A Special Place

SOLD

This is a 18x18 oil on stretched canvas painted as a commission.  On my trip to Santa Barbara last month I  had the opportunity to see a part of the coast that I would never have known about without my friend Connie's help.  She recently moved to the Santa Barbara area.  Connie is a realtor and covers the Santa Barbara vicinity with properties in the Orange County area as well.  

Hope Ranch is one of the areas she is