Randall Smith - Original Paintings from Nature

Early Autumn

2011-12-21T21:25:00.001-08:00

12 x 6 pastel on sanded paper

Ok, ok. It's way past Autumn but remembering all of the bright colors on the day I painted this warmed me up today.

This painting is available at DailyPaintworks

Back to the Lagoon

2011-12-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

8 x 10 oil on panel

We had a break in the rain storms and I had to get out. So, I scooted down to the beach. It was still a little windy so I headed to the lagoon where it was just perfect! Warm, no wind. Ahhhhh.....

This painting is available at DailyPaintworks

Leaving Town

2011-12-14T21:57:00.000-08:00

5 x 7 gouache on watercolor paper
This little study is from a photo I took on the way out of Borrego Springs – just as the light was fading.

Backwater

2011-12-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

8 x 10 oil on panel

Spent a delightful day with the San Diego Plein Air painting group down at Sunset Cliffs along the Pacific Ocean.
There's so much to paint there! I decided to turn away from the sweeping ocean views and try a little backwater area in one of the coves.

This painting is available at DailyPaintworks

Bow Willow

2011-12-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

5 x 7 gouache on watercolor paper

Here’s a little gouache study done at Bow Willow in the Borrego Valley. I’m having a lot of fun with this medium!

The painting is available at DailyPaintworks

Last Light–Borrego Springs

2011-12-10T21:38:00.000-08:00

11 x 14 oil on panel

Back to the cold, rainy weather today. So, I blew the dust off an old memory and photo of a warm, late evening walk through the little desert town of Borrego Springs.

Old Sycamore

2011-12-03T21:33:00.000-08:00

7 x 5 Gouache on watercolor paper

Got way too busy this week and started to neglect my painting itch so I stopped and painted this old sycamore that's been haunting me. It's been dropping leaves so fast and I wanted to catch it before it looked like winter...

‘X’ Marks the Spot

2011-11-25T21:41:00.000-08:00

10 x 8 oil on panel

I've been dying to try painting with knives so with a long weekend I decided to give it a try on this old photo I have of some criss-crossed trees in Southern Utah. Definitely different than the brushes!

Lookout Trail

2011-11-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

7 x 5 Gouache on watercolor paper

Here’s another little gouache study from a recent hike at Daley Ranch, here in north San Diego County.

November Demo

2011-11-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

9 x 12 pastel on Uart paper

I had an opportunity give a demonstration for the Pastel Society of San Diego on November 20th. I had a wonderful time with a fantastic group of artists.

A special thank you to President Debbie Johnson for being a gracious host and to Karen Howard for the photos.

Zion Study #3

2011-11-14T21:30:00.001-08:00

5 x 7 gouache on watercolor paper

Rain all day so I decided to paint something sunny!

Pala Valley #2

2011-11-10T21:52:00.001-08:00

4 x 8 gouache on watercolor paper

Here’s today’s study. This is also in gouache…..

Zion Study #2

2011-11-05T19:49:00.001-07:00

5 x 7 gouache on watercolor paper

Another little gouache study, this time of A view from the Emerald Pools trail in Zion NP.

This painting is available at DailyPaintworks

Pala Valley

2011-11-04T14:23:00.001-07:00

4 x 8 gouache on watercolor paper
Here’s another little gouache study done from a photo I took last spring while attending a workshop by John Budicin. It was a wonderful week and John’s a great teacher.

This painting is available at DailyPaintworks

Lower Twin Lake

2011-11-02T21:24:00.001-07:00

4 x 6 gouache on watercolor paper

Here’s another little gouache study. I’m infatuated with this medium so I’ll probably be doing these for a while….

Forest for the Trees

2011-10-31T22:06:00.001-07:00

5 x 7 gouache on watercolor paper

Here’s another little gouache study on watercolor paper. I’m having a lot of fun with these and plan on doing some more. It’s also an excellent way to sharpen skills of composition, color and value without investing many hours.

This painting is available at Daily Paintworks

A Few Little Studies

2011-10-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

5 x 7 gouache on watercolor paper

7 x 5 gouache on watercolor paper

One of the things I tried on my recent painting weekend was starting some of my paintings with a little gouache study. I've only tried them once before, several years ago but I had a bag of little tubes and a watercolor pad so I decided to "go for it".

