Old barn in Mead, off Wasatch. Painted with the Lincoln Gallery plein air painters.

Morro Bay Marina.

On the Big Thompson River. Large boulders are from a flash flood about twenty years ago that claimed several lives. I painted there with a group from the Lincoln gallery out of Loveland.

Elk Meadow, Rocky Mountain National Park.

Survived a home remodel project and a high school reunion. Best summer here in memory. Rain and thunderstorms most every evening. Lots of greenery and lots of hay. I titled this "John Deere was here."

At 8000 feet snow stays way past spring time. The warmth in the sun is deceptive.I decided I liked this composition. I was in the shade and it took two hours to paint it because I had to take breaks and warm up in the sunshine every time my hands got too cold to hold a brush. Gloves, you say. Gloves! I don't need no stinkin' gloves.

Painted in Red Feather near my sister's cabin, entirely plein air. May work some more on it to define the foreground trees, but am generally happy with the painting.

The most distant white cap is in Rocky Mountain National Park, some 50 miles away. In the near distance are Saddle Back mountain and Sleeping Indian mountain.

Painted last fall near Red Feather, Colorado.

Snow still on ground from recent storm. Nice in sunlight but too cold to paint in shadows, at least for me, as I do not subscribe to the theory that artists must suffer to paint well.

Cayucos. Michael invited us afterwards and we shared his beer and the spectacular ocean view from his home, where he watches humpacks and gray whales when he isn't painting. You can tell them apart, according to him. THe humpback has a heart shaped spray. The gray has a vertical spray. Cheers to Michael and the whales.

Morro Bay looking south. Still trying to learn Photoshop. I feel like an anachronism, but then so are oil paintings and so are sailboats. Maybe that is why I am drawn to them.

Not exactly plein air, but inspired by a phone conversation with my son Mark, who is living in Austin and has a nocturnal critter nesting in his attic for the last six months.

Complaints to the apartment manager have been fruitless so far. So Mark has decided to make the best of it. He has named him Larry. My imagination took things one step further.

Hollister is framed by eucalyptus trees. This spot is off Los Osos Valley Road

I must have painted Bishop's Peak half a dozen times from this site. Once again our plein air painters group met there for our regular Thursday paint out. Totally uninspired I used an old canvas, not wanting to waste a new canvas on an old theme. This time, however, I turned away from Bishop's peak and saw these cabins nicely set off by the dark foliage of the cedars.

I like the results. Sometimes it's me that's old and not the painting site.

Laguna Lake is in San Luis Obispo, California. It's another happy painting place. Usually there is a flock of Canadian geese that share the grassy area with me.

The central coast of California has a treasure trove of sites for plein air painters, usually just steps away from the hectic pace of every day life. This particular spot is in Oceano, a funky little beach town that has resisted change more successfully than other little beach towns.

It is one of my favorite painting spots with all the necessary amenities; namely, parking, potty, and privacy.

Mark