California Landscape Paintings by Elin Pendleton

California Scenes, Catalina Island, Northern California, Wineries, Beaches and Palm Trees

Southern California Area, including Temecula's Wineries

"University of California Riverside's Botanical Gardens" A 12 x 16 oil, this is the first painting I did on Sunday afternoon, on the 40 acres of the University of California Riverside's Botanical Gardens. A lovely place, the rose gardens are in full bloom, and those beds were the focal point for my work. However, you can see the "C" up high on Box Springs Mountain.

This painting is quite high key, which means there are not many low values (1, 2 or 3 on a 10-level scale). Keeping the values high was partly due to the lighting situation, because it was midday and the light was behind me a bit, not creating many shadows. The other reason is because the warmth and beauty of the day is conveyed by keeping to the upper ranges of value, unlike the deep coolness of yesterday's shaded bridge.

Another person joins us in Acadia National Park in August! I've been looking over the Acadia Park site, and now wish I could spend another week there--the scenery is absolutely gorgeous! Workshop info here. US $290 Contact Elin or

I spent a few hours as a participant at the "Primavera in the Gardens" fundraiser for the University of California Riverside Botanical Gardens. Combining wineries and restaurants, the ticket holders were able to sample many regional and California wines as well as cuisine from area restaurants while strolling the beautiful grounds. I painted this 16 x 12 oil sitting next to the last area where the wines were being served and fnished it in about 45 minutes. I did another one, with fewer values, of the vista over to Box Springs Mountain, with the rose gardens in the foreground that I'll post later this week. The draft horse painting from yesterday is still "fomenting" in my head.

Thank you to those who are going to sign up for the workshop in Maine, a comment from my sister is that this is one of the most beautiful National Parks to visit, and with a place to stay right on the water, well...she's not an artist, but her comments made me appreciate what's coming up! US $290 Contact Elin or

"Single Coastal Live Oak Tree" Fun again! Acrylics and layers and texture and brushwork! I love acrylics! A painting that is dry and ready to go for Saturday, and one of the subjects I love--solo Coastal Live Oak tree and coastal fog. I wanted something smaller featuring an oak tree to bring to the Jubilee, since the attendees are supporters of the Santa Rosa Ecological Preserve (as I am) and painting subjjects that have meaning for them is also meaningful for me.
The dog commission is on hold for a few days--I was hoping to get it well in hand before leaving for Maine next week, but things always go the way they are supposed to, so I do hope you enjoy this detour into acrylics! US $260 Contact Elin or

"Along the Road to Tenaja" I'm pulling work out of the racks and making selections for the show up in Tenaja, for the Cowboy Jubilee. It's fun to look once again at some of my earlier pieces, and this one needed a "bit of a jolt". Used for the invitation for one of the summer art shows at the Visitor's Center, This 24 x 30 acrylic was painted on location and shows Rancho California Road heading toward Tenaja. I was in the Sylvan Meadows parking area.
I tweaked it a bit, brightening up the foreground and unifying the sky into more closely related values. My goal was to have the feeling of passing cloud shadows throughout.
Getting ready for a show when I haven't done an outdoor venue in a while is interesting--I have to find and put together my "kit bag" of tools, and think about the whole presentation with groups of art. Sigh. US $600 Contact Elin or

A quick color study to capture the light of an evening's sunset, reinforcing the arrangement of values to make a believable scene in two dimensions. The sunset tonight wasn't as spectacular, but we do have gray skies--hopefully some rain in the forecast. And I woke up this morning discovering some muscles I hadn't used in a while being quite sore from yesterday's ride. The mare was mighty quiet today, too! 5 x 5 Acrylic for $100

What a day today! The day was so incredibly different for me I just had to paint it. Behind our studio is the large mountain called Box Springs. Most of it is a regional park, and it separates the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. Today riding buddies Ed Wetter and Don Kobs met me (with Raindance) at the trailhead for this park in Moreno Valley. We were doing what's called a "pre-ride" for the riding club I belong to. The ride took over five hours, up and down some incredibly steep trails that are mostly used by the wild burros. We were in areas of the mountain that didn't really have trails. My plucky little mare led us up a few white-knuckle "non-trails" in our attempt to circumvent a newly installed fenceline. The painting shows us high above the city of Moreno Valley, heading up a ridge as we try to find a trail connection. I'll remember THIS day for a long time! 5 x 5 Acrylic for $100