Hidden

2011-10-26T10:29:00.001-07:00

12 x 16 pastel on Pastelmat
One of the highlights of my recent trip to Joshua Tree NP was a hike I took into an area named the Wonderland of Rocks. About a mile or two in I found this little side canyon that opened up into a hidden grotto. Magnificent! I spent many hours there painting and sketching without seeing another soul.

This painting is available at Daily Paintworks

End of the Trail

2011-10-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

8 x 12 oil on linen panel

Here’s another little study I did on my recent trip to Joshua Tree NP. It was VERY hot and hazy. Fortunately, I found a nice sized juniper tree that I could hide under while I painted this!

2011-10-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

6 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

After many absent months I had a chance to meet up again with the San Diego Plein Air Group. I'm fine painting alone but it's really nice to paint with others. Got to get out and do this more often!

Sky Blue

2011-09-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

6 x 12 pastel on sanded paper

I've been staring at two wonderful blue pastels that someone gave me several weeks ago. So tonight I decided to try and use them, one way or another...

Busy!

2011-09-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

8 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

Been way too busy at work. Not enough time to do the fun stuff - Paint! Out of frustration I dashed off this quick sketch this morning before I left for the salt mines.

Pastel Demo

2011-09-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

A while back I did a pastel demo which was recorded on video. I have since edited it into a time-lapsed version and posted it on YouTube. It's still a bit long and the finished painting underwent some much needed clean-up and revision after the demo but here it is. It's kind of fun to watch the process in high speed.

2011-09-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

9 x 9 pastel on sanded paper

Went up to the local mountains this weekend and everything is dry, dry, dry. I did find a little green in the dry lake bed so, that's were I settled for the morning.

Tangled

2011-09-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

8 x 10 oil on canvas panel

This is a favorite Michigan fly fishing spot of mine (looking away from the river, of course).

This painting is available at Daily Paintworks

Warm

2011-09-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 pastel on sanded paper

After all the heat we're now back to the fog. From one extreme to another. We're not used to have actual weather here in Soutern California!

It was cool and damp when I got home tonight do I decided to paint something that would warm me up...

Regatta

2011-09-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

14 x 18 pastel on PastelMat

Back to the 100 degree weather here in Southern California. So to cool off I decided to paint a much cooler scene. This is another view of Lake Huron on a cool afternoon. The wind was almost calm but there must have been a breeze of some sort because these boats were making steady progress.

2011-09-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

6 x 8 pastel on paper

Odd day here in sunny California. Thunderstorms! These are very rare here, especially near the coast. I planned on spending the day outside painting but only managed this hasty sketch before the rain stated. Oh well...

Available at Daily Paintworks

A Walk at the Big Lake

2011-09-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 pastel on La Carte paper

I'm still going through photos from our Michigan trip. I came across the one I used for this painting and instantly remembered the cool morning when I took it. Translating it into pastels was like walking the beach again. Guess that's why we do this!

Available at Daily Paintworks

Zion Canyon Rocks

2011-08-31T21:27:00.001-07:00

6 x 8 pastel on La Carte paper

Someone gave me some of the La Carte paper and I've been playing around it the last few days. Wow, it's pretty different than what I'm use to. But I think I like it. It seems a little more difficult to get the finer detail marks but maybe that's just because I'm not used to it yet.

This painting is available on Daily Paintworks

Riverside Meadow

2011-08-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 pastel on La Carte paper

Finally got tired of the "Hot Weather" theme I was on so I pulled out a photo from my recent trip back to Michigan that I took on an evening walk along the Au Sable river. Awww. Much cooler now.

This painting is available at Daily Paintworks

Ring of Light

2011-08-29T12:26:00.001-07:00

8 x 12 Pastel on Uart paper

We've been having some very hot weather here in Southern California and although I should be dreaming of cool mountain streams, the heat inspired me to re-visit some images from a recent trip to the Anza Borrego desert area. It was pretty warm during that trip so we were doing most of our hiking early in the day.

Here in Sheep Canyon the sun was just starting to creep into the rocks. The other side was already fully illuminated which cast a golden yellow light into all of the shadows instead of the usual blues that would normally dominate. That warm light throughout is what I was trying to capture in this painting.

This painting is available at Daily Paintworks

Sails on Lake Huron

2011-08-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

14 x 18 Pan Pastels on PastelMat paper

It's been foggy here in Southern California but I've been thinking about sunny days so I pulled out one of my little studies from Michigan and tried something a little bigger from it. I also tried out the new pan pastels on this one.

