Beauty and Irony

 

While Coming into Mt. Shasta

I love the unexpected inspiration that comes from road trips. My husband and I traveled recently up I5 and then over to the southern Oregon coast, then inland to Portland for a few days. We headed back home via I5. 

This scene struck me as we entered the town of Mt. Shasta for the final night of the trip. The town is the namesake of the second highest mountain (after Mt. Rainier in Washington State) in the Cascade range. 

To be honest, the beauty of those simple sheds and solid colors is what first caught my eye. The irony of that simplicity against nature's rugged majesty is what caused me to paint the scene. 

In Love...with California Live Oaks

 

California Live Oak 1
8" x 8" watercolor
Arches 100% cotton hot press

I haven't yet unlocked the code of how to paint California live oaks (AKA coastal lives oaks), but that doesn't keep me from trying. They're so lovely to look at, these drought-resistant trees that populate the hillsides, sometimes all by their lonesome. This time of year, the contrast with the dry, whitening grasses is especially beautiful, though with this recent hot spell, we're especially ready for the fall rains to begin.  

California Live Oak 2
10" x 10" watercolor
Arches 100% cotton cold press paper