“Orcas Island V”
6 in x 8 in, oil on wood
Jessie Rasche

On our last day of vacation we went to the big park on Orcas. You can drive up to the top of the hill/mountain, walk a little ways up a steep incline to a tower on the edge of a cliff, way way up (it was too foggy to see how far up we were), and then climb up to the top of a tower and look out to the end of the earth. I have a slight fear of heights and had an adrenaline overload by the time we got back down to water level. But it was beautiful and magical. The fog rolled in and out, giving the place a mysterious, other-worldly feel. This is a painting of my guys walking ahead of me up to the tower. I wanted to capture that sweet hand-holding.

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Orcas Island III / 8×12 in / oil on wood / $375 / fancy frame (Orcas Island SERIES) (#3320)

I’m thrilled with this one. I wanted to convey the lushness of the pasture and the enormity and density of the trees behind. There are several sheep, both adults and babies, basking in the sun in the pasture. This was a really beautiful spot on the island.

There are a couple weeks left of the contest. To enter, comment on this or another painting (by clicking the word “Comment” below the post), or sign up as a facebook fan or for my newsletter .

“Orcas Island II” / Approx. 12 in x 18 in / oil on wood unframed / $600
Jessie Rasche

I painted this in the studio yesterday. It was based on some photos I took from the beach on Orcas Island, looking across the water at another island and some mountains. It was a peaceful place to be, but also substantial and rugged. I wanted to capture the scale of that mountain, and the subtle colors.

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SOLD. This is the largest painting I’ve finished recently. Right now I’m working on a couple more paintings in this series. It’s fun working so large for a change. I can really see the value of doing more large paintings, and also of doing more small paintings. I think one educated the other…

(I’ve changed one thing since taking this picture – I’ll post a revised image later.)

Details:

Migration / 20×24 in / oil painting on canvas / $700

This winter has been really mild, and geese have been flocking south for months. The flocks have been huge and talkative, too.

Here is one of the large paintings that I recently finished (20 in x 24 in). This one looks more like a ‘wildlife painting’ than the other paintings I’ve done, but really it is still a contemporary impressionist painting. I wanted to imply a big flock in motion without showing them all. Comments appreciated.(#3314)

“Venice 3″
6×8 in, oil on wood

This is a terrible photo – I’ll post a better one later. I’m really happy with the colors and movement on this one., painting of red and pink buildings (#3313)

“Venice 2″
6 x 8 in, oil on wood

Here’s Venice (Italy) again. This one is foggy and almost ominous. I’m really happy with it again, which is exciting for me since landscapes are the hardest thing for me to paint.

“Venice 1″
6×8 in, oil on wood, $180 unframed – email to inquire.

Good morning! A couple days ago I started a series about Venice (Italy) colors, and I’ve really happy with my first little study. I went on a backpacking trip around Europe about eight years ago, and loved the Venice colors and shapes – the crowded buildings and colorful paint… These paintings are all about the colors and proportions. No pictures though – as my camera is not yet charged. I hope to get pictures up this weekend.

I have looked everywhere for my camera charger (at least twice), and have finally given up… I think it must be in a hotel room in Minnesota. Why is it that I can get a phone charger for under ten dollars, but a camera charger is over fifty?

Foggy Hillside / 12×9 in / oil on canvas paper /

Here’s another monochromatic painting.  I’m working on my color harmonies, and painting with a pallet knife to keep myself from getting involved in the details. I think it’s working, but painting with a pallet knife uses a LOT of paint!

This has a similar feel to this painting of Sun on Pine Trees.

pallet knife painting (#3308)

“Loading the Boat”
6 x 6 inches, oil on wood
SOLD

This is a quick sketch of a woman and her dog standing on the dock getting ready to board their boat. It looks pretty abstract but you can see the dog looking into the boat, getting ready for a ride.

The style on this was similar to the loose style I used in the oil painting “Wilt”.