My Northwest Home

Like many people, I’ve lived in a lot of different places. Sixteen years ago (has it been that long?!) we moved our family to Middle Tennessee for a better job opportunity and fell in love with the rolling hills, fireflies, humid summer nights, and green tree covered vistas. But even with all that Southern love, I’m still not “over” the Pacific Northwest, so it is fortunate that I am able to come back each summer for an extended visit. And, guess what? My friends still love me and want to spend lots of time hanging out! They also are very supportive of my painting passion and let me disappear for a couple hours to paint the beauty here, where I am staying through the end of June. Already I’ve done 4 plein air sketches in the past week, applying the recent workshop lessons of keeping things simple and quick, not trying to create a finished painting, capturing light and mood rather than worrying about impressing anyone. I’m finding out that doing the quick sketch is training my brain to see and paint with more attention to shape relationships and values. Here are the sketches I’ve done so far...I may or may not tweak them later or use them as reference for a studio painting. I’m just enjoying myself in this very pretty place....my Northwest home❤️

Betty has oodles of these gorgeous blue pots and I love trying to get them transported to canvas. I sat at eye level to paint these.

Betty’s garden again...learning to edit the busyness...May or may not have been successful, but I do love that greenish-bluish lantern!

Quick sketch, 30 minutes, of the field behind Walton’s guest house. Yes, as a matter of fact, there were peachy pink grasses there.

One hour quick sketch of these two gorgeous cedars. I’ve always wanted to hold up my painting and match the horizon so the canvas covers the scene?

Thanks for reading and viewing!!