This painting is available at Daily Paintworks

Back Home

2011-08-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted for a while because I was in Michigan for ten days. We just got back and I'm starting to unpack.

All the heat you've been reading about is so much more than true. 102 degrees with 95% humidity in Ann Arbor the day we arrived. Yikes! It cooled a bit as the week went on and we headed up north where it was bearable. We even got a bit of rain.

I had to be a little creative with the times and locations where I painted - mostly because of the heat.

The state has been a little short on rain so things were a bit dried out around the edges. But compared to Southern California it was very, very green.

Here are a few of the studies I did over the week. I'm still sorting through the sketches and studies but this is a little sampling.....

Some of these paintings are available at my Daily Paintworks gallery.

Gray Day

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

This was a very gray day. It rained quite hard later that evening.

Hidden

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

There were still a lot of wildflowers in spite of the drier weather. I was disappointed that there were only a few black eyed susans around but there was still plenty of color!

Lakeside Dunes

6 x 8 pastel

This was done one evening right outside the back door of the cabin where we were staying. There's not much water showing but this is on the shoreline of Lake Huron.

Sturgeon Point

6 x 8 pastel on sanded paper

Most people come here to see the lighthouse (almost behind me as I painted this) but I was fascinated with this view across the lawn - looking out on the big lake.

Tawas Bay

8 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

This was done at the home of another well know lighthouse. Not surprising, I decided to face in another direction and paint this gorgeous view looking south across Tawas Bay.

Sun Streaked

6 x 8 pastel

This is a veiw along the Au Sable river - at a place were I often go fly fishing earlier in the summer. This time the hot weather was showing in the dried grasses along the path. The morning started out pleasant but by the time I finished this it was pushing into the 90's again. Back to the Lake!

Pink Sands

2011-07-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

5 x 7 pastel on Uart Paper

I'm trying to put together a small set of pastels that will work on our trip to Michigan next week so I'm doing some very small sketches with different combinations. I'm using photos from our last trip to help get the right colors.

This painting is available at: Daily Paintworks

Owens Valley Sunset

2011-07-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

6 x 12 Pastel on PastelMat paper

Yep, I'm still playing around with the new PanPastels. There's a lot to figure out but I can see a lot of potential with this product. Next, I want to try a lot of different papers and see how they compare.

This painting is available at: Daily Paintworks

Bishop, Ca

2011-07-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

8 x 10 pastel on PastelMat paper

Here's another study using the Pan Pastels. These are going to be fun!

This painting is available on auction at my new gallery at Daily Paintworks. I'm trying this out as an alternative to the other less-friendly auction sites. Let me know what you think.

Mono Lake Thunderstorm

2011-07-03T20:13:00.001-07:00

I finally cracked open the PanPastels that I received a few weeks ago. I was inspired by the fabulous cloud paintings by Deborah Secor.

These things are definitely different and its going to take a while to get get used to them. In the mean time - what fun!

9 x 12 PanPastels on PastelMat

Black Eyed Susans

2011-07-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

We don't have these wonderful flowers out here in Southern California but they were all over the place in Michigan last summer. Had to give it a try!

11 x 14 Pastel on sanded paper

Hillside Flowers

2011-07-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Been thinking about the great spring we had this year. Everything's pretty much brown and dead now but I still have a bunch of photos.....

8 x 10 Pastel on board

2011-06-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

I'm playing around with a new set of pastels. This is a quick sketch of a view close to my home.

6 x 8 pastel on Uart paper

More Big Rocks

2011-06-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend I came across another photo from our recent trip to Borrego Springs and I had to paint it. This was pretty far back in Palm Canyon where just a small shaft of light was sneaking in.

12 x 12 pastel on PastelMat paper

Au Sable River Shoreline

2011-06-12T19:35:00.001-07:00

While I have a break at work, I'm trying to do at least one painting a day. This is today's from a photo I took in Michigan a couple of summers ago. We're going back again this year so I'm trying to tune up a bit before we go...

8 x 10 pastel on PastelBoard

Nocturne

2011-06-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've never done a nocturne before so I thought I'd give it a try. I think I'm hooked..

This one was done in pastels using a new Great American set that I just got.

8 x 10 pastel on PastelBoard

Bishop Creek Canyon

2011-06-09T19:58:00.001-07:00

Came across some photos from a fishing trip I took to Bishop Creek canyon in the Eastern Sierra and I couldn't resist painting this view across one of the little lakes....

