Plein air watercolor landscape painting of an old building in western Montana

Plein air Watercolor painting 13 inches x 7.5 inches

Another watercolor landscape from the LaCense Ranch.

Plein air watercolor landscape painting of an old building in Montana

Plein air Watercolor painting 9 inches x 6.5 inches

Beth worked on a ranch out in western Montana and I visited her a couple of times out there. While she slaved all day trying to sell high-end quarter horses to well-off matrons, I would wander the ranch and paint. This little building was actually some type of water house but it reminded me of an old mission. The bright sunlight and shadows made a nice comp0sition for a watercolor landscape. I especially liked the grasses highlighted against the dark door.

When asked, I always say that a painting like this takes me about an hour to complete….plus 30 years of learning and practice…

Watercolor painting 9 inches x 6 inches $100 + shipping

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

This is a quick plein air watercolor sketch of the entrance to the Mission San Luis Rey. I really wanted to paint in the interior courtyards, and while they would let me walk through them for the price of admission, if I wanted to paint them, I had to pay mucho bucks to join the “friends society”. I decided there was more than enough interesting architecture on the outside!

Watercolor painting 9 inches x 6 inches $100 + shipping

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

When we were in Carlsbad, California, I took an afternoon to visit the old Catholic mission there. It was built in 1798 and has been restored to very near its original condition. There are beautiful gardens outside and inside the mission and it made a perfect site for doing watercolor landscapes and architectural paintings. Like the previous post, I painted this quick study on yupo paper, a plastic-like paper that doesn’t allow the paint to sink in. The colors remain bright and vibrant. Perfect for a hot, sunny day!