Another plein air painting, this time a 7 x 5 inch oil, and I really, really like this one. Why? Because it is one type of lighting I have been trying to "get" ever since I discovered it while painting on the Santa Rosa Plateau many years ago. Here's an experiment for you--af the sun is heading well toward the horizon today, take a moment and look toward it. (Not into the sun--bad for your eyes, and I don't want anyone without eyeballs!) Then turn yourself 90 degrees and look in that direction. Then look back at the setting sun. Do you notice anything different? How about colors? As your eye moves away from where the sun is setting, you'll start to see more colors in objects. Looking toward the sun, you get almost a black and white image! Amazing.
So today's little gem is how I FINALLY captured that light! OK, so all I had to do was paint grays. Big deal. Definitely a big deal when it has eluded you for years! And of course you can see the paint on this one, too! Oops, forgot to sign it.!

"Fairmont Park Afternoon" What a great time today! I received an email inviting me to join about 15 other plein air (on locations) artists for a pot luck lunch and an afternoon of painting at a local park, complete with lake. This 9 x 12 oil if my first canvas, and it was fun to keep "cleaning out the boxes" and using a lot of paint to get the feeling I was after. The fishing folk on the pier were compliant enough to stay put and the palm trees on the right were fun to do with palette knife and lots of paint! Oil, 9 x 12 for $250 after I sign it!

I had such an amazing time painting this view that is from our front yard, looking west. The sunsets that have been delighting my eyes for the past few weeks finally manifested themselves in this painting. The Italian cypress of the neighbor's house always frame the last intense glow as I head out to feed the horse and goats. This is again thickly applied paint, and my paint boxes are still being emptied. This could portend great things! Oil, 8 x 10 for $250

I was out among 'em today, about sunset, and saw a wonderfully colorful sunset unfold as I headed up the hill to the UPS store to drop off a painting going to a new collector. The sunset presented the solution to a problem I'd been trying to solve for quite a while, and I had one of those "AHA!" moments as I was driving (fortunately traffic wasn't heavy!). I made a discovery about lighting in such wonderful skies, and had to come back and duplicate the solution so I would have it in my repertoire of skills whenever I wanted it. Doing it, after mentally solving the problem, was just as exciting as the "AHA!" moment back there on the road! So now I have this little 6 x 8 oil to remind me of the obvious knowledge that had been obscure before. This view is from the hillsides above Riverside. $200 from the web site.

"Sam and Beverly Maloof's Home" On location Saturday I did this 12 x 9 acrylic of the front entrance of the wonderful Craftsman style home of this American icon of woodworking. (You can find out more at http://www.malooffoundation.org )
The gardens are all drought tolerant and beautifully laid out with some of the trees actually having been moved from the old location to this newer property next to the San Gorgonio mountains. I wanted to paint some more, but as it was getting later, and I forgot my spray bottle to keep the paints moist, so I had to pack up. $325

Every once in a while I get a hankering to do a series of seasonal images of one scene. Thus today's painting, a 5 x 7 acrylic of a farm landscape near where I used to live, closer to Hemet. This is another of those places that is quickly disappearing, as the area is desirable to developers because it is flat, and lends itself to cookie-cutter tract homes. It remains there so far, yet I expect to find it missing in any month in the future. Now we will see it go through four seasons in the next four days--and here is autumn for your pleasure. I love the blue/orange play of color. The summer flushness is gone, and the field lays fallow for the coming winter (tomorrow's painting!) Orignal 5 x 7 acrylic $120.

Brrrrr!!! Yesterday's fall weather has changed with this decent snowfall over those fields and with the trees now completely bare. What a change from yesterday's autumn colors, yet the scheme is still blue and orange--just really subtle oranges! I think I'm going to enjoy spring when it comes through tomorrow! Orignal 5 x 7 acrylic $120.

"Spring has sprung, the grass has rizz, I wonder where dem flowers is?"...That's a silly ditty taught to me by my mother. Well, here are some spring flowers along the path, and a field of mustard with its characteristic lemon yellow flowers. We see the same barn off in the distance, and the purple mountains creating another complementary color scheme. Darn it! Guess I can't get too far away from those schemes since nature wants us to see it. Orignal 5 x 7 acrylic $120.

