Eagle Perch at Silver Lake

Watercolors have been my life these last few months, and I love taking my small watercolor bag with me on trips to the mountains.  This past weekend was a wonderful opportunity to sit by Silver Lake, an hour's drive from my home, listen to the trill of an eagle that had just landed on this tree, and dip my brush in moist watercolor pigment.  I feel a part of the landscape when I paint it.  It's an experience like no other, to return to that quiet place every time I look at this tiny representation in my painting journal. 

August Afternoon, Woods Lake ... Watercolor by Julie Trail

    There is no place lovelier than Woods Lake on a summer afternoon, the long rays of afternoon sunshine glowing on the sheets and cliffs and mounds and crumbling boulders of granite.  Woods Lake is at 8200 feet in the Sierra, just under Carson Pass.  It's tucked in a wooded hollow under the piles of granite that make up Round Top Peak.  
   I spent last Thursday and Friday up there painting.  This watercolor was done in my studio from photos and two plein air sketches I made on location.  Seeing the Landscape is a passion, and this painting is my effort to translate this beautiful place for you!

"Proud Fella" by Julie Trail

   
        This proud rooster was strutting in the shadows at the Amador County Fair last Thursday.  His owner owns a poultry business and "Dee-oh-gee" is his pet!   "D-O-G"!!  The painting was done in my studio from a group of photos I took.  I love the way the sunlight dappled the grass surrounding him, and hit some highlights on his pure white feathers.  Chickens are always fun to paint! 

"Morning Light" by Julie Trail

 

      I met two friends last Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. to paint at the Historical Society in Jackson, CA.  This is one of Jackson's beautiful old brick houses.  The long rays of July sunshine were brilliant at this early hour.  As always, the challenge was to get the value contrasts strong enough to show how bright the light was, to attempt a play of values across the canvas by showing light against dark and dark against light to give rhythm to the shapes.  It is always a struggle, but so wonderful to get a jump on the day and paint on location!

Painting Silver Lake and Thunder Mountain by Julie Trail

       Friday was a perfect day to paint Silver Lake, elevation 7500 ft. in the Sierra, with several painting buddies.  The subtle gradations of color in the distant forest was a considerable challenge.  As difficult as it was to interpret such a gorgeous mountain setting, the cool breeze, bright sunshine, refreshing water at my feet made such a challenge fun and exciting!

I turned around and was captivated by the afternoon sun glaring off brilliant granite outcroppings.  My friend added bright orange and red kayaks to his painting, but I ran out of time and left it pristine and quiet, a place I will return to again and again.

    Thunder Mountain is a mighty Sierra peak, and always a challenge to paint, as the sunlight moves quickly across the rugged face of this cliff.   How to show the monumental size of a mountain on a small square of canvas?  How to inform the viewer of the myriad colors and values playing across the landscape?  I'll be back again soon in my ongoing effort to show the beauty of Silver Lake.

Changing Light

Clouds were rolling in over Lake Tahoe, the wind was picking up. The day was glorious with sunlight peeking among the clouds. Few tourists, few boats, and a quiet two hours in Zephyr Cove gave me time to make an effort to capture the beauty of this landscape. What joy!

December Sunshine

What a gorgeous winter day it was, just before New Year's, along the Upper Truckee River in South Lake Tahoe. A few splotches of snow in the shadows, some ice along the river, and bright sunshine everywhere else! I've never enjoyed a winter day as much as those this past week! This little painting is my tribute to December sunshine.

Along the Creek by Julie Trail

Ruth and I almost froze our patooties this morning when we met in Amador City to paint. But the sun came up, the warm rays thawed us out and made for a beautiful painting morning! The shadows are long and dark these winter solstice days, but the warm colors of fading autumn make beautiful brights! I love the contrast between darks and lights!

Changing Season by Julie Trail

The change of season in Northern California Foothills is an artist's dream. I love nothing more than the bright hues of November. The air is crisp. The birds are migrating. This stand of brush in the Shenandoah Valley inspired me!

Path to the Barn

Ruth Andre and I met for a painting day just as the fog was clearing. We had a view of the foothills that went on forever, and this barn captured my interest. I'm thinking I need cows in the painting, as these cows entertained us with their bells ringing a tune during the hours we were there! Should I take a chance and plop a couple or three brownish blobs to approximate the cows? Or be safe and leave the grassy hillside alone?

Cottonwoods

These cottonwoods grow along Sutter Creek and always attract my attention for their tangled branches and wonderful colors. Ruth Andre and I painted this morning under mixed sun and fog. It was a beautiful morning! Spent the afternoon recreating the scene with a watercolor....a photo coming soon!

Out in the Country

After painting a small oil study of this little country road, I couldn't resist doing a watercolor in the studio. I'm not sure I like using masking fluid to keep the lights on the tree and windblown leaves. I may do it again without masking fluid! I'm exploring textures these days, lots of spattering and flicking of color!

Gnarly Oak was painted last week with my painting buddy, Ruth Andre.

Today, Ruth and I painted on Stringbean Alley in front of the Sutter Creek Gold Mine. You can turn any which way on these old country roads and find a painting! Thus: "String Bean Alley" was a self-evident name for this painting.

I turned around, and this little meadow with wispy brush just being touched by the sun called out to me. The coopers hawks were shrieking overhead, the 43 degree air was freezing my fingers, but this meadow looked so warm and inviting! "Sunny Meadow" seems a fitting title.

Fall Colors, Hope Valley

Today I used oil paint to capture the colors of Hope Valley. Fussier, messier, gloppy slippery paint! Love the feel of oil paint! Not nearly as subtle as watercolor! How much fun to spend a Sunday afternoon painting!

Young Aspens before the Snow

The colors in Hope Valley every October delight travelers crossing the Sierra. A painter must stop and take a thousand photos, and if time allows, pull out the paintbox to capture the sunlight on quaking aspens. This tiny grove, hidden behind some firs, was a world of its own, fifty yards from the highway, in another universe! Beautiful!

A Landscape Painter's Bliss

Seeing the Landscape with a paintbrush deepens my experience in the wild places that surround my home in the foothills of Northern California. From the corner near my house, where thistles strangle a cattle rancher's fence line, to the granite expanses of the Sierra Nevada, an hour's drive east, I discover over and over again the joy of recreating what I see on paper or canvas.

It's the painting of a landscape that I love, either watercolor or oil! But I also teach watercolor techniques twice a week to a changing group of painters, beginners to more accomplished artists. By teaching the skills I use, I reaffirm my discoveries in this amazing world called Art.

Nothing surpasses the immediacy of painting en plein air, on location, the sun at my back, the wind in my hair. I get lost in the experience and feel transported, somehow, to a heavenly place where nothing matters but trying to capture the beauty before me. What joy it is!

Then, returning to my studio, I recapture the essence of my days outdoors by referring to the sketches I made and the photos I took , as I create a new, larger painting with more time allowed for accomplishing the goal I've set for myself. In the studio I can tweak and play, no bugs biting, no wind blowing, no sun blinding!

Join me in this rapture, the joy of seeing the landscape through my eyes. I share with you examples of my work to tempt you into this star-blessed life I've discovered. Enjoy the journey!