"Mendocino Resident" by Sara Starr

Once a year or so I visit lovely Mendocino, on the Northern California coast. This watercolor comes from a street there and shows the interesting eclectic architecture one finds in the town. And, yes, the Siamese cat was there, but I took artistic license and moved him to a different spot.

I just learned that this painting won 2nd place in a Daniel Smith art supplies watercolor contest. Very happy about that. It's currently on display at the Trinidad Art Gallery in California through the end of May 2011.

"Juan's Garden" by Sara Starr

This past February I had the good fortune to go to La Penita, Mexico, for a 5-day plein air oil painting workshop. Here is my painting from Day 3 --- after I had a major breakthrough and began to figure out this medium that I am not well-versed in! It was painted in the garden of a fellow student, Juan.

"Kissing Beach" by Sara Starr

On day 4 of our Mexico trip, we went to an exclusive beach-side community. The lovely crescent-shaped beach was called Kissing Beach. After I painted this one I went for a swim and then had a lovely lunch of fresh seafood. A day in paradise!

"Red-Wing Blackbird" by Sara Starr

In July 2011 I will have an exhibit of my tiles at the Fire Arts Center Gallery in Arcata. I am busy getting ready for it, trying to get a piece or two fired every week. Here is one that I just took from the kiln, of a red-wing blackbird. These are one of my favorite birds --- a true sign of spring. I am pleased with the bright colors I've achieved with high-firing (Cone 10, about 2300 degrees F.). My show will have cats, birds, flowers and landscapes.

"Where's my Credit Card" by Sara Starr

This spring the Representational Art League held a portrait challenge---and what a challenge it was! We all did portraits of the same model, Kristin, who posed for us. For my portrait, which I did in watercolor from a photo in my studio, I placed her in a store setting (in this case, Moonrise Herbs, a local Arcata store). I took photos from the store and used a photo of Kristin when she searched in her red purse to find a lipstick. I called this painting "Where's my Credit Card?"

"Night Harvest" by Sara Starr

The end of the year, our Representational Art League will have an exhibit of wine-related art at the tasting room of Moonstone Crossing, a local winery in Trinidad. We are all busily working on art for this. Here is a start of a watercolor I am doing. This shows just the first layers. The scene is of grape pickers working during a cold October night, picking Pinot Noir grapes for a rose wine. I am working from a photo taken by Terry McCarthy at Navarro vineyards in Anderson Valley. The painting has progressed since this stage and has proven to be much fun to paint.