Original Artwork

Sun & Sea Mist

Watercolor • 8" x 10"

This atmospheric painting was completed on the steps of the New Brighton beach.

Sparkling New Brighton

Watercolor • 8" x 10"

The New Brighton cliffs face southward, and receive dazzling sunlight on a clear day.

Barreling Down Bush Street

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

Painted in studio from a plein air piece, exploring the stark pattern of light and shade in the canyon of downtown SF.

Sierra Valley Sunrise

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

Painted in studio from photos I took around the Sierras Preserve Nature Center in Plumas County.

Smoke Over Oakland Harbor

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

This painting was voted People's Choice at the 20th annual Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout.

Saluting the Hornet

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

"A particularly light touch and confidence are asked of the watercolorist. Cathy Xu excels in these virtues. Her 'Saluting the Hornet' is a deft symphony of neutral colors side by side describing the intricate ins and outs of the ship's structure." -Karen Braun Malpas in press coverage of the 20th annual Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout

Hamilton Branch Power House

Watercolor • 12" x 16"

I completed this painting on a rickety bridge overlooking the Hamilton Branch tributary to Lake Almanor. This painting received 2nd Place at the 2025 Lost Sierras Plein Air Festival, judged by Chula Beauregard. This painting was also voted the People's Choice by the public.

Lake Almanor Sunset

Watercolor • 12" x 16"

This view of sunset striking Mt Lassen was painted at the Lake Almanor vista point.

Death & Rebirth

Watercolor • 12" x 16"

This view is from South Lake Almanor looking towards Greenville and the destruction of the 2021 Dixie Fire. I felt deeply moved by the devastation, but equally by the resilience of pines growing back from the tips, with the emergence of spring four years later.

Spring on Mt Hough

Watercolor • 12" x 16"

I painted this view from the Gorbet Ranch in Greenville. I didn't realize I was on private property until the rancher came out to check what I was doing. They shared the long history of this Ranch, with the most incredible view of Mt. Hough.

Whitewater Flurry

Watercolor • 16" x 20"

Valley Oak Grasps for Spring

Watercolor • 16" x 20"

Overcast and Mysterious

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

A Choppy Morning

Watercolor • 8" x 10"

Dawn at Rockaway Beach

Watercolor • 8" x 10"

A Quiet Harbor

Watercolor • 8" x 10"

Midday Shadows on Bodega Bay

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

Winter Drifts across El Capitan

Watercolor • 9" x 12"

This was a lousy day for a hike, but the energy in Yosemite was magical.

Water Under the Bridge

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

Horizon

Watercolor • 8" x 10"

This was painted from Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in San Diego with a couple of painter friends. Wide-open horizons hold hope, mystery, and an expansive sense of space.

Boats in Mission Bay

Watercolor • 8" x 10"

Golden Coast Glow

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

Late Sun on Tahoe Outlet

Watercolor • 9" x 12"

Warm Breeze on Monterey Cypress

Watercolor • 11" x 14"

Dawn at Big River

Watercolor • 8" x 10"

Big River in Mendocino, California

At Night the City is Ours

Watercolor • 12" x 12"

Millions of lights. Millions of voices. Millions of footsteps across these wooden boards. Yet here suspended in liminal time, we can be the only ones.

Racing Downhill

Watercolor • 10" x 13"

Shadows spill down a fresh snowbank. A very splashy painting that left puddles on the floor.

Smith Rock

Watercolor • 10" x 13"

The sun slips behind the rocks as we walked our dog along the shaded, twisty riverbank trail in Smith Rock Oregon.

Last Night's Lights

Watercolor • 10" x 13"

Public lighting has a unique romance, indicating a transitional time of day.

Autumn Light on Brooklyn Bridge

Watercolor • 10" x 10"

Painted in Dumbo as morning light struck the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan.

Harbor House Inn

Watercolor • 8" x 11"

Painted on the beach of Harbor House Inn in Elk CA, before celebrating my birthday with a meal inside.

Juicy Splashes

Watercolor • 12" x 12"

Pool water is mesmerizing and somehow always makes me thirsty.