"Summer Field" The final image of the four paintings depicting the seasons. The first one (Autumn, February 7) came from the source photograph, the other three are completely out of my imagination. The Color System makes it really easy to choose colors that work, and even change the season, because you have room to play since many of the problems are solved for choosing the color. I really enjoyed doing these four paintings, however now I need to produce some more serious work for galleries and the designer. Orignal 5 x 7 acrylic $120.

"Skies over The SRP" The second of the two paintings done on location on Wednesday--found out that there were others there painting, but we didn't get in contact/phone numbers in time, so Betty and I just painted our brushes off and then went to dinner. This one happened later in the afternoon, when the "mare's tails" of clouds were coming in to indicate a change of weather. Wonderful skies, and Betty is such a sky painter, that it was fun to do one while she was nearby. 12x9 US $200 Contact Elin or

"Up the Valley" I finally pried Betty Billups away from her mural commission and said, "We need to go paint!" She listened, and we headed out with the pack goat loaded with our gear. Up the mountain behind my studio we went, and had a wonderful afternoon of painting--just enough time for her to regroup and we both painted while Vincent van Goat lay in the shade of one of the many rocks strewn around the landscape. After about an hour, we headed back another way, through the riparian habitat below the house--keeping Vincent away from the poison oak! 6x8 US $270 Contact Elin or

This 16 x 20 oil came off my brushes today and is called "Passages #3"; there is just a great load of symbolism in it for me. I travel the road in the lower portion never quite soaring though life, but with beautiful sights to see along the way. The fence represents the limits we place on ourselves, preventing us from doing more, sharing more, enjoying more. Notice how flimsy it is? It truly is a flimsy reason for not getting out there "off the beaten path". I am headed for the gate at the end of my life, and I know I will slip through that little gap when my time comes, and go into the area I can't see right now. That's where we all will be some day, and the misty blues of that distant place ought not to scare nor keep us from our journey. For me, I know I will meet my mom and dad, and as I age, many more friends and family will be there. US $320 Contact Elin or

"Morning Sunrise" The peace of an early morning sunrise, enjoyed by those of us who manage to scramble out of bed to see it. As the summer wanes, and the days grow shorter, more and more of us will be up early enough to enjoy the rising sun. I painted this canvas as an exercise in grays to convey the true illusion of the sky being luminous with many intense colors. Not so, as all of these are very grayed.
I saw the harvest full moon tonight and wanted to paint it, but I was driving up to the new home, and the paints are still at the old place! Maybe tomorrow evening, as I fly into Lexington. I'll have my watercolors with me. WATERCOLORS??? Yes, desperation makes us do strange things! This 5 x 7 acrylic painting is available for $100 with the press of the button below. Contact Elin or

"California Coast #2" Tiny little painting again, another 4 x 6 canvas. These are such fun! Little blobs of color become mountains, water and shadows. I'm resurrecting some older material from my files and revisiting similar subjects (without prior refreshing) to see where my artistic muse takes me. I like these little ones! Reminds me also, to get busy and list some of these on ebay. I've just been a bit too busy. Available for $100

"California Coast" Tiny little painting, with tons of paint! It's just 6 x 4 inches, and a careful study of the soft coloration of our state's edge, so powerfullly' affected by the moisture in the air. I did a trip up the coast a few years back, and took many 35 mm color prints of the coastal area. But photographs just cannot capture the color and light, not from ordinary cameras. So paint does a good job. $100

"A Path" Tomorrow there will be construction workers throughout our home as we redo the ceilings, getting rid of the "popcorn" texture, and I'm going to (hopefully) be holed up in the studio. Since I have a commission to do, and want to do some more smaller pieces, I hope I can handle the confusion and noise. This is a 12 x 9 oil, done in preparation with lots of textural brushmarks, perhaps indicative of the visual invasion tomorrow? But like all paths, there's always a new view in a few steps. $100

"Sunshine and the Field" Back in 2000 I was on location south of Fallbrook, California, and painted this field scene with less than stellar color--it was, well, bland. I have brought in my new color knowledge and made the landscape sing. 12 x 16 oil on board.
$275

