Laguna from Treasure Island Park

12" X 9" Watercolor on Arches CP

Available: bobbi@bobbibina.com

Quickly painted in Treasure Island Park in front of the Montage Resort. What a gorgeous find this place is!! The lighting was so magical - overcast but luminous. I returned a few days later to do an oil that is still in process.

Niguel Preserve Overlook

12" X 9" oil on canvas board

available: bobbi@bobbibina.com

Learning the best spots for plein air painting is always a challenge in a new area. I've found that joining up with a class or organized painting groups is key to getting going. I've met a lot of really talented and just plain great people already here in Orange  County. I'm loving this new location!

Strauss Ranch Sycamore

9" X 12" Oil on panel

available: bobbi@bobibina.com

Late in posting this one. Not sure why but I kept looking at it and altering little things.  That's not usually a good thing! I was attracted to the little stream in front of the tree. Most of the water in these parts is all dried up from the scorching summer heat. But this was earlier in the summer after the late, for the season, rains.

Mission Creek Pastel

View to the Mission

pastel on panel, 12" X 16"

available: bobbi@bobbibina.com

This pastel was done in the studio using a combination of photos from Mission Creek, Santa Barbara and Placerita Canyon, closer to home. The lighting and vegetation were remarkably similar. My photos from Mission Creek were a bit too dark and the foliage was too dense to see much in the distance. I took artist license here and "voila"! You can see the Mission in the distance. Actually, I did see it from where I took the real photo but it wasn't working for me in this size and format.

Carpinteria

Carpinteria, Floral Carpet
Oil on panel, 9" X 12"
Available: bobbi@bobbibina.com

Another SCAPE paint-out painting. I started this one and discovered that I was standing in the midst of a tar pit. The infamous Carpinteria Tar Pits are nearby but the tar also seems to ooze out in lots of unsuspecting places. Count one pair of old tennis shoes as victims of this phenomenon! I also visited the nearby Harbor Seal Rookery - fascinating! Hundreds of seals were beached here to give birth to their cubs. Volunteers from the Sea Watch group were there to gave us a lot of information about the seals and their behaviors. Another reason to be in love with this whole area!

Botanical Garden Plein Air

Spring Garden Bloom
Oil on panel, 12" X 9"
Sold

Painted this on a workshop day at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden with guidance and help of Lynn Gertenbach. Lynn is an awesome professional artist and teacher as well as a super nice person! I met her one day while painting at the King Gillette Ranch on my own. I look forward to many more workshop and casual painting sessions with Lynn as she lives not too far from me. She is a signature member of The California Art Club; Plein-Air Painters Of America; and Oil Painters Of America. Check out Lynn's web site to see her beautiful works.

Santa Barbara-Plein air

Goleta Slough Mustard

Oil on canvas, 10" X 8"

Available: bobbi@bobbibina.com for details.

I have been so lucky to find and participate with the SCAPE painting group. It encompasses two things I am passionate about. Painting and preserving our precious environment. SCAPE = Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment. I've had the pleasure of meeting many new friends and painting companions. It has been a link to several other art opportunities and I am SO grateful for all the new experiences. These people REALLY know where to find inspirational painting spots and it's always beneficial to chat and share with everyone. Thank you SCAPE!

King Gillette Oak

Sunlit Oak
Oil on canvas, 10" X 8"
available, contact: bobbi@bobbibina.com

I've been doing a fair amount of plein air painting in oil recently. This was painted several weeks ago at the King Gillette Ranch. Central California is a great inspiration for this land locked, mid-west born painter. I'm drawn to the coastal areas in particular but living in Valencia and about an hours drive from the coast, I am getting more practice inland. That's not exactly a hardship as the variety and beauty between here and the ocean is phenomenal! I am still finding my way with oil and landscapes but have had some breakthroughs due to watching others with such great skill and just plain "sticking with it" at times. This is one of my earlier attempts. I'll post a few more in the next days.

Small works

Playing Koi

3.5 X 2.5 watercolor

Myrtle Turtle

3.5 X 2.5 watercolor

Ms Piggy

2.5 X 3.5 watercolor

A few more little animals works here that I wanted to publish before digging in to the oils and pastels. I have a renewed commitment to PRODUCE over the next few weeks. Hoping to get a couple of venues to show work in the really near future! Will post them as they happen.

Available by contacting bstegora@mac.com

Countryside near Apt, France

Vineyard Guardian

9 x 12 Pastel
Sold

I've really missed painting in pastel and a painting session in Ojai, CA a couple of weeks ago made realize I just had to return to this medium. It was a great experience with new friends I met after a search for plein air groups in this area. The subject is from a photo taken on a trip to Provance in 2007. This was one of several heart stopping scenes I tried to document with my camera for later interpretation in paint. This painting is now an entry for the Santa Paula Art Show, March 17- April, 7. Anxious to see all the other entries at the opening reception on Saturday, March 27.

Painting is available by contacting me at bstegora@mac.com

Finally Back!

