Trial Islands Lighthouse ©

©2014 Debbi Smith Rourke

Trial Islands Lighthouse 8" x 10" 

Oil on canvas panel

SOLD

I recently took a workshop from Sandy Ostrau in the San Francisco Bay Area. She paints intriguing abstracted landscape, water scape and figurative works. This is the first painting I've completed since my return from the workshop where I used more of her simplification techniques and some color-mixing ideas. WAS SO MUCH FUN!! These islands are near Victoria, BC and I have wanted to paint this scene for a couple of years. So glad I waited!!

Lighthouse II ©

©Debbi Smith Rourke

Lighthouse II  24"x24" 

Oil on 1.5"-wide gallery-wrapped canvas / unframed (no frame needed)

SOLD

I painted this scene in the 12x12" format back in 2006 after our trip to California. It's a view of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse just north of Santa Cruz in Pescadero, CA. I LOVE the west coast! Was inspired to paint it again, only a bit larger and using both brushwork and palette-knife application. (Click to enlarge to see more detail.) I install it Sunday at the Scarborough Building main lobby here in Austin, all thanks to sweet Kristin Schimmel. Hope you'll have a chance to take a look!

Nova Scotia Lighthouse

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Nova Scotia Lighthouse - SOLD.

17.5" x 23.5" pastel on paper. 

Here's a better photo of this pastel. It sold to Bill Oakey who took the photograph I painted from. Thanks, Bill. :)

Nova Scotia Lighthouse /pastel

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Nova Scotia Lighthouse 17.5" x 23.5" 

Pastel on paper. SOLD

This is my interpretation of a photograph taken by Bill Oakey. We are working together again on our "Side by Side" series of works - my painting and drawing interpretations of his fave photos. Rare for me to have the light value as the dominant value but interesting. I also chose to do a split complimentary of red, yellow green and blue green rather than the very blue and gray and red photo - which is lovely on it's own but wanted to change it up. 

Santa Cruz Lighthouse

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Santa Cruz Lighthouse 12x12"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas. SOLD.

While I love painting still life works, I also love painting landscapes. Must have something to do with growing up in the Texas Hill Country. I met a lovely woman named Nancy in my Santa Fe/Carol Marine workshop who is from the San Francisco area. Hearing about SFO reminded me of the trip my husband and I took to that area 2 years ago. I was able to paint four 12" x 12" paintings from that trip and sold 3 of the 4. One was this Santa Cruz lighthouse I saw on our drive to Monterrey and Pebble Beach. So pleased it sold to a friend who had a sweet memory or touring a lighthouse with her son, and this reminded of her of that special time. Love stories like that and find that often there is a link like this that creates that special desire to not just admire a painting but to indeed purchase it! Happy to be part of that circle of joy. I do hope to paint a larger version of this in my new studio - move date is Oct. 10 so I hope to be painting in 3 weeks! Until then I am just reflecting on past work, lessons and ideas for future works. Enjoy!