8 x 10 oil on linen panel

Lake Huron

2011-05-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning out some gear and found this little lost study from my trip to Michigan last summer. One of the perks of getting older is that life is full of surprises!

5 x 10 oil on linen panel

Bishop Valley

2011-05-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is a quick little study that I did from a photo I took in the Sierra foothills – just north of Bishop, Ca.

I’ve gotten back to the small, quick studies to help me keep it simple and, hopefully, avoid too many fussy details.

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

Back to the Lake

2011-05-22T20:20:00.001-07:00

Had an unexpected 2 hour window to go out and paint so I scooted over to Lake Hodges and painted while sitting on the tailgate of my truck. Ahh... luxury.

8 x 10 oil on linen panel

River Shade

2011-05-20T10:48:00.001-07:00

Here's a very quick study I did this evening from a photo I took on the Virgin River in Utah. As I remember, it was close to 100 degrees that day and I found this shady little place by a big rock. I can hardly wait for summer!

8 x 10 oil on linen panel

Evening at the Lagoon

2011-05-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

I had a problem making up my mind today. I used pencil, charcoal, marker, conte, watercolors and pastel on watercolor paper. Don't know what got into me...

12 x 16 multi-media on watercolor paper

Lake Detour

2011-05-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Long day at work so I took a detour on the way home to a lake by my house for a quick study. Definitely the best therapy!

8 x 10 oil on linen panel

Getting caught up…

2011-05-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Busy, Busy. It’s been a while since I posted. I’ve been trying a lot of new techniques. Some worked out – many didn’t. Oh well, that’s why they call them “studies”….

Here are a few recent paintings that worked out a bit.

Santa Isabel Valley Wildflowers

12 x 24 pastel on sanded paper

Wilderness Gardens

8 x 10 oil on linen panel

Padre Dam Trail

8 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

Bataquitos Lagoon

9 x 12 pastel on sanded paper

Lake Hodges Hillside

8 x 16 pastel on sanded paper

Rocks!

2011-04-15T21:30:00.001-07:00

Just felt like painting rocks tonight!

8 x 10 pastels on Pastelmat

Behind the Inn

2011-04-07T22:10:00.001-07:00

Here's another quick study from our weekend in Borrego Springs. It was rather breezy so I hunkered down behind the Inn where we were staying to hide out from the wind.

8 x 10 watercolor and pastel on Pastelboard

Last Light

2011-04-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days out in Borrego Springs. Love that place. I was thrilled to have a chance to see the last exhibit day at the Borrego Art Institute from the Borrego Plein Air Invitational in March. Lots of inspiring work to see!

This one was done as the last light left the west end of the canyon. In fact, it got dark enough that it almost turned into a nocturne!

6 x 8 watercolor and pastel on Pastelboard

Rainy Morning at the Lagoon

2011-03-31T06:41:00.001-07:00

Well, the weatherman said 80 degrees! WooHoo! So I drove down to the beach. Fog! Drizzly, rainy fog. Oh well. I'm on this watercolor underpainting kick and I was dying to try it outdoors so.... Good thing I had an umbrella in the car.

Drizzle + watercolors + pastels = Yikes!

6 x 8 pastels on Uart paper

More of the Same

2011-03-27T20:05:00.001-07:00

Yep, still painting oak trees…

9 x 12 pastels on sanded paper

The Sentinal

2011-03-24T16:00:00.001-07:00

Every time I go hiking in the old ranch grounds of what is now called Wilderness Gardens Preserve I walk by this enormous old oak tree. It's certainly been around longer than I have. I've been dying to paint it but it's so imposing and dominating on the landscape I don't really know how to approach it.

I decided I would try sneaking up on it a little bit at a time. So here's a stab at just the big ol' trunk. If I get a little braver I'll move back next time and take a stab at the whole thing. Maybe....

9 x 12 pastels on Pastelboard

Big Red

2011-03-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

More cool, rainy weather coming in and I'm starting to dream about going back to Zion and the southwest red rock country. Looks like it's going to be a while, though, so I'm living in some of the photos from my last trip...

8 x 10 pastels on pastelboard

Over The Hill

2011-03-14T19:41:00.001-07:00

Well, not me – I hope!

This was the view from the top of a trail I hiked today in Pala Valley. Boy was I glad that I put together a smaller pastel kit. It was a pretty steep trail!

