With a little help from my friends...

"Frog Pond"  9 x 12 oil

I recently came home from a family trip and had to unpack the truck that was filled with food, ice chests, inflatable boat, beach chairs and what-not....and then I had to pack for the next morning paint-out with Reno Tahoe Plein Air Painters.  I stayed up late, recharging my camera and picking out a panel size and panel carrier for it....and loaded the car trunk with the tripod, pochade, umbrella, and packed a lunch to take.....

The next morning when I got there, I opened the trunk....and OMG....I forgot my totebag with oil paints, brushes, turp, paper towels and all the stuff I need to do a painting!

I was totally discombobulated and thought the day was a total bust...and here it was a gorgeous day and I was so looking forward to painting there...

Three other painters arrived and one offered me paint and one of his brushes (he recently pared down his load to only 5 brushes!).  So, I set up next to him so I could rinse out my one brush in his turpentine....and I loaned him my umbrella to shade his work.

Well, I was delighted with how my little painting came out in this circumstance!  Hurray for friends!

"Floating in Bliss"

"Floating in Bliss" 12 x 16 oil painting

This painting was done on location at Bliss State Park.  The boat was anchored offshore and the people were lounging on the boat, enjoying the summer sun and the gorgeous day.  Occasionally a few people would row a little raft to shore at the beach and then wandered up the trail where they saw Emma and I painting their boat.  I wasn't done with the boat, but they contacted Emma later and she sold her painting to them!  I only just finished this painting today.  The jewel-like aquamarine and turquoise colored water that I had laid down on the painting beckoned me to come back to do the finishing touches.

One of my most wonderful memories was floating on a boat on Lake Tahoe years ago.  I call that bliss.

Three little paintings

"Emerald Waters" 6 x 6 oil

Thank goodness for a windy, cold and yucky day - I LOVE these kind of days to work in the studio and get caught up!

"The Guardian" 6 x 6 oil

Today I did the finishing touches on 3 little paintings - they were done out in the field a year ago!  All they needed was a little "punch" and a signature.

"Summer at Watson Lake" 6 x 6 oil

I really have been painting!

completed painting at Tahoe Meadows

It has been such a busy summer, I haven't posted in so long and I hope to change that!

I have been painting every week with Reno Tahoe Plein Air Painters.  I created my first YouTube video for this group.  Here you will see me doing watercolor at my most recent hikes to Angora Lake and Eagle Lake.

Enjoy!