Recent Paintings

These are some new paintings available at Elizabeth Benefield Interior Design in Costa Mesa, CA at the Stonemill Deisgn Center.


"Dusk"
40" x 30"
oil on canvas






"Peaceful Place"
24" x 18"
oil on canvas
Sold

top
"View from Salvador"
20" x 20"
oil on canvas
plein air 

bottom
"Water's Edge"
24" x 30"
oil on canvas



top
"Vintage Crystal Cove"
12" x 16"
oil on board
plein air

bottom left
"By the Bridge"
14" x 11"
oil on canvas
plein air

bottom right
"Laguna Wilderness Park"
14" x 11"
oil on canvas
plein air


"Warm Overcast"
22" x 26"
oil on canvas

Local Coast


"Local Coast"
30" x 40"
oil on canvas


The inspiration for this painting is from El Morro Beach just below Corona Del Mar on the way south to Laguna Beach.
I wanted the atmosphere to feel simultaneously warm and cool by layering on the thin layers of opposing color tones to achieve this effect.
By using a pastel and natural color pallet my intent was to keep the painting’s overall edges softened with a bent toward the minimal for a serene and time standing sense of the place rather than a full visual description.


This painting is available at Elizabeth Benefield Interior Design in Costa Mesa, California at the Stonemill Deisgn Center
(714)  708-2554


Elizabeth Benefield Interior Design
Stonemill Design Center
Costa Mesa, California
(714) 708-2555

Paint San Clemente 2016

Plein Air Painting Contest and Show
July 18th through the 24th, 2016

Even though you could paint all week, I only painted a few late afternoons.
It was invigorating, and I got some plein air mojo back!


"Salvador's View"
20" x 20" oil on canvas
plein air painting

It was an afternoon in June when the haze creeps in along the coast with a lot of glare bouncing off the ocean.
This is one of the highest viewpoints in San Clemente.
I had to work fast as the light and shadows change rapidly this time of day.  Because of the time constraints and the size, I chose to work with a limited palette, using only four colors and a palette knife for rapid coverage.


I 
This is a photo reference of the view.






"Ridgeline"
12" x 12" oil on canvas
Plein air painting



This was the first one I painted.  The fog was rolling in up to the top of the ridge,  had to paint fast.



Oooppps, photographed my foot, brushes and bag.

Newport Harbor Home Tour







Thursday I went on the Newport Harbor Home Tour.  It is an annual fund raiser for the local high school.  There were six homes to tour through, lunch and a reception at Barclay Butera's Interior Showroom afterwards where everyone chats over a glass of wine and refreshments about what inspired them.
Many of the local designers, architects, florists, landscape architects and local home stores participate with beautiful tablescapes and floral arrangements of the latest design and style in architecture and interior design.

In the last home we toured, upstairs in the guest bedroom in a very tastefully done home by Julie Hovanian of Hovie Interiors, were two of my paintings hanging on the walls.  I was very excited to see them hanging there and participating in the lives of those who live there.

Underpainting

This is my almost completed.  I am still anticipating putting some green/blue tones to cool the overall effect.  I also want to add a few more finish details.



This is the underpainting for the Basilica Painting commission I am working on.  I am ready now to jump in with extra subtle color, texture and shading.