Peace, Joy, and Health

Wishing you and yours
Peace, Joy, and Health for the Holidays and a Prosperous New Year

This holiday greeting card was painted at night across the street from Mission Inn Riverside, Ca. I brought a snake light to put around my neck to see the canvas, hot coffee in a thermos, warm jacket, and gloves. I set up my easel, sketched a few lines, and focused on my painting. The night, cold and dark at 6:30 pm except for the Holiday lights that lit the Mission Inn. I soon realized people were standing close watching my every stroke. I enjoy hearing the comments and questions. The teacher in me started to explain my watercolor painting plan.

http://mysite.verizon.net/resrn5lb

Happy Thanksgiving

I started a new watercolor painting today. I combined two of my photos from the Bishop Trip. The dark Bishop Creek Pond was lit with the color of fall reflections. Two fishermen were enjoying the day laughing, talking, and YES catching fish. I walked the path with tall golden aspens standing close circling the pond. The change of season is beautiful!
I will post the progress of this painting.
Wishing you and your family a fun and tasty Thanksgiving Day.

Holiday Silver

Painting The Impression of Silver

Thursday and Friday Class project for November

This Silver and Glass Coffee Pot demonstration shows the painters process and technique.

Values, shapes and loose brush strokes are important.

Holidays are near, the Silver needed to be cleaned, a perfect time for a Silver painting demonstration.

Color of Fall

"Color of Fall"

First Place Ribbon hangs on "Color of Fall" for the November competition at Hemet Valley Art Gallery.

I created this 15"w x 22"h painting in my Hesperia Studio from a photo I took on location in Hesperia. My intent, capture the feeling of fall. I believe the simplicity of this painting tells the story of a changed season.


This painting is available barbaraparish@verizon.net

or visit Barbara Parish Watercolor Landscape Painter

PAAR ~ Riverside National Cemetery Painting Exhibit

"Standing in Honor"

"Painting on location at the Riverside National Cemetery was a humbling experience; this the resting place for our fallen worriers. This area of towering trees gave me the feeling of place. I painted soft edges and crisp edges showing the variety and strength of this gathering of trees the same as the men who rest their".

* * *

Banning Center for the Arts will host the Plein Air Artists of Riverside National Cemetery painting Exhibit. PAAR painted in plein air Oct. 2009 for three weeks and garnered a beautiful collection of plein air paintings that were on display at the Riverside National Cemetery until June 2010. This exhibit of beautiful paintings will now be on display at the Banning Center for the Arts. A must see exhibit!

PAAR is affiliated with the Riverside Art Museum and is very proud to display this exhibit in Banning for everyone to see.

A reception in honor of the paintings and the artist will be held on Veteran's Day Nov. 11, 2010 after the dedication of the Veteran's Wall at the Banning Woman's Center starting a 1pm.

http://pleinairartistsofriverside.blogspot.com/ for more information.

Women Artists of the West

Online Exhibit starting Nov. 15, 2010 - Jan. 1, 2011

Women Artists of the West

"Good Things, Small Packages...Art for Small Spaces"

I will display three of my watercolor paintings.

Nov. 15th I will post the three paintings and link to the online exhibit.

Watercolor Class Paints Night Scene

The watercolor class lesson on perspective and glazing yields a night scene painting. The tall buildings, dark sky, and lights were a challenge.
Each month new paintings hang on the Watercolor Panel at Hemet Valley Art Gallery, Hemet, Ca.
Watercolor Class meets each Thursday and Friday Afternoon.
I teach watercolor technique and the courage to paint. barbaraparish@verizon.net

High Sierra Color

Morning light reveals scattered clouds resting on top mountains that line each side of this gorgeous valley.
My plan for the day, drive up Bishop Creek road to locate the Aspen Trees at peak color. At 7000 elevation the mountain canyons and crevasses display the fall Aspen Trees in all their glory. Yellow, Gold, Red, an analogous color scheme that commands attention.
My reference photos capture the intimate setting of the Aspen, the Aspen grove cascading down jagged cliffs into the canyon below, and colorful reflections in still water. Truly a painters paradise.
In town I bought fresh baked bread from Schat's Bakery (yummy!) and stopped by Spellbinder Book Store to check on the release of California Writers Club Anthology 2010. My story "Illusion of Safety" is a good read. When I receive a release date I will post it.

High Sierra Watercolor Action

Sunday night it rained steady as thunder rumbled across the sky. Monday morning about 7:30 I took our Schnauzer Sadie to the dog run. I glanced up to the mountains and saw SNOW! Yes, during the night the High Sierra got its first dusting of SNOW.
After breakfast Wayne and I ventured out, the weather cold, the sun teases me with light and challenges me to show my easel.
After awhile the chill is creeping into our bones and we go back to the hotel.

Looking forward to a sunny day tomorrow.

A Plein Air Painter in Search of Fall Colors

The destination Bishop, Ca. in search of fall colors.