8 x 10 pastels on sanded paper

Zion Morning

2011-03-07T21:24:00.001-08:00

More rain so I riffled through some of my redrock photos from Zion NP and picked out this one from last fall. It was so rich and red and I tried to capture that. Hopefully I didn't get too carried away!

8 x 10 pastels on pastelboard

Finally, some sun!

2011-03-01T22:08:00.001-08:00

Sunday was cold but no rain so I scooted out to Daily Ranch and did this study. There was mud everywhere and setting up was an adventure. Behind me was Palomar Mountain - completely covered with snow. You would never know this was Southern California!

8 x 10 pastel on pastelboard

Horseshoe Lake

2011-02-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

To cope with the cold, rainy weather I've become obsessed with summer time in the Sierras. This is my third mountain painting in two days. And I'm in Southern California! If I had to live where y'all are buried in snow right now - I'd go nutz!

9 x 12 pastel on sanded paper

Lambert Dome

2011-02-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

Another cold, rainy day so I turned on the heater and moused through some photos on my computer. I found one from last summer when I stopped by Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite NP. It was a warm, dry fall day when I took this photo so it seemed fitting to try this on a cold, wet day.

9 x 12 oil on linen panel

Distractions

2011-02-09T06:49:00.001-08:00

Sat down with my bowl of Cheerios this morning and looked out the window just as the sun was coming up. Gorgeous! So, of course, I had to pull out my little pastel box and scribble out this little study.

Unfortunately, my Cheerios got pretty soggy and a few of them started looking more like Fruit Loops so I tossed them and started over. Late for work too. Oh well.....

5 x 7 Pastel on sanded board

Carlsbad Pathway

2011-01-25T17:05:00.001-08:00

Here’s a very quick (30 minute) study of a little unnamed path very close to where I work. I’m playing with some new paints and trying to keep myself moving through a study quickly so I don’t start thinking too much!

4 x 6 oil on canvas panel

So Much Green

2011-01-19T10:22:00.001-08:00

With apologies to all of you who are buried in snow - Wow! It bumped 85 degrees today here in sunny Southern California.

No way I was going to stay in the house so I scooted out to one of my favorite spots in Pala Valley. After all the rain we had several weeks ago everything is green, green, green.

8 x 10 pastels on sanded paper

Leaving the Ranch

2011-01-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy weekend but I did manage to sit down for a while Sunday morning and get my painting fix. This one's from a photo I took out at the Pala Ranch a few weeks ago - before the weather got all goopy and cold.

11 x 14 oil on linen panel

Sunrise on the Watertank

2011-01-02T20:36:00.001-08:00

Woke up yesterday to a fabulous sunrise out my kitchen window and after a lot of internal debate (it was 30 degrees outside - cold for Southern California) I decided to haul out my painting kit and dash off this little 6 x 8.

6 x 8 oil on linen panel

Up the Hill

2010-12-18T22:20:00.001-08:00

Boy! Did I want to get out and paint today. But - rain, rain rain. So I went to a photo that I took last week when the weather was clear and worked some more with my limited pastel palette.

8 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

Another Desert Study

2010-12-17T21:35:00.001-08:00

I had a 45 minute window to do a little painting so I scribbled out this little study from a photo I took on a recent trip to Sedona. I'm still playing around with my mini kit - trying to decide which pastels to take. Decisions, decisions....

6 x 8 pastel on sanded paper

Traveling Light with Pastels

2010-12-14T12:33:00.001-08:00

With the arrival of winter here in Southern California and probably the best light of the year, I’ve been spending most of my brush time outdoors. A recently renewed interest in pastels got me thinking about a better way to move that medium outdoors as well.

I’ve been using a wonderful backpacker box from Heilman Designs that works very well outdoors. The main problem is mine – I can’t keep myself from filling up the box with as many pastels as I can cram in there. The result is a very versatile kit that also weighs about eight pounds for the box alone. With everything else you need to carry that’s a lot if you travel more than a short distance from your car.

I know myself well enough to expect that if I walk away from my car I’m quite likely to end up two or three miles away. Wanderitis is what an old friend called it. So, I decided to put together a smaller pastel pochade box that would be lighter and smaller (so I’m not tempted to overfill it).

I’ve tried this before with small cardboard or cigar boxes for pastels and a small board to draw on but it always turned out to be too many pieces to keep track of. Also, I really like having a fixed support to paint on instead of holding something in one hand or on my lap. I decided to look for something else.