"Streamside" The light bouncing from autumn foliage comes through on the water below, and rocks of many shapes and sixes line the stream. From an image I took many years ago, on a stream somewhere. Original oil, 24 x 12 inches, US $575

"The Fields Near Perris" Something simple today, a vista that I saw while we were driving up to see my mom, in skilled nursing at the assisted living facility at Air Force Village. This is the light of evening, and like this woman of 98 years, rich in the color of a full life of living, yet gentle and tender to the eyes, and most importantly, as it should be. 5 x 7 acrylic on board-backed canvas. $100

"Sunset Riches" An absolutely gorgeous day today, after the rain of last weekend. The sunset was spectacular as well, so what could I do but paint it? You betcha! Original oil, 4 x 6 inches, available for $100.

"Forest Pool" An interesting size, this oil on board is 4.75" by 7.25" which makes for a great height-to-width ratio in this composition. I may have mentioned it, but I really, REALLY enjoy painting water and reflections! Available for $100 with an instant click via PayPal or contact me via email.

"Full Moon" Did you see the moon come up tonight? We have had nothing but clear skies--no rain-- and today was 72 degrees. So what better to paint, thinking about my friends and collectors on the east coast in a snowstorm, but our palm trees and the houses below us. Original acrylic on gallery wrap, 6 x 4 inches (no framing needed). Available for $100

"The Red Cars" On location at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, I painted this Red Line street car today. The Red Cars have an interesting history in Los Angeles, the streetcars from Pacific Electric that serviced the city until bought out and retired by... yes, the oil companies. That's why Los Angeles has auto freeway gridlock today instead of an efficient electric streetcar system! Orginal oil on rigid canvas, 9 x 12 inches. $300

"Revision of Lake Evening" Today in the studio I worked over several canvases, and the one that provides the most learning for students is this one. If you'll compare the one on February 3rd, you'll see the original plein air study. Original oil, 5 x 7 inches, available for $100.

"California Ridge" Today I took a break from working in the studio to make a new hiking trail on the mountain behind our place. It was about 3 p.m. and entailed the following steps: I took the machete out and sharpened it on the grinder. I led Vincent van Goat out of the pen and put his pack saddle and red pack bags on, loaded with water and my sweatshirt, and off we went. The mare (who thinks Vincent is her foal) went crazy neighing and running back and forth most of the time we were up on the mountain, creating quite a dust storm as she galloped back and forth in the corral. Using the machete, I cut about three-tenths of a mile of new trail through the brush until the sun was gone and it started to turn cold. Trail cutting is both hard work and euphoric, and I do enjoy it. A new hiking area is opened up, I can let the terrain guide the location and direction of the trail, and working in the company of a friendly white goat is very much in touch with nature.

Of course, since I was looking at those rocks up behind the studio, I needed to switch gears when I returned and paint some! So here's today's painting, a 12 x 12 oil, of rocks and possible trail locations, so very characteristic of California hillsides. One ought to paint the things that are close to your heart, and I was very close to the brush and rocks as the trail opened up due to my effort. $250

"Evening Glow" Today we received our wifi at the new house, and it was fun to collect emails while sitting outside. In the eveing I was watching the doves come down to drink from the bird fountain in the front yard. I looked up just at dusk to the hills behind the house, and saw this light on the rocks of Box Springs Mountain. I know that we are going to especially enjoy the evening light in the Preserve around us if this is any indication of how it is. Original oil, 7 x 5 inches. $100

November 29

"Opera House, Catalina Island" Today's painting is of the famous Opera House at Avalon on Catalina Island, shown in morning light. The harbor is calm, the light brilliant, and another beautiful day begins on Santa Catalina Island. Original oil, 4 x 4 inches. $250

November 26

"Evening above the Ortegas" I was driving back from a late afternoon appointment and looked west to see the clouds coming in from the ocean. Trying my best to remember the details, I came home to paint this 5 x 7 original evening memory. Contact Elin about this painting. $100

"Early Light" I picked up this oval canvas that has been sitting around for what seems like forever, and painted this early morning light on clouds , not thinking practically. Photographing this puppy for the web site and for this email has been a real "pickle." Oh, the photography was fine, it was manipulating it so I could make it easy for you to see its oval shape that stretched those Photoshop abilities.
Regardless, here it is for your pleasure, camera shenanigans notwithstanding. Original Oil, 5 x 7 inches, $100.

