California Dreamin’

California Dreamin’
30 x 30 • Oil and Cold Wax Medium on Cradled Board

California Dreamin’ grew out of a small study I painted while attending a cold wax workshop in San Miguel de Allende, a place whose colors, architecture, and energy continue to stay with me. Back home, I found myself thinking about California’s winter landscape and how different it feels from much of the country. While other places are dormant, our hills begin to turn green, wildflowers emerge, and the land seems to wake up.

This painting is less about a specific location and more about that feeling of abundance and renewal that arrives between February and April. After the rains, the familiar browns give way to fresh greens, and the landscape takes on a vibrancy that feels almost unexpected. The layered surfaces, incised lines, and luminous color shifts reflect both the structure of the land and the sense of optimism I associate with this season.

For me, California Dreamin’ is a celebration of those fleeting months when the hills are alive with color and possibility.