Red y for Relaxation

"Red y for Relaxation", Oil on Canvas Panel, 9" x 12", plein air

 

If you drive up Thompson Creek Road from Applegate, Oregon just over seven miles, you will find   The English Lavender Garden. The Lavender is planted above the road in full view of the morning sun. This was painted the day before the Southern Oregon Lavender Festival. Derek told me they were delaying the harvest so that festival goers would be able to experience the impressiveness of their lavender bloom! Thanks Sue and Derek. If you haven't toured the lavender farms of the Applegate, I suggest that you do. Check their website http://www.englishlavenderfarm.com/.
 

Getting Ready for the Festival

"Getting Ready for the Festival", Oil on Canvas Panel, 12" x 16", plein air

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This farm near Ruch, Oregon had just harvested some of this Lavender and taken it to the barn to dry it in bunches. They are expecting hundreds of visitor over the festival weekend.

Lavender Fields Forever

"Lavender Fields Forever", oil on canvas panel, 9" x 12", plein air

 

I went down to the Southern Oregon Lavender Festival and painted in 107 degree temps. Here is one of Grosso Lavender at a small farm  south of Applegate, Oregon

Zahara

"Zahara", Oil on Linen, 9" x 12", plein air, $100

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Another street view of Zahara, Spain.

Bar Nuevo

 

"Bar Nuevo", Oil on Linen, 9" x 12", plein air, $100

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At the other end of Zahara, like two blocks away, was another Restaurant called Cafeteria Bar Nuevo. It had several tables set up on the street with very colorful orange seating.

Meson los Estribos

"Meson los Estribos", Oil on Linen, 9" x 12", plein air, $100

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The next day we ventured to Zahara de la Sierra, an even smaller hill town north of the National Park. It had a restored castle perched high above the rock cliffs in the center of the village. While painting, the bar tender let me take a glass of wine out to my easel while I painted, maybe even two. When I finished, I went inside to have lunch and was stunned by the view of the lake below. 

Grazalema

"Grazalema", Oil on Linen, 9" x 12", $100

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After a few days, we took the car out and headed out to another small White Hill Town in Andalucía Region of Spain called Grazalema. To get there, we drove through the Grazalema National Park. What a stunning area.

Red Scooter

"Red Scooter", Oil on Linen, 9" x 12", plein air, $100

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We spent five days in Arcos de la Fontera. We drove in with a car! Didn't realize that the "streets" would be that narrow, smallest being close to six feet wide. At seven and a half or eight feet wide, traffic went both ways. Most cars were scraped down both sides. The smarter people drove scooters, most of which were Vespas. This one was a Beshi.

Roof Top View, Arcos de la Frontera

"Roof Top View, Arcos de la Frontera", Oil on Linen, 9"x12", $100

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We drove from Toledo to Arcos de la Frontera, Spain in two days. The scenery was tremendous. Rolling hills covered with mostly wheat, sunflowers or olives. Occasionally there would be grazing land, forests, and castles or windmills. 

Iglesia de San Justo

"Iglesia de San Justo", Oil on Linen, 9"x12", $100

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Started our trip in Toledo, Spain a half hour by train southwest of Madrid. A very historic city with many churches. Here is one that was just around the corner from where we stayed.

Moving Compost to the Garden

"Moving Compost to the Garden", Oil on Canvas, 11"x14", $125

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In Spring, many mornings are spent moving compost to the garden and turning it into the soil. I've been doing this every year, in this same garden, for over thirty years. Been using the same wheelbarrow, too.

Garden Path

"Garden Path", Oil on Canvas Panel, 11"x14", $125

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Here is a painting of the path down to our garden, from late April. After being gone all winter, I am headed out to move and spread the compost into the garden. There is this one and another up by the barn. Shows Siberian Iris, wisteria and Mock Orange, ferns, vinca.

Saginaw Farm

"Saginaw Farm", Oil on Canvas, 11"x14", $125

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Another typical Oregon scene from early April. This time of year the greens are amazing.

Spring in the Willamette Valley

"Spring in the Willamette Valley", Oil on canvas, 11"x14", $125

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Driving down the Willamette valley there are many farms like this one. Spring can be very colorful.

Nest Eggs

"Nest Eggs", Oil on Canvas, 8" x 10", $75

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On Easter Sunday I went down to work in our garden and much to my surprise a Mallard duck had built a nest on the ground and laid ten eggs in it. It had built the nest from wheat straw mulch I had put around our garlic plants. A day later we noticed that it had laid still another egg in the nest. Unfortunately the eggs did not hatch. After a week, a varmint got into the nest and took some of the eggs. The duck left and never returned.