November 19

"Full Moon #2" After the macaroons of yesterday, I guess I'd better get out and go walking! Twilight and that full moon memory of a few nights ago. It was 88 degrees today. Not winter yet! Original oil, 5 x 7 inches. Contact Elin about this painting. $100

November 3

"Between Ventura and Santa Barbara, on the 101 Freeway" I've driven this stretch of freeway many, many times, and know those oil rig platforms. Back when I was in college, I would snorkel around them with a spear gun. Probably a stupid thing to do, especially solo, but hey, I was only 20. Original acrylic on canvas panel, 5 x 7 inches. Contact Elin about this painting. $100

December 31

"Happy New Year!" Some times I don't know what I'm going to paint, but tonight, what else could I do? I know that all over the world, people are celebrating the arrival of 2006. This painting came out of my head from memories of fireworks from many days of yore. May all of us have a peaceful and joyful new year! Original oil, 7 x 5 inches. $100

December 24

"Peace on Earth" On the night before Christmas. Only available from this site. $100

December 10

"Two Palms" A Saturday night and these two palms are just spending time together. Original oil 4 x 5 inches.

"The View is History" This 9 x 12 painting came off my brushes tonight. I have been driving back and forth between the old house and the new and one part of my drive takes me through the last of the open space near our old place. Going through the construction zone that USED to be this view is part of that drive. This WAS a particularly beautiful stretch of California fields, backed by these hills, lit in the morning light of an autumn dawn. Every year the farmer would plant hard winter wheat, and it would go from green in our "winter" to light gold by April, and then be harvested, leaving the wheel tracks in the stubble. Now all of that is gone, under the developer's blade, and never to be seen again. Houses, streetlights and parked cars replace this beauty.
Although it breaks my heart, I also feel a small sense of rebellious satisfaction as I preserve the memory forever. Original oil, 9 x 12 inches, $200

"Redwood Avenue, Fairmont Park, Riverside" On location again, this time in the city of Riverside with the Plein Air Artists of Riverside (PAAR) group. About eight of us showed up to paint the water and the vistas. My muse was with me, but not about to have me paint water today. I did two small ones, this a 5 x 7, of the afternoon light coming through the trees to the blooming jacaranda trees. That's my car on the far right--the one that used to belong to my folks. It's a silver Ford Taurus, but not easily identified with my brushwork. US $100 Contact Elin or

"Backlit Reflections" On location at the same location as January's Lake's Edge. The eucalyptus trees in the afternoon breezes reflected in the blue-green water. Original oil on linen, 12x16 inches, $420

"Hart Park (from my camper window)" What a long day! Pulling the trailer to Hart Park, with 55 boxes for the women Artists of the West show in it, unloading and organizing the panels and unpacking the boxes. Whew. I'm parked beside the hall for the duration of the show, in my camper. Tonight, after chasing everyone out and locking the gate, I have the whole place to myself until tomorrow morning. William S. Hart Park is beautiful, rugged and with the recent rains, very lush. The evening sun just came through to light the grass before clouds chased the scene into twilight. Original oil, 9 x 12. US $225 Contact Elin or

"Lake's Edge" On the edge of a local reservoir, on an almost overcast day, I'm back painting reflections in water, and enjoying ever minute of it. Original oil, 12 x 26 inches. Available for $225

"Badlands Brush" There are areas near Redlands and San Bernardino that are called "The Badlands" because of the incredibly steep terrain. Covered in grasses, scrub oak and brush, these remote areas have a beauty all their own. Original oil, 12 x 9. $200

"Impending Change" Today's painting was done on location as I was getting new tires on my truck. I walked into a nearby field and saw this 80+ year old eucalyptus tree with a hawk's nest in it, and since it is sitting on soon-to-be-developed land, its days are numbered. The distant hills of Sun City are in the background. Original oil, 9 x 12 inches, $200.

