a couple of quick Plein Aire sketches

These were just a couple of quick paintings that I did Plein Aire a few days ago. The bear is one of a set of two that stand at the entrance to the old Highway 101 bridge across the Klamath river; the original bridge was washed out in a major flood in 1964, it's been closed off and left as a historical land mark. The flood not only washed out the bridge but the old town of Klamath which had been flooded and rebuilt in the 50's. After the '64 flood the town site was abandoned and since then a newer, smaller and much less interesting town has been built farther inland.

The painting of the cliffs I painted the same day, sitting on a high bluff overlooking the sea. I had started painting it and had gotten so frustrated with the greens and blues being the only colors that I just started slopping the purple around; I liked the result. The brown smudges in the ocean area are dog prints...as soon as I sit down they have to find out what I'm doing!