I felt like a storm chaser driving across 395 watching the sky change from clear blue to very dark heavy rain clouds. A spectacular display of an alive powerful sky.


The Eastern Sierra stand tall and mighty competing with the water filled clouds that consume its peaks. In the valley the sun radiates through a break in the cloud cover and kisses the land with light. Magic!

High Desert Fantasy

Breaking News:
The watercolor painting High Desert Fantasy received a Best of Show at the Hemet Valley Art Gallery, Hemet, Ca.
This is a new painting on display for the first time.

I am sooooo pleased.

High Desert Fantasy

The High Desert is alive with color. My new painting High Desert Fantasy will be displayed at Hemet Valley Art Gallery, Hemet, Ca. Hanging October 5th - 31st.

I painted High Desert Fantasy from a photo I took within a mile of my studio in Hesperia. The desert displays calming colors, along with deep shadows. Watercolor Image size is 22" x 15"

Hemet Valley Art Gallery September

Welcome Arch received a First Place Ribbon in the Gold Category.

Monarch received a Second Place Ribbon in the Theme Category.

The challenge for my Watercolor Classes this month, painting a Night Scene.

I'll keep you posted

To my web page

Watercolor Workshop and Grape Harvest in September

The wine making equipment is on the property

Next week I will post my first painting of a working vineyard.

The October harvest might be early this year because of the HOT DRY weather. September will be a busy month. I scheduled a watercolor workshop September 13 ~ 14 to paint the fall colors of Bishop, Ca. Looks like the grape harvest might happen late September.

"Colorful Contrast" watercolor workshop information and registration click Barbara Parish

Vineyard Care 2010

We placed the bird netting on each row of vines. Tied the ends and bottom then sat back to admire the vineyard. Within a short time a bird flew into the netting then walked under the one spot I didn't tie. Trapped and flying in a panic under the netting my hubby walked over lifted one end of the netting and the bird flew off. A bird experience I didn't expect!

I am The Grape Whisperer

My Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard will yield its first crop of wine grapes this October. The wine making equipment will arrive soon and be stored in the wine shed.

As the green grape clusters turn to violet then to purple I will paint the stories of a working vineyard.

Be a part of Parish Mesa Vineyard by helping me select a bottle label. View the vineyard paintings that I will post over the next three months. Let me know what painting would best represent my vineyard on a bottle label.

Sign up as a follower to this blog and receive an e-mail notice telling you I just posted a new vineyard painting or other painting adventures. Your e-mail address will not be sold or shared.

All the paintings will be available to purchase except the one selected in the label search. I will offer prints of that special painting.

Watercolor Workshop, Bishop, California

Watercolor Workshop

"2010 Colorful Contrast"

Two-Day En Plein Air Watercolor Workshop Bishop, Ca

September 13 - 14, 2010 (Monday & Tuesday)

On Location Watercolor Workshop in the quaint town of Bishop, Calif. Paint a colorful fall landscape with golden aspens and deep green pines. Experience the white water rush of Bishop Creek. A gorgeous place to paint!

Sunday after check-in I will host a Wine and Cheese Welcome Party to discuss workshop goals and hand out directions to painting locations.

For more information and registration go to my website: Barbara Parish

Tickled with Award for "Cactus Beauty"

"WAOWing the Golden State" awards were presented and I am pleased to say that my painting "Cactus Beauty" received a recognition award from the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation.

Thank You Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation!

Women Artists of the West (WAOW)

"WAOWing the Golden State"

This is a must SEE exhibit!!

Women Artists of the West 40th annual juried show http://www.waow.org/

June 4 ~ 30, 2010 held at the Olaf Wieghorst Museum, El Cajon, Ca. http://www.wieghorstmuseum.org/


Working in different mediums these professional artists are coming together from all parts of the country to show their art work. Make your plans for this weekend to visit the museum to see Women Artists of the West, "WAOWing the Golden State"

I am pleased to say that my watercolor painting "Cactus Beauty" was invited to show and will be on display. I will be on the grounds Friday evening for the Opening Reception 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. and Saturday to view the Quick Draw and Demonstrations. My friend Patricia Ford will demonstrate with pastels. http://fineartbypatriciarose.blogspot.com/ Sunday the WAOW Plein Air Painters will be out and about painting. Locations will be announced at the exhibit. All other activities and times are listed on the above brouchure.

On The Road Again

The Heritage House, Riverside hosted a fundraiser TEA and invited the PAAR artists to demonstrate their painting skills.

The large trees shaded the grounds allowing sparks of sunlight to filter through and touch the landscape. As you can see from my painting, the light source is coming from the left causing tree shadows on the building. The dark trees in background upper left and the sunlit shrub is my contrast and center of interest. I painted two paintings while in the gazebo area.

Slight breeze and sounds of Harp music was pure enjoyment to me!

Thank You to the Heritage House, Riverside for the invitation to entertain your guests.

Two paintings were completed on site, see them on my website. http://mysite.verizon.net/resrn5lb