"Santa Ana Riverbed" This painting is specifically painted for the Norco Western Art Show and is one I'm quite happy with, as it has been "sitting in my head" for over two months. The riverbed of the Santa Ana River is laced with miles of trails, and is a world away from the dry arid area above it. There are parks and staging areas for horse folks to ride all along this section. Original acrylic, 15 x 30 inches $475. Contact Elin or

"Hairy Sycamore" Got an earlier start on painting today, still sorting out boxes in the studio, and the title of this one just came after I finished the hen-scratches of the branches. Doesnt' this tree look like it's having a bad hair day? Sometimes you just gotta laugh at yourself!
However, I do like this one because the colors are passionate and vibrant--not like the subtle ones from yesterday! There's drama in the contrast of values, creating more energy. I swiped the lighting from the sunset we had tonight, where the layer of clouds and the curve of the Earth create this thin layer of intense sunlight as evening approaches. Original oil, 12 x 9 inches $250

"Menifee Fog" An early morning in Southern California can result in this type of fog, as the moist sea air hits the interior valleys. Near my studio was these old barn and outbuildings, captured in oil on a 12 x 16 canvas. The developers have taken them away since this was painted. I just love this painting.... US $225 Contact Elin or

"Wilson Creek Winery Evening" On location, Elin paints the evening shadows across the lawn at one of the Temecula wineries. This lawn is the location for many weddings and special events, yet the light on this Friday evening shows a more peaceful view. Original oil on canvas, 12 x 16 inches US $ 275 Contact Elin or

"Passages, #2, California" When my father died, I painted several paintings featuring paths and passages, representative of our travel through life, and helping me to deal with my father's death. This original painting is created with acrylic and hand-made papers. 24 x 36 inches US$ 900 Contact Elin or

Colorful Painting

Value Study, Gradations I'm working on some simple studies to show students value patterns that work, and are pleasing to the eye. This landscape of the flat farmland near the Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet is shown in morning light, with graduated values. Original oil on canvas, 9 x 12 inches, available for $350. Contact Elin or

"Sunset Glow" A tiny painting full of energetic color, this 5 x 7 inch oil could be done as a 24 x 36 inch canvas similar to the one above! But it can be yours for much less... only US $ 185 Contact Elin or

"Across from Warm Springs Ranch" Just as the sun was going down, Elin and a friend painted the last evening light in California in the fall, on location. Who misses deciduous forests' fall foliage when color like this is around? Original acrylic on canvas/board 9 x 12 inches, US $400 Contact Elin or

"Autumn in the Wine Country" The second painting of an on-location morning of the backlit cottonwood trees near the Keyways Winery in Temecula. The light on the mountains, light blue against the turning colors of the trees in the warm autumn sunshine are beautifully done. Original oil on canvas, 12 x 16 inches. US$ 285 Contact Elin or

"Lake Skinner Shimmer" On location at Lake Skinner County Park, Elin captured the vista of this lone fisherman and the shimmering water of this resource in Riverside County. Original oil on canvas, 12 x 16 inches unframed US 250 Contact Elin or

"California November - San Jacinto Peak" Late afternoon light in the cool month of November earmarks this beautiful painting. There is that special atmosphere that one can feel in California, so dry before the rainy season. This painting has a live oak and the native wild oats and buckwheat with a windmill. Original acrylic painting on canvas, 15 x 30 inches. US$ 575 Contact Elin or

Northern California

I'm already thinking about the trip to Hawaii, looking westward over the Pacific Ocean. Today's painting is of a landmark on the coast of California (think "jumping off point") from a reference photo I took oh-so-many years ago. I can't even remember where it is, I think either Torrey Pines Park near La Jolla in Southern California, or along the coast of Northern California. One of you well-traveled folks will let me know, I betcha! I've been both places, and the reference photos get jumbled in the files.
It's an oil, 12 x 9 inches, and what I wanted to accomplish in this one was to have a contrast of soft distance against the stark shape of the pine, without losing the brushwork of the sky and fog. $150

Below Five Mile Bridge After the morning light, Betty and I headed for the creek. It was just beastly hot, over 104 degrees, so I set up my gear IN the water. Looking to the north, this is the bridge that spans the creek at the Five Mile marker in Bidwell park. Painting furiously fast, this one came off the ease