Plein Air Painting in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada.

A Good Day at Sand Pond
8” x 11” Watercolor on paper
Available at Art on Main in Murphys, California

In May I attended the Lost Sierra Plein Air Festival, my first ever plein air event and competition. A group of around 50 artists painted in and around Quincy, California in Plumas County. I’d never visited this beautiful area, and fell head-over-heels in love. 

Located in the Northeast Corner of California where the Sierra Nevada meet the Cascade Mountains, Plumas County is divided by all three forks of the Feather River. It’s a far more watery section of the mountains than I am used to, with wide valleys and long views. I forgot I was in California!

For four days I painted outside from morning to evening. It was heaven, except for the bitey-bugs known locally as buffalo gnats. These little black flies swarm uncovered skin, favoring neck and hairline. They so painlessly munch your flesh that suddenly blood is running down your face from a string of bites and you look like a scary movie. Then those bites turn into itchy welts that last. And last. And last.

My favorite subjects were the Sierra Buttes at Sand Pond in the Lakes Basin area. I worked the whole day on this one painting, creating many composition and color sketches in the morning, then tackling the main painting after lunch. (You can see some of the studies at the bottom right of this photograph.)

That work paid off. I entered this painting in the plein air festival competition and won third prize! I was gobsmacked. There were so many amazing painters at this festival.

Sadly, good things rarely come unattended by the bad. I returned home with a sore throat and a week later tested positive for Covid. I’m on the mend, but a little foggy; forgive any errors or wonkiness in this missive.

I’ll be displaying this painting “A Good Day at Sand Pond” at Art on Main in Murphys for the month of June, where it’ll be for sale