Discovering Southern California Through Thompson's Artistry

Rosalie Heacock Thompson (1927–2022) was a lifelong plein air watercolorist whose legacy is deeply rooted in the natural beauty of Southern California. For more than six decades, she painted the landscapes she loved—coastal cliffs, oak-dotted canyons, and sunlit hillsides—always working on site, in changing light, with a quiet reverence for place.

The California Plein Air Revival

Rosalie was a founding member of the Plein Air Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore, an early voice in the plein air revival movement of the 1980s. Her commitment to painting outdoors helped preserve and celebrate natural spaces long before environmental loss was a mainstream concern.

Working primarily in watercolor, Rosalie completed full compositions in a single sitting. She captured not just scenery but atmosphere—the feel of a foggy morning over Malibu Creek or the sharp gold light of a late summer afternoon in Topanga. Her work is marked by clarity, restraint, and a sensitivity to light that elevates familiar terrain into quiet acts of devotion.

A Life Lived in Color

Though much of her early training began in New Mexico, it was the California coastline and Santa Monica Mountains that shaped Rosalie’s mature work. She often painted with other plein air artists, hiking in with her gear, sketching first impressions, and composing over a single session while surrounded by birdcall and sun-dappled leaves.

Even in her 90s, Rosalie was painting—proof of a creative spirit rooted in practice, community, and love for the land.

See the Work

Explore her online portfolio to view selected plein air watercolors of Southern California, New Mexico, and beyond.

Coming Soon

Meet the Artists Who Shaped Rosalie’s Vision– Plein Air in the Desert: Rosalie’s New Mexico Years