail on one of the foreground oaks...

     

Santa Ynez Hillsides

"Santa Ynez Hillsides"

12 X 24 Oil on Canvas

I've painted the view from our deck looking across the valley many times. A lot of times I focus on a neighbors oak tree or the ridge you see in the mid ground of this painting. In reality, there are homes that dot the ridge line there and I decided to paint this one minus the homes. I love the color of the hills against the distant blue Figueroa mountains. The foreground here is all out of my head since there are nothing but dry grasses on the hills at the moment. Fun to throw in some color and a tree or two....actually, that tree looks a lot like my neighbors!

Figueroa Mountain Foothills

"Foothills Of The Figueroas"

12"x16" Oil on Canvas
This painting was started as more of a sketch to practice dialing in warm colored grasses but eventually worked it's way to a more completed painting. I also used this piece to experiment with atmosphere and depth wanting to get more of a "thickness" in the air across the valley. I didn't overly push that thickness in the air because I just wanted it to evident in the painting and not overbearing. My reference photo had a more crisp look to it since the air is so clean and clear up here so I added what's in the painting. I'm happy with the results and that's what is more important than the actual capturing of what was there in the photo.