Black Diamond Gold

"Black Diamond Gold", acrylic on canvas 12" x 12", © Nancy Roberts

Here's one of my favorite spots, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Northern California. This time of year the hills are a rich patchwork of flaxen gold and dusty greens. Pure joy!

Gourd Arbor

"Gourd Arbor", Acrylic on Gessobord 14" x 11", © Nancy Roberts

I painted this inside a gourd arbor -- a tunnel-shaped trellis covered with vines -- at the historic Hagemann Ranch in Livermore, CA. Gourds of every size and shape hung overhead and created a magical space. I felt like I'd fallen through the rabbit hole and discovered Wonderland!

Inside the secret garden!

Filoli Unknotted

"Filoli Unknotted", acrylic on linen 12" x 12", © Nancy Roberts

I painted this at Filoli, a beautiful historic estate in the woodlands south of San Francisco. My spot was the Knot Garden where mounds of herbs are planted in complex, intertwining designs, but I decided to untangle the knots and create this serpentine hedge in their place.

Mythic Garden

"Mythic Garden", acrylic on canvas 16" x 12", © Nancy Roberts

Here's another desert gardenscape I started at the beautiful Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, California. The title is inspired by a lovely piece by Canadian composer Howard Shore I listened to while finishing this painting in my studio.

Shipyard Special

"Shipyard Special", acrylic on canvas 16" x 12", © Nancy Roberts

Started this at the Western Railway Museum near Rio Vista, and finished it in my studio today. Built in the late 1800's, this classic streetcar started life as an elevated train in New York City. It was brought to the San Francisco Bay Area during WWII to transport workers to the shipyards. I was attracted to its jaunty stripes and intricate railings, and the design of the electrical wires in the sky above. So fun to paint!

Desert Tapestry

"Desert Tapestry", acrylic on canvas 16" x 12", © Nancy Roberts

I started this at the U.C. Botanical Garden in Berkeley, CA and finished it in my studio today. This spectacular garden has plants from all over the world growing in zones landscaped to re-create their native environments. I fell in love with the "Deserts of the Americas" area, with its stony, terraced terrain and glorious collection of cacti. I can't wait to go back and explore the rest of the world!

Carnegie Library, Livermore

"Carnegie Library, Livermore", acrylic on canvas 16" x 12", © Nancy Roberts

Here's the historic Carnegie Library in Livermore, California. This beautiful building is now the home of the Livermore Art Association Gallery and the Livermore Historical Museum. Well worth a visit if you haven't been there yet!