Polar Protection
2.5 X 3.5

Romeo
2.5 X 3.5

Gertie
2.5 X 3.5

Sheepish
2.5 X 3.5

Out to Pasture
2.5 X 3.5

So just where has the time gone? I can't believe how long it has been since my last post. Moving to Valencia was hard for me - painting wise. I'm now back in the saddle and will post some things that I have done in the hiatus. Also I'm committing to posting on a regular basis again. I'll see how it goes but I hope at least once a week. I've recently found some wonderful and inspirational groups to paint with so that should be a great help. I'll share more about them in the future.

One of the things I've done to keep in practice is a series of ACT cards (aka: ACEOs) with the theme of "Compassion". They've all been animals so far but I intend to add human subjects as well in the near future. In case you're not familiar with ATCs read this link for an explanation.

Please contact me for purchase of originals at bstegora@mac.com

Torrey Pines–Razor Point

View of Razor Point in Torrey Pines State Reserve

12" X 9"

Saturday was a glorious day so I chose to go painting instead of hiking with DH. The trails were busy with lots of other weekend adventurers. Full sun but winter temps made it a perfect outside day. 

Painting available for sale by contacting me at bstegora@mac.com

San Diego - January

Sunset Cliffs

Watercolor on Arches  12" X 9"
SOLD 

Still find it hard to believe that this is a January scene of the gorgeous coastline area known as Sunset Cliffs. Painted outside for a SDWS event on Saturday morning. And, what a beautiful morning it was to share an outdoor paint out with other San Diego Watercolor Society members. No bugs, No sun screen needed, No wind, No curious tourists, NO SNOW! Perfection.

Sorry, Minnesota friends and family. Wish you were here.  

Watercolor available for sale by contacting me at bstegora@mac.com

New Year, New Moon

New Moon Solitude

8.75 X 6.75

Watercolor on Arches HP

I'm an early riser these days. Never have a problem getting up in the dark since I discovered my favorite morning ritual. Here it is: 20 -30 minutes of meditation, a bit of reading and a pre-dawn walk with my four legged alarm clock, Maddie. This painting attempts to show the beauty of this peaceful time of day. I also thought it an appropriate posting for the new year. Wishing you all peace and beauty in 2009!

This watercolor is available for purchase. Contact me by email at bstegora@mac.com

Summer version: Bob & Joan

Bob & Joan II

Watercolor and graphite, 7" X 10"

NFS

The holiday approaches and I am finished with this in the nick of time. My Dad was seeming jealous of the painting I had done of them for Mom's birthday so I thought I'd even things up with this one as a gift for him. I still may tweak it a bit.

Handsome Couple

Bob & Joan

Graphite and watercolor, 6.5" X 7.5"

NFS

In process graphite drawing with start of watercolor washes.

As I mentioned before, my parents are having some major health issues. I painted this from an old  photograph of them standing on a frozen Minnesota lake. I think, taken as they were just dating. What I loved about the image is that it shows such happy, loving faces from a much simpler time of their lives. Since I'm the oldest of their 4 children, I guess I was the kick start for all the adventures they would later have. This is also a gift for my mother's birthday next weekend. And, shhhhh, don't tell her  .  .  .  it's a secret! 

Road to Vegas

Mohave Joshua Tree

10.75" X 8"

We traveled through this gorgeous desert country on our journey to Las Vegas in early June. As it turned out, that was the most memorable and enjoyable part of the trip. These trees were sprinkled all over the desert landscape. So awesome and foreign a landscape it was that the heat and the desolation sort of scared me. One feels quite vulnerable out here. Pretty opposite the more familiar Minnesota pine forest views. I have several more photos from this area that beg to be done in pastels.

This painting is available for sale. Please contact me at bstegora@mac.com

Beachside Palms

Beachside Palms

10.75" X 8

I don't think this is officially a beach. Maybe more like a picturesque little bay. Painted near the Model Yacht Pond on Vacation Island near Mission Bay, San Diego.  This scene reminds me of old postcards of California in 50's. All that's missing is the "Wish you were here!" swooshed across it. 

This watercolor is available for purchase. Contact me by email at btegora@mac.com 

International House at Balboa Park

China House

Watercolor on #140 Arches 10.75" X 8"

Click here to bid on Ebay

I spent a beautiful sunny morning painting this one en plein air with the San Diego Watercolor Society Wednesday Morning Painters group. Several cottages representing various countries are grouped in a mini United Nations village near the Opera House in Balboa Park. I've walked past here countless times but had no idea what was just a few steps beyond the street access. Only open to visit on sundays so I'll be back here to explore the interiors at a later date.

I'm Back!

Hangin' Out

Watercolor on Arches Cold Press #140 (8.5 X 5.5)

NFS

I wasn't posting but I have been painting. I've got two unfinished oil paintings from a Coastal Plein Air class that I'm attending every weekend. It's been a great experience for finding some new spots in the SD area for painting subjects. On Wednesday I also joined a group from the SD Watercolor Society  for a group paint on site in Balboa Park. I hope to get that one finished and post it by tomorrow. 

The Schnauzer painting is of our Maddie dog hanging over the back of the couch (a favorite perch). I've painted this one with my Dad in mind as he has had some serious health issues lately. Thought this might cheer him up as he has always had a special love for dogs and Maddie has been a welcome house guest in the past.