These paintings are a celebration of California’s volcanic landscape. They began after years of mapping a beloved swath of the Sierra Foothills at about 1000 ft elevation, a gentle place with rolling hills sparsely studded with rocks and oaks. I have realized that pockets of this landscape exist in many other places from urban hills to the ocean’s edge. I capture the feel of each place with a base of color in tempera, pastel, a stain of oil, and then I add translucent encaustic medium and other simple details to enhance the light. The overall effect reflects the centered calm I feel when visiting these beautiful environments.