Mount Tam crosses the country!

My long-time friend commissioned me almost a year ago to paint Mount Tamalpais for her.  She now lives back east and wanted a reminder of Marin County and its physical beauty.

It was a daunting assignment, but also one filled with great discovery and joy.  First of all, there are about a million possible perspectives of the mountain and so many ways to think and feel about it too. So I told her, given this particular subject, that I needed some time and that I wanted to paint several paintings, each 8" x 10" and then let her see them and choose one.  And she kindly agreed!  (It helps that she is a writer so understands the weird processes we artists sometimes need to go through.)

For landscapes like this, I typically work "en plein air" - which means that I set up my easel and paint the entire painting in the one session while I am outdoors looking directly at my subject "live!"  It is an excellent way to hone my observation skills and learn to edit complex scenes.

Well, finally her chosen painting of Mount Tam has arrived to Adrienne clear across the country and she says she adores it!  That is the happiest moment for any artist, of course!  This view is from the shoreline of Corte Madera Creek, just behind the Bon Air shopping center in Greenbrae.