I painted this piece last September with my friend Randall Stauss . We had painted the morning in Petaluma and were heading to a figure drawing class in Sebastopol and there it was! We both lit up when we saw this gorgeous red building in late afternoon light. We hopped out and stayed off to the edge of a busy road and in a couple hours moved on.

Washoe House was built in 1859 and became a stagecoach stop. After Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, Major James Armstrong’s “Emmett Rifes” rode up Stony Point Road intent to revenge the Democrats in Santa Rosa. They turned back after stopping at this tavern. The incident was known as The Battle of Washoe House.

Now, as I look at this painting, I think how wonderful it was to drive anywhere last year. We never gave it a second thought! I hope we get that freedom back again this summer! Stay safe til then!