New pendant of Chakra Meditation in the Redwoods, handmade from my original painting. Great for a man or woman :-).

The original painting and prints are available at http://zenbreeze.com/store/chakra2.htm

New pendant of Mermaid at Santa Cruz:

A raven-haired mermaid with a green tail looks out to the Santa Cruz Lighthouse on a distant bluff. Seagulls glide through the soft gray clouds, which cast a silvery-blue hue on the ocean. This fantasy California seascape is offered as a pendant, hand crafted by the artist from my original painting. Made from polymer clay with the print baked into it, then sealed with resin, giving the image a glass-like quality and providing water resistance.

An adjustable knotted cord is included so the piece is ready to wear and will fit most sizes (these are adjusted by sliding the knots and don't have a metal clasp). As they go over the head, these tend to hang long. If you would prefer a cord of a particular length with a clasp instead (recommended for shorter or choker length), let me know at the time of the sale (no additional charge).

The original oil painting and prints are also available at http://zenbreeze.com/store/mermaidsc.htm

We went on a pilgrimage of sorts to Portola Redwoods State Park.  This is one of the California State Parks scheduled to be closed in September, due to budget cuts.  I wanted to make sure to visit this incredible place again while I could (I have inner ear trouble that makes the winding roads leading to it difficult but it was worth it).

It's difficult to convey the magic of a redwood forest.  The trees are immense.  I remembered this place as being particularly wild and primordial.   It reminded me of those old gaslight authors, such as Blackwood, who wrote stories about Nature taking back over in such places.

While walking through the trees, we made our way along the stream, having to cross it now & then.  I still need to get a walking stick so we passed Steve's back and forth as necessary.

We chose the trail (coincidentally, the Iverson Trail) that led to tiptoe falls, a lovely waterfall cascading down a hillside (only the last section was visible to us but we could hear it). Resting a moment by this pool, you could imagine that, if the old pagan gods are still around, this is one place they are.

I'm looking through my treasure trove of photos of which ones to use as a basis for future paintings.  Look for them in my Land Gallery.

Big Sale on Big Prints! I know a lot of you have been wanting big prints. Here are specials on giclee canvas prints (ready to hang) in larger sizes:

30" x 40" only $149!

24" x 36" only $119!

24" x 36" only $119!

Limited time only! Other prints available at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/laura-iverson.html

Went for a walk at the Almaden Quicksilver County Park today. That's one we only started going to this past year. It's a little more strenuous than I'm used to. I should paint a manzanita--I haven't done one of those yet. They have this distinctive red bark. Here's an example (not the one I'm going to paint--I want that to be a surprise):

Sale today only! Enter coupon code 18REFUND for 18% off your order in my cafepress shop. In addition to the T shirts, sweatshirts, mousepads, boxes, etc., they are offering a whole bunch of new products...jewelry, gym bags, iphone cases.

Went for a walk in downtown Saratoga and saw this fantastic saltbox house at the end of the street. I vintaged up the photo, like I like to do, and called it The Empty Swing:

New photo from my walk today at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, Ancient Tree by a Stream:

Landscape in Purple and Gold:

An oak tree on a hill, beneath dramatic clouds. This California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically enhanced photograph. The original photo was taken at Arastradero Open Space Preserve in Palo Alto. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.

Oak Branches in Purple

Oak tree branches at Arastradero Open Space Preserve in Palo Alto. This California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically enhanced photograph, in tones of purple. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.

Green Shutters:

A historic house with green shutters. This California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically enhanced photograph, in tones of sepia and green. The original photo was taken in Santa Clara. I cannot say why it appealed to me so much. The sunlight glinted a certain way and I liked the way it peaked through the pine branches. The border hearkens back to TTV (Through the Viewfinder) vintage photography. The scratches and imperfections give the piece a Victorian Gothic feel. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.

Lost and Wandering:

A gnarled oak tree on a hill. This California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically enhanced photograph, in tones of sepia and purple. The original photo was taken at Arastradero Open Space Preserve in Palo Alto. The border hearkens back to TTV (Through the Viewfinder) vintage photography. The scratches and imperfections give the piece a Victorian Gothic feel. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.

New dark art photo, Welcome Home:

A lighted mausoleum beckons, beneath a luminous full moon. This cemetery photograph is in gothic shades of purple. The original photo was taken in the historic Santa Clara Mission Catholic Cemetery. This California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically-enhanced photograph. The border hearkens back to TTV (Through the Viewfinder) vintage photography. The scratches and imperfections give the piece a Victorian Gothic feel.

Stone Ghost and Cypress Trees fine art photograph:

Mysterious stone drapery covering this urn looked, to me, like a figure standing among the cypress trees. The original photo was taken in the historic Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. This California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically enhanced photograph. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.

We thought it was about time to visit historic San Juan Bautista, a California Mission town. Many of the buildings remain as they were, taking you back in time.

The first thing you notice is the chickens & roosters. They run free all over the town:

I had carefully made a list of all the haunted sites in town for my Haunted California paintings, then forgot it, but, as I recall, most of the buildings claimed some ghost story. Here's the Plaza Hall:

And the Plaza Hotel:

And a shot of the bell tower of the mission church:

We finished up with a trip to the cemetery on the hill, as inspiration both for the Ghost Paintings and the Eternal Wanderings cemetery photos:

Seagull Cove is a painting I did several years ago. I always felt, at the back of my mind, that it needed a bit more pizazz. So, I added a mermaid:

Cypress trees stand on a bluff covered with magenta wildflowers on a Spring day at Pacific Grove (near Carmel and Monterey). Seagulls fly through the white, fluffy clouds, while one takes a rest on a rock, watching a mermaid trying on a necklace of white shells. This California fantasy ocean seascape is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" staple-free sides are finished off in blue acrylic)--no need to frame. It has been lightly varnished to protect the paint and preserve the lustrous colors. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual painting.

This is one of my favorite areas in the Santa Clara Mission cemetery, The Town Square:

Amazing architecture abounds in the historic Santa Clara Mission cemetery with its mausoleums like small cathedrals. A statue of Jesus watches over the city of the dead. This California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically enhanced photograph. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.

New photo from Santa Clara Mission Cemetery, Crow Among the Stones:

A crow lights on a tombstone, nearly lost among the many graves and mausoleums. The original photo was taken at the historic Santa Clara Mission Cemetery and was artistically enhanced to resemble an old sepia print. This gothic California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish). The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.

New cemetery photo, Monuments under a Blood Red Sky:

Three monuments, grouped together as if in conversation, standing against a red sky. The original photo was taken at the historic Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. This gothic California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically enhanced photograph. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.

A new cemetery photo, Lonely Angel:

A lone angel statue, standing against a purple sunset sky. The original photo was taken at the historic Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. This California landscape, from the Eternal Wanderings series, is offered as a print on fine art paper (soft, matte finish) from an artistically enhanced photograph. The copyright watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual print.