Author Archives: santacruzmountainrunners

California “winter” is often 68, sunny and calm! Today when painting on the coast in northern Santa Cruz, the weather was just that and everyone was out to enjoy it.

Here is another try at a Provence France landscape on a much bigger canvas! This canvas is about 20×16 inches. The lavender fields were still getting their blue, purple coloring.

Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is full of old time city park views. This old bridge built in 1893 at Stow Lake is a classic old bridge that crosses to an island. As I painting this scene, the light moved and change quickly on this fairly nice later afternoon in SF.

There is some warm and magical about older buildings that are impossible to duplicate. On this trip to Provence region, we spent a few nights in this old village on top of the hill in Lauris France.

What better place to do a country side landscape than Giverny, France. I’ve visited Monet’s home and garden twice now. This particular street is on the way to Monet’s house and garden.

This view is of the more Northern Crystal Springs Reservoir looking Northwest from Hwy 92 and Skyline Rd. That day the weather was cloudy and misting. Some good December rains had made the grass a bright green. The fog and low clouds were coming over the hill from the west blanketing the tops of theContinue reading “Crystal Springs, CA”

Off of Hwy 108 / Sonora pass and few miles into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness area you will find Sword and Long Lake. Each of swim-able lakes offer granite boulders that line the lake with steep faces and the demanding view of the Dardanelles mountains behind them. Into the summer, the high 10,000+ foot DardanellesContinue reading “Sword Lake, CA”

This funky old house and Stage Coach Stop is on the corner of Hwy 84 and Stage Road. It doesn’t look lived in as there are several missing windows but hopefully it is being kept up enough to preserve the structure for those to enjoy the older building.

A short distance away from the Tree House Studio is Stanford University. Several paintings will be done with views around campus. I started with a very rough sketch of Burnt sienna thinned onto the canvas to get the basic layout of the painting before putting in the colors. Sometimes, I will reduce the amount ofContinue reading “Stanford Educational Farm”

About 30 miles North of Santa Cruz and 30 miles south of Half Moon Bay is a light house that sticks out on a point. This old structure and out buildings and fences is a favorite for painters and photographers.