What I came up with was a small pochade box with enough space to store a basic collection of pastels but not so big that weight could become an issue. Pastels are heavy little buggers and once you gather up 80 or 100 of them it’s surprising how much weight you can create. Artwork Essentials has a number of boxes that will do this well but are all a bit big. Ben Haggett’s Alla Prima boxes are marvelous and can also be adapted but again are just a bit heavier than I was thinking.

So here’s what I found:

This is a little 10 x 12 box from Sienna Plein Air. These are lightweight, reasonably priced pochade boxes with some interesting features including an optional pastel container that you can see in the top photo. They’re all made overseas and certainly not as well constructed as Ben’s pochade boxes but I’m hoping that the one I selected will hold up. I’ll report back on how this unit fares. The final weight of the box with the pastel tray, clip-on extension and pastels is about 4.5 pounds. Much better!

So that was the hard part, right? Well, I thought so until I went to fill the tray with pastels. My Heilman box holds about 200+ half-sticks and the new one holds about 80. What do I take and what stays behind? I fussed over this for hours and in the end I just tried to select a range of values from the warm and cool family of each color group. After a couple of trips I’ve swapped out a few sticks for ones that I left out and don’t think I could live without. Otherwise I just need to get used to the idea that I’m not going to have the choices I’m used to in the studio.

But here’s the interesting thing. The fear I had about being restricted in the colors I have available is not only less than I expected but in a way it’s kind of liberating! Instead of sweating over finding that perfect green I only have a few choices so I just pick one and move on. I’m finding that this helps keep the session more spontaneous and as long as I get that value right… It may just be me but I feel like the studies I’ve done, so far, have been a little fresher.

Of course, I’m notoriously fickle when it comes to equipment so we’ll see where this all leads. But in the meantime I’m a happy painter.

Fall in December

2010-12-12T08:04:00.001-08:00

I had so much fun with my new pastel sketch box that I took it out to Pala Valley this morning. It's really tricky using a smaller number of pastels but I'm thinking that in a way it makes it a little easier. Fewer choices to fuss over.

We finally got some morning frost a couple of weeks ago and now the perpetually confused trees here in Southern California decided that it was fall and went all colorful on us. Nice! It'll only last another week or so. Maybe I'll try to get out again tomorrow.

8 x 8 pastel on sanded paper

For purchase information please contact: Randall Smith

Quickie at the Park

2010-12-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Oops. Maybe I should re-phrase that

I've been whining about being so busy at work and not having a chance to get out and paint so I decided to pack up a sandwich and my little sketch box and head out to a park close to work during my lunch hour and see what I could come up with.

This one was done in about 30 minutes. Probably good for spontaneity but not so much for attention to details. But I sure had fun!

8 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

For purchase information please contact: Randall Smith

Big Rocks

2010-11-27T16:47:00.001-08:00

We're in between rain storms so I figured I should "make hay while the sun shines". So, I headed out to paint with the San Diego Plein Air Group in Santee - in East San Diego County.

Incredible weather. And, it's a great bonus that the early rains this year have started to green things up. So nice!

8 x 10 oil on canvas panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Canyon Junction

2010-11-23T19:20:00.001-08:00

Another rainy day so I started working my way through some of my photos from my Utah trip.

This was originally a little 6 x 8 study that I did one morning along the Pu’rus trail – just below Canyon Junction.

16 x 20 oil on canvas

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

John Budicin

2010-11-14T20:47:00.001-08:00

Spent a fabulous 3-day weekend painting at a workshop by John Budicin. John’s a great painter and teacher and we all had a wonderful time painting in the bright November sunshine. The weekend was hosted by Highland Valley Studio in Ramona CA.

I decided to work small so most of my efforts were 6 x 8 with a couple of 8 x 10’s. I need to go back into many of these studies and make some corrections in the studio. Until then, here are a few “in the rough”

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

6 x 12 oil on linen panel

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

To purchase one of these paintings contact: Randall Smith

Breakfast at the Lake

2010-11-07T19:51:00.001-08:00

With another storm coming in and too many things to get done today, I decided to sneak out early to Lake Wohlford for a quick study. Incredible morning. I'm glad I played hooky!

6 x 8 oil on linen panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Across the Canyon

2010-11-06T18:45:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while since I’ve worked with pastels so I thought I would shake things up a bit and bring out the chalk.

This is from a small 6 x 8 oil study that I did in Zion a couple of months ago. I’ve been there painting several times now and I still find it a very challenging place to figure out. Guess I’ll just have to go back again!

