Tennessee Valley Barns

Signed Limited Edition Giclee Print.

Shipping within U.S. included in price.

©2016 Susan Grabowski

The original oil (also available) was painted onsite, Tennessee Valley in Mill Valley, CA.

“Tennessee Valley in Mill Valley, CA is one of those special places where you can take a long walk in a beautiful valley and end up at the coast, where the crashing surf dazzles with its energy and beauty, rewarding you for the effort.The valley got its name from a ship that was wrecked there, the Tennessee. 

I was drawn to the valley from an artistic viewpoint as soon as I saw it. The walk is relatively flat, which is great when you are carrying your painting gear. The valley is surrounded on both sides by the Marin headlands, which are somewhat bare rolling hills that extend to the ocean. There are several horse ranches adjacent to the valley.

I often go out there a couple hours before sunset, my favorite time to paint. The shadows are long and filled with color, unlike mid-day, when they tend to be flat and colorless. I especially like backlit trees as they take on the glow of the setting sun. The eucalyptus foliage becomes glimmering jewel-like flashes of bright, warm shades of orange, yellow, salmon and red, and the colors intensify as the sun sinks lower. I like the long shadows that set off these bright notes, and they also assist in creating a dynamic composition of lights and darks, to move the eye through the painting. The hills begin to melt into an almost transparent orange glow. 

This particular piece was painted at the foot of the driveway leading to a barn for horses. I completed about 80% of the painting on-site, and put the finishing touches on in the studio.”