Catherine McCargar Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

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A vineyard leads to a rustic cottage nestled among lush trees. Sunlight filters through the branches, casting dappled shadows onto the winding path. The soft an...

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A variety of plants thrive around Lake Temescal, nestled in the Oakland Hills of the California Bay Area. The lush greenery reflects in the still water, addin...

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A silhouette of a single Monterey pine basks in the glow and soft light of the setting sun. The lavender surface of the ocean reflects the radiant sky. California-based artist Catherine McCargar loves taking painting trips to the coast. In this piece, she painted on Moonstone Beach in Cambria.

About the Artist
Impressionist Catherine McCargar expresses her deep admiration of nature through landscape paintings of Northern California. While she is well-versed in a range of media, her preferred medium for painting is watercolor. The fluidity of the paint allows her to capture the muted undertones and the fleeting light found in the natural world. While the backgrounds of her paintings are impressionistic, the foregrounds of her paintings are often highly detailed, showcasing her technical mastery over her medium.

Words that describe this painting: coastal, ocean, California, seaside, beach, path, sunset, tree, summer, sky, nature, grass, vacation, season, impressionism, nature, seascape, watercolor painting, blue

Coastal Summer Sunset...

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A charming vintage home nestles among rows of grapevines, surrounded by the golden and green hues of harvest season. Artist Catherine McCargar painted the scene...

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Artist Catherine shares a peek into the beautiful autumnal woodlands of California, presenting her keen eye for color an...

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The place that inspired this watercolor painting is among the many lovely locations that are the foothills of Mt. Diablo in the East Bay Area near San Francis...

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Artist Catherine McCargar captures the peaceful ambiance of a September morning in the countryside. She paints a view of Harmony, a tiny town along the central California coast just south of Cambria. The iconic farmhouse is enveloped by soft golden grasses and cool blue hills, imparting a tranquil feel to the scenic surroundings.

About the Artist
Impressionist Catherine McCargar expresses her deep admiration of nature through landscape paintings of Northern California...

Artist Comments
A place with the name Green Valley lives up to its name in this painting. The impressionistic handling of the subject gives room for the imagination of the viewer to draw on personal memories of the joys and promises of spring. This piece is painted to the edges of the paper on heavyweight watercolor paper. It will need a frame for display.

About the Artist
Catherine McCargar created her first work of art at five years old, a snowman drawn on blue construction paper. A group of artists invited her to try plein air painting and she fell in love. In her eyes, the time spent composing and recording in the open air is invaluable to breathe life into a painting. Catherine currently lives in California and loves tending her garden and being creative in the kitchen when she;s not painting. Fun fact: she occasionally writes stories for her granddaughter with accompanying ink drawings; she recently wrote a series called Baby Owl Learns to Fly.

Green Valley Spring...

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Artist Catherine McCargar presents an intriguing close-up of succulents tenaciously adorning a dramatic cliff. The view overlooks the Pacific Ocean in Point Lobos Natural Reserve. "This park near Carmel, California, is among my most inspirational places to visit," shares Catherine. She joyfully gets lost in painting, adding detail after detail. The fluid colors allow the movement of pigments and the precision of brushwork.

About the Artist
Impressionist Catherine McCargar expresses her deep admiration of nature through landscape paintings of Northern California...

Artist Comments
This is a painting done en plein air, and is my impression of shoreline grasses and distant hills, with the intrigue of a train coming through and just in vie...

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I enjoy making trips to Palm Springs to collect inspirational material for paintings. I am especially drawn to the bougainvillea blossoms that grow so well in...

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I began this painting on location in plein air, positioning my easel on a path along a hillside that overlooks the out-buildings of a working farm, The farm i...

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Tree-studded hills and valleys in California glow under the summer sun. Dramatic shadows in deep blues and purples dot the golden grass, creating a striking c...