Introduction I decided to take a trip to the coast of Oregon to escape the summer heat in Portland. About a two hour drive from Portland, Cape Lookout, nestled along the rugged coastline of Oregon, is a haven for nature enthusiasts and artists alike. With its breathtaking vistas, dramatic cliffs, and the soothing melody of crashing waves, it's no wonder that plein air painters find this location to be a muse like no other. In this blog, we will explore the enchanting world of plein air painting at Cape Lookout, discovering how this artistic endeavor harmonizes with the pristine beauty of the ..read more

Umpqua Plein Air 2022 is hosted by the Umpqua Valley Arts in Roseburg, Oregon. Roseburg is a beautiful small city of about 20k people nestled along the Umpqua river. The area provides many natural areas from which to pick from for plein air painting. I was part of 42 artist who spent a week spread out across Douglas County to capture the natural beauty of this area. It was a great opportunity to meet-up with fellow artist and to see how they approached their painting craft. The juror for this competition was Yong Hong Zhong who had the unenviable task of choosing the winners of the competitio ..read more

The Plein Air Southwest competition 2022 was held in Galveston, Texas from May 8 through the 14th. It was a great honor, privilege and  a lot of fun to be included with some amazing fellow artists. This is my third PASW and I seem to enjoy it more each time I go. I came away inspired and humbled at the same time.  I wish that I had gotten more photos of the artists but I at least remembered to photograph my own artwork. Here's some selected photos from the week of painting ..read more

Garibaldi, Oregon is a port town nestled at the northern end of Tillamook Bay, gateway to the magnificent Pacific Ocean. At the marina, commercial fishing boats cater to the visitors supplying a bounty of fresh seafood. I have always been attracted to things that tell a story. Many of the working fishing are brightly colored while others are rusted and worn. They each tell a story to me.   The weather in Garibaldi can be quite chilly even in August. On this particular day, there was a mist obscuring the mountains behind the marina and created a violet key to the entire scene.   &nbs ..read more

    Cape Lookout is located on a sand spit between Netarts Bay and the Pacific ocean. It offers a variety of ocean views of steep volcanic cliffs, rain forests to sand dunes and crashing waves. It is a short drive from Tillamook, Oregon, known for their cheeses and cows. The mist from the ocean creates a wonderful effect of depth on the dark volcanic cliffs that is too good to pass up as an artist. The weather can change from very warm to chilly and windy in a mater of minutes so I had to make sure that I dressed appropriately.         ..read more

This was my first visit to Sitka Sedge State Natural Area on the Oregon Coast and it has an amazing variety of natural views to choose from: Tidal flats, saltwater marshes, forested wetlands, abundant marsh wildlife and beach views stretching from Haystack Rock to the south and Cape Lookout to the north. My initial plan was to pick a wildlife subject to paint at the beach with the crashing waves as a backdrop but the wind was too strong to deal with so, I retreated back along the hiking trail that connects the beach to the parking area in hopes that something would catch my eye. I came a ..read more

Hi all, I am in the process of creating a new website and integrating all of my social media accounts. Stay tuned ... hopefully this works. I will keep you updated ..read more