A Mountain House Portrait for the Waning Days of Summer

August 2022

Window to The Bay #27

Happy Wednesday! Has August flown by for you like it has here? Officially the last day of summer is September 21 (my mom’s birthday!) and here in San Francisco, with cold and foggy summers, often our best “shorts season” starts in September. What do you do to enjoy the waning days of summer? For one, I’m turning US Open tennis on TV and enjoying every minute! At Laura Ann Studio I’m taking advantage of our end of summer sunshine to do a weekly “plein air” Window to The Bay sketch around the landmarks of San Francisco that I’m calling “SF Pas de Deux.” The French “dance for two” in ballet is a duet in classical ballet often with themes of love. “SF Pas de Deux” is a watercolor love ode to San Francisco, and the beautiful landmarks, gardens, and public spaces that many people call “home.” Tune in on Laura Ann Studio Instagram to follow the making of the series!

A north carolina mountain house family reunion portrait

I loved painting this portrait as a gift from 3 adult children to their dad on Father’s Day! I really enjoy and often find myself working for groups of friends or family members on surprise painting gifts for a loved one. Here, the siblings shared many happy memories of extended family reunions at their North Carolina mountain home. I painted them onto the dock looking out to the water and the mountains, matching t-shirts and all! The scene and experience of nature - mountains, water, wild grasses, birds, ducklings, jumping fish, and all were in this case just as important as the house itself, so we captured the memory of both! In the end each family member received a print of the watercolor house portrait which I hope reminds them of many happy reunions. Cheers to many more!

With love for the every day and special days,
Laura Ann Trimble Elbogen
P.S. Is there a loved one you and your friends or family would love to surprise with a watercolor portrait at the holidays? Laura Ann Studio’s holiday commission list is now open! Share this post with your family!