It’s spring and I’m ready to show you a few more pictures!
Santa Barbara fire colors flow north – Pastel
The one of the biggest fires in California’s history raged and drove towards Santa Barbara, CA and the nearby wealthy area of Montecito. As it did, the sky over the Morro Bay State Park turned colors!
This will be in my Open Studio Tour shown along with other pastels and oils. Some a bit more calm and peaceful like this one below.
Southside light on one of the Morros – Pastel
Morning light always pleases the Nine Sisters, a group of volcanic eruptions in San Luis Obispo County. I live at the most western end of one. It’s Morro Bay well known for Morro Rock.
First, I wish to invite you to my studio both weekends, October 14-15 and 21-22. Come visit for trees, a duck, several orchids, pastels and a few oils from anywhere!
Please pick up a catalog to see my location, Studio #41, in Morro Bay.
I’m looking forward to seeing you!
Second, Facebook followers remember to press the hyperlink to get to my website and sign up to follow me.
Marshlands of the Sweet Springs Preserve
The creeks from the county finally flow into the bay, then down to the ocean…
Over the Montaña de Oro dunes
Ducks galore will be arriving from the north as the weather cools and daylight becomes shorter.
Facing the Pacific Ocean and Morro Bay, the views are always inviting me to gaze at the ever changing moody skies and brilliant colors. Tides rise and fall making the pickle weed marshes like chameleons. Light never is quite the same.
Overlooking Morro Bay
Sand dunes reaching for Morro Rock…
Looking North over the sand spit
From one of the first pull offs in Montaña de Oro, I overlooked the sand spit reaching for Morro Rock. I was high up and could look down on the native woody shrubs as late summer faded them into a golden hue.
Morro Rock from the “Pit”
A surfers’ more northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the wide Estero Bay when looking to capture the southerly breaks… I often notice the power and weight of Morro Rock, a long eroded volcanic peak formed 23 million years ago.
I’ve been gathering together some of my tree pastels for the San Luis Obispo 2017 Open Studios Tour. Here are just a few that are available in the “original” pastel form. They’ll be framed.
Gnarly tree trunk beside Laguna Lake
Laguna Lake is a special place for birders, energetic runners, hikers, walkers and bloggers. A friend, Joyce Cory, is a keen observer at Laguna Lake. Follow the link. Also, one of my favorite eucalyptus trees is there. You may have seen it in a previous post.
Heron Rookery in the eucalyptus taken over by Cormorants
The Heron Rookery near the Windy Cove and Morro Bay Museum is a great viewing location for Great Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets along with the ever present Cormorants.
Looking into the Sweet Springs woods
Sweet Springs is one of the best locations for birdwatching…ducks, herons, eagles, raptor, owls, etc.
If you prefer the note card size, I’ll make some for you too.
My first chance to participate in the Open Studios Tour turned out pretty well ! Lots of visitors including friends, neighbors, mothers with artistic children and many new people who just decided to see what I was creating. If you have the desire to see any pastels, notecards or mitered corner napkins, to purchase for holiday gifts, please contact me in the form below my signature.
One of the most exciting things was that I raised $155 for the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch on sales of mitered corner napkins, stuffed peregrine toys, peregrine pins, hats and t-shirts. People understood that 25% of any sales I made would go to the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch which is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit who gives a $1,000 scholarship to a Cal Poly Wildlife Biology student.
Pastels and watercolor on display
People loved my pastels of seascapes, Morro Rock, the CalPoly Arboretum and were fascinated with my birds painted on elk hide for wall hangings.
My studio
The view out of my small studio over our raised bed garden with the Pacific Ocean in the distance was a pleasant surprise to many visitors.
Oil paintings in the studio with feathers where I work
Just in time for the Open Studios Tour, I was interviewed by two artists who have been participating in the Tour for years. Below is the link to our PBS station to hear what I had to say.
As I continue to prepare for the first day of the Tour, October 8th, everything is coming in line…many pastels are mounted in frames, others are matted and put in clear bags, a Common Loon with a Chick riding on its back has been framed for the exhibit at Central Art Supply, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. Please come to this reception on Friday, October 7 from 6-9PM. I’ll be there!
Common Loon with chick painted on elk hide*
Please know that any purchase you make of my work, a 25% donation will given to the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch. http://pacificcoastperegrinewatch.org
Peregrine with new chick Photo by Cleve Nash
Bob Isenberg is at Morro Rock to educate the public about the life cycles, personalities and antics of these peregrine falcons, the fastest animal on the planet! This organization is close to my heart and keeps us in touch with the fragility of all lives in the natural world. Always a good way to keep us informed about how to take care of our planet.
Morro Rock, home to two pairs of peregrine falcons
Until the next sketch….peace, Heather
* Elk hide – Hunters who hunt for meat for the winter often will have the hide tanned to be used in many ways. My first elk hide was given to me by a Shoshone friend in Ward, Nevada after I showed him my sketch books. The majority of hides are often discarded by hunters who don’t bother to use the hide only to have them retrieved from the trash by the Native Americans and carefully tanned and used in a more thoughtful manner. I’m now participating in this by making artistic use of all pieces and the scraps. Knowing this, my son gave me one of his elk hides after providing meat for his family.
This year, a very exciting opportunity presented itself. The ArtsObispo Open Studio Tour happens every October and I jumped at the chance.
Postcard invitation
Word got around that I was new to this, so I was interviewed by Crissa Hewitt and Steven deLuque for our local PBS station KCBX.org. They are artists in their own right and were so nice to ask me questions that truly took me to the source of why I make pictures. You may listen live at 1PM Wednesday, September 7. To hear it later search my name (Heather O’Connor) at KCBX.org for the interview.
Crissa Hewitt and Steve deLuque Photo by Heather O’Connor
You may take a tiny peak into my tiny studio… in the upper left corner !
A friend, Alyce Broome, is joining me in displaying our artwork. Her oil paintings are aerial views of the California landscapes. Just like a bird would see when flying over our planet! Visit both of our entries in the ArtsObispo Directory. Just enter Alyce Broome’s name or mine (Heather O’Connor) and you’ll find what we posted for this year’s tour. Be sure to click on my “orchid” to see my other entries.
My acrylic bird paintings on elk hide will include 2 Common Loons, one with a chick on her back, a Painted Bunting, a Canyon Wren, and a Harlequin Duck. Others may be custom ordered and will benefit the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch. 25% will go to a CalPoly Biology Scholarship.
Birds and a Monarch butterfly on elk hide
My pastels include a series of seascapes including marine layers, kite festival, rough winter waves and offshore views from Montaña de Oro CA State Park and landscapes of the Nine Sisters in springtime and gnarly trees of the California Central Coast.
And please come visit me at my studio October 8-9 and 15-16, 10AM to 5PM.
A wandering illustrator 