9 x 12 pastel on sanded paper

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Old Poway Park

2010-10-23T15:34:00.001-07:00

I woke up to more cloudy, rainy “stuff” this morning and pretty much resigned myself to a day of chores and painting inside. But after I got out of the shower I noticed this funny stuff on the ground. Shadows! The sun was out. So I threw everything in the truck and headed out to this historical park in Poway.

Lots of cool buildings but the crowds were bad so I found a place away from the crush, next to a footbridge. Of course, as soon as I got setup – bye bye sun. Oh well, at least it didn’t rain!

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

102 degrees

2010-10-20T07:39:00.001-07:00

I’m still fishing out studies from my recent trip to Zion. This one was done in the early afternoon when the temperature was at it’s worse. Thankfully, I found a nice shady spot to set up.

I don’t usually wear sunglasses when I paint (for the obvious reasons) but the direct, frontal light coming off of the white cliff across the canyon was dazzling! So, I donned the shades.

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Windy Cliff

2010-10-17T18:59:00.001-07:00

Here’s another study from my recent trip. This was done on a windy afternoon from the Overlook trail above Zion canyon. Fortunately, I found a little shade under a large juniper tree. Good thing because it was over 100 degrees!

9 x 12 oil on canvas panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Overlook Trail

2010-10-11T14:53:00.001-07:00

I'm just now getting around to unpacking the mess from my trip to Utah. I haven't yet unearthed any of my favorites but here's one I did on a 100 degree day from a trail overlooking the valley.

I don't usually work this large and, although it was cool enough when I started, it wasn't long before the heat chased me off the mountain...

12 x 18 oil on linen panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Hidden Valley

2010-10-11T14:51:00.001-07:00

I still haven't completely unpacked from my trip to Zion (crazy week) but I couldn't resist a chance to go out to Joshua Tree NP to paint today.

It was a bit warm and very windy so, in an effort to stay out of the breeze, I tucked into a sheltered spot in the box canyon called Hidden Valley and dashed this off rather quickly (did I mention it was warm?)

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

A Few from Zion

2010-10-11T13:00:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a week in Zion NP. Not one day under 100 degrees! Yikes. Still, it was cool in the morning and beautiful, as always.

I haven't had a chance to unpack everything and fish out most of my paintings but I did find my little pocket box with a few little 5 x 7 quick studies so I thought I would share those.

Zion is spectacular - and overwhelming. There's so much to look at and it's so difficult to separate out simple subjects. I can't wait to take my 200 + photos into the studio and see if I can make some sense of it all.

5 x 7 oil on canvas panel

To purchase any of these paintings please contact: Randall Smith

Here are a few “on location” photos

Big Bend – Zion Canyon

2010-09-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

As I prepare for my trip to Zion NP, I decided to do a few little “tune up” studies – just to get myself in the right frame of mind. This is from a photo I took on a windy day looking down the Virgin River.

Last year I got to see a wonderful painting of this spot by Utah artist Kate Starling. Inspiring!

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Another Foggy Day

2010-09-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

The fog is back here in "sunny?" Southern California. Boy, it's been a strange summer....

I spent the morning at Bataquitos Lagoon in an unusual rosy light that was illuminating the foggy sky. Kind of pretty, actually. I've been on a "working small" kick lately so this is a little 6x8 attempt.

6 x 8 oil on linen panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Balboa Park Pathway

2010-09-16T20:03:00.001-07:00

I had just a little time last Saturday and the itch to paint so I started this little 6 x 8 panel hoping to keep myself from spending too much time at it. Just to be sure, I put myself on a 40 minute timer. I thought it would make me antsy but I actually found it kind of helpful. Hmmmm....

6 x 8 oil on linen panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Mission San Diego de Alcala

2010-09-11T19:28:00.001-07:00

Another fun Saturday painting with the San Diego Plein Air Painters Meetup Group. This time we met at the old Mission.

There were lots of great views of the main facade but, as usual, I ended up stumbling into a little hidden walkway somewhere around the back of the Mission. It was socked in with fog when we got there but by the time I set up the sun made a showing. Gorgeous day!

8 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Gouache

2010-09-11T19:23:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I don’t get outside to paint because I don’t have several hours to lug out my gear and work through a study. But I can’t discount the value of being outdoors to sketch and study the light. So, what I need is a way to do some quick color studies along with pencil sketches.

I’ve been watching some very talented artists like Deborah Secor, Larry Seiler and Ralph Parker produce some wonderful little sketches using gouache which is really just opaque watercolors. I tried watercolors and missed the ability to mix colors that same way I can with oils or acrylics. So, I picked up a few basic colors and started playing around with this.

I don’t know a lot about this yet but I can already tell that gouache looks like just the ticket for doing quick outdoor studies. And it travels light too!

Here are a couple of my first attempts:

3 x 5 gouache on hot pressed watercolor paper

3 3 x 5 gouache on heavy sketch paper

Borrego Valley Inn

2010-09-06T21:26:00.001-07:00

I found this photo the other day that I took on a weekend trip to Borrego Springs (local desert) last winter. I put in on my computer and it's been calling to me all week.

9 x 12 oil on canvas panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

My Studio

2010-09-04T22:10:00.001-07:00

Someone recently asked me where I found enough space in my home to paint so I snapped this photo. A couple others have also asked so I thought I would publish this picture.

It’s not huge but – very comfortable!

Under the Arch

2010-09-04T21:59:00.001-07:00

It was back again to Balboa park with the San Diego Plein Air Painters. They are a delightful group to paint with and I’m trying to make more of an effort to get down to San Diego on the weekend to paint with them.

I'm attempting to get my head back into pastels again so I left my painting kit at home this time.

8 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Here’s a little detail

A very nice day!

Looking Back

2010-09-04T21:48:00.001-07:00

I’ve been trying to get some of my photos organized from last year and I came across some that I forgot about.

Last year I spent a delightful week painting with Michael Chesley Johnson in Sedona, AZ. On one of the first days we spent the morning near an area known as Red Rock Crossing (if I recall correctly). It was a little overcast and quite cool. Being still a little early the in spring, a lot of the trees by the river were still minus their green leaves. Kind of a somber mood. So, that’s what I tried for in this little study….

8 x 10 pastel on sanded paper

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Taylor Creek Cliffs

2010-09-03T21:10:00.001-07:00

I’m starting to tune up a bit for my trip back to Zion NP in a few weeks. I’m also experimenting around with various earth reds to try when I’m there.

I usually take Transparent Red Oxide but last year I noticed that it was a little warm for some of the back canyons so I’m trying some different orange-reds like Terra Rosa and Burnt Sienna. This one is with Terra Rosa. It’s very opaque while Transparent Red Oxide is very.. well, transparent. It may take a little getting used to.

12 x 16 oil on linen panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Kolob Canyons Grotto

2010-08-22T19:42:00.001-07:00

Boy, it was just too hot to paint outside today so I pulled out my photos from Zion NP and picked this one to keep me busy. Can't wait to get back there this fall!

9 x 12 oil on canvas panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Tuolumne River

2010-07-31T22:09:00.001-07:00

It's summer and time to get back up to the High Country! This is a study of one of the infinite number on beautiful scenes along the Tuolumne River in Yosemite NP.

I've collected enough photos of this place to keep me busy for the next 2 years!

9 x 12 oil on linen panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

First Light in the Canyon

2010-07-29T07:04:00.001-07:00

I’m still tweaking the limited palette I’ve been using lately. I'll be heading off to Zion Canyon at the end of Summer and I know I’m going to need a little help with the red rocks so I decided to add Transparent Red Oxide back into the palette to see if it plays nicely with the three primaries. Seems to be OK. I’ll continue the experiment with some more studies.

This one is from a photo I took in the Zion Narrows, just as the first sunlight peeked into the canyon. Can’t wait to get back!

9 x 12 oil on linen panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Pala Valley River Road

2010-07-12T15:39:00.001-07:00

With all of the summer fog we've been having, I decided to head inland until I found the sun. Fortunately. I didn't have to go any further than a little regional park that I discovered this last winter. Everything's drying out but the sycamores by the river bed road are looking pretty green.

8 x 10 oil on linen panel

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith

Clinging

2010-07-10T18:53:00.001-07:00

During my last trip to Zion N.P. I photographed a very tenacious little tree that decided it was perfectly OK to grow out a crack in the rocks. This isn’t that uncommon in this type of country but this one seemed especially determined.

One of the main attraction to me about this area is the vibrant greens against the bright reds. Compliments, of course, and I’m a sucker for it!

12 x 16 pastel on sanded paper

To purchase this painting please contact: Randall Smith