In the Studio Today... "Art on the Farm" Exhibit; October 24, Pt. Reyes Winery

September 5, 2010

I am working on some new paintings to show at the October 24th, 2010 annual exhibit of "Art on the Farm".  This is a great group of Marin, and mostly Bay Area-Sonoma painters that love Marin Organic farms, and travel to the farms to paint during the year.  I was away most of the summer and unable to attend many of the paint outs, so I am now working from photos I have had from previous years that I never got around to working with in the studio.  Today's image is from a shot taken at Red Hill Farms.

Colleen with the painting in the background... photo by Aidan Costello, Age 8.

In the Studio Today...Sunflowers at Ode to Marin

Hybrid Sunflowers, originally uploaded by cproppe.

I was able to take some photos this weekend at Marin Organic's "Ode to Marin" event at Stubbs Vineyard in Petaluma, CA. This vase of Hybrid Sunflowers was worthy of painting and photographing. The Art on the Farm group of painters visits Stubbs Vineyard this coming weekend, but I won't be able to attend. I was glad to be able to volunteer for Marin Organic and get to take some reference photos for future paintings. To view the photos from this trip, click on the sunflowers!

In the Studio Today...MALT & October Landscapes

Tuesday, October 30, 2007
What a busy month! I thought the kids going to kindergarten would provide more painting time, but as it turns out, this is a time for parents to become involved and volunteer in all kinds of school events. One of the most spectacular field trips I have ever attended was in Petaluma, at the Spring Hill Dairy Farm and Peter Pumpkin Patch. Perfect day for painting, but I took lots of photos for future reference.

My latest business efforts this month have included a very small show at the last Sausalito Art Walk of the season, followed by application to MALT's Ranches and Rolling hills art show for 2008. I learned today that my plein air painting from Fairfax Fresh Farm sold at the event to the owner of Sol Food in San Rafael. What an honor! The GREEN restaurant has purchased one of my organic farm paintings at a GREEN event. Truly verdant business all around.

In the Studio Today... June Wedding

Monday, June 4, 2007
Wedding of Raechel Shelfer & Edward Titus, June 2, 2007
Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, CA
When you paint from life, capturing a moment on canvas is very much like what a nature photographer tries to do... Get that moment of great lighting, get the composition just right, the subject is posed as if it was meant to be doing just what it is doing... When you take a great photo, you just know it when you see it. It does something for your heart, and you jump just a little inside. Wow!.. is often exclaimed. A great painting from life should do this too. Above is a photo I took this weekend of the wedding of Raechel Shelfer of Woodacre, at the Marin French Cheese Co. in Petaluma. Raechel's mother, Michelle, is one of my oldest friends in Marin County. I wanted to share this photo because there are moments when the hills of Marin catch light that make them look so spectactular. We have lots of "wow" moments in Marin, when the fog starts to roll in, and the sun still shines through in unique patterns of light on the land. The rolling hills of the western landscape can be so dramatic in these special moments, and I am so delighted Raechel was wed before the dazzling beauty of this place.

In the Studio Today... Black Mt. Session #4

Monday, May 7, 2007
"Black Mt. June Colors" 24" x 36"
(View from Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Rd. as you are headed towards Pt. Reyes Station, just before Bob Gallagher's Bridge.) I spent another 2 plus hours on this today, as I just didn't feel it was quite there yet. Now, I think it is acceptable to hang in the show today. It is hard to feel rushed to finish paintings for a deadline, but deadlines make us produce work. April has been a really tough month with both my boys having more than one major cold and being home from school, so I had less time to paint than I'd hoped to. I still would like to finish a couple more small paintings before the actual opening on May 19th.

In the Studio Today... Black Mt. Session #3

Sunday, May 6, 2007
"Black Mt. June Colors" 24" x 48"
I am most likely going to have to call this "done" as it will need to dry before being hung tomorrow afternoon. The photo of this is not be quite the right colors, and the focus is not great, as I just took this photo indoors in unnatural lighting. I will take a clear photo of this outdoors tomorrow and re-post.

In the Studio Today... Black Mt. Session #2

Sunday, May 6, 2007
I am working to finish this large painting to hang tomorrow afternoon. I am using "liquin" as my medium, which helps to dry the oil paint very quickly. I usually use a combination of liquin and linseed oil, but I am not using any linseed oil today, hoping this will be dry enough to get up with the other paintings tomorrow afternoon. This is a large painting, 2 feet by 4 feet, and there is still much detail to do before tomorrow.

In the Studio Today... Black Mt. Session #1

Saturday, May 5, 2007
"Black Mountain_June Colors" 24" x 48"
This is the first session, blocking out the colors and shapes for this large painting that will hang at the end of the bar in the Two Bird Cafe. This is Black Mt. from Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road, headed towards Pt. Reyes Station, just before Bob Gallagher's property(I believe?). In the summer, the colors in the warm grasses on the hills provide a strong contrast to the dark, green trees. I wanted to do at least one painting in my show which portrayed this effect in the West Marin landscape.

Paintings_Cycling Portraits

"Cycling through Landscapes" is a series I created for the Mill Valley Depot Show, September 2009. It has visited 3 galleries in Marin, and now is currently on display at the San Anselmo Coffee Roasters, a frequent cyclist rest stop. I have had wonderful feedback on this exhibit from our community, comments such as, "It is a real tribute to the cyclists of our town". Prints of all this series may be purchased through Fine Art America.  View original cycling paintings by C.Proppé that are still available to purchase.
"Sunset Ride", Ridgecrest Blvd. looking West, Marin County, CA 2009
24" x 48", o/c._____SOLD Purchase this print online

"Ridgecrest Ride", Mt. Tamalpais, with view of Bolinas, CA 2009
24" x 36", o/c._____SOLD Purchase this print online

"Dwarfed by Elephant Mountain", Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road, CA 2009
30" x 30", o/c._____SOLD Purchase this print online

"Gospel Flat Farm, Farmstand and Produce Bike" 18" x 24", 2009. _____Available contact the artist or Purchase this print online

"Bikes at the Depot", Lytton Square, Mill Valley, CA 2008
14" x 18", plein air, o/c._____Available contact the artist or Purchase this print online

"Burley Parade on Shaver Grade", near Phoenix Lake. 24" x 30", 2009. _____Available. Please contact the artist for direct purchase. Purchase this print online at Fine Art America

"La Coppa Coffee Bikes", Downtown Mill Valley, California. 16" x 20". 2009._____Available contact the artist
or, purchase this print online at Fine Art America

"Cyclist at Old St. Hilary's" 16" x 20" o/c_____SOLD (Framed and unframed prints available. $200./$300. Click here to inquire)

"Big Red waits patiently for next Sausalito Cruise"
12" x 24" with wide, black plein air frame_____Available contact the artist or Purchase this print online

"Bolinas Lagoon, Bolinas Ridge, Bike Study", 6" x 6" framed, oil pastel and scratch removal on canvas. Sealed._____SOLD.
Read more about this study here.

Ride to the Roasters_2006
16" x 20"_____SOLD Purchase print at Fine Art America
On display at San Anselmo Coffee Roasters, San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo, CA

San Anselmo Cyclists at the Roasters 2005
24 x 36_____SOLD Purchase this print online at Fine Art America
Purchased by San Anselmo town residents and businesses
for Bryan Stubblefield, Manager of San Anselmo Coffee Roasters
Painting on permanent display at the Coffee Roasters

Tamarancho Trek, Serpentine Trail, Fairfax, CA
24" x 36"_____SOLD


Camp Tamarancho, Fairfax, CA
36" x 48"_____SOLD/Commission. Purchase this print online at Fine Art America


Hick's Valley Road #1, Marin County, CA
16" x 20"_____NFS/Gift of the Artist Purchase this print online at Fine Art America

Hick's Valley Road #2, Marin County, CA
18" x 24"_____NFS/Gift of the Artist Purchase this print online at Fine Art America

1st Tricycle, 1 of 3 in a Child's Portrait Triptych
8" x 10"_____NFS/Gift to the artist's son

Aidan with Trike, 2 of 3 in a Child's Portrait Triptych
8" x 10"_____NFS/Gift to the artist's son