Edges of a golden day, Upper Ojai

“Edges of a Golden Day, Upper Ojai”
24 x 30 in., oil on canvas, framed in light wood-effect maple float frame
 
One of the largest plein air paintings I’ve completed to date, Edges of a Golden Day captures a sunlit afternoon in Upper Ojai — a moment suspended in golden warmth and stillness. The old, weathered shed nestled beneath towering trees sits quietly in the shadow of the high mountain range beyond, while the fields shimmer in soft peach and ochre tones under the late-day light. Painted primarily on location, the piece reflects the immediacy and freshness of plein air work, later refined in the studio to bring clarity to the foreground and enhance its harmony. Framed in a custom handmade maple-effect float frame, this work is both a celebration of light and a tribute to the quiet poetry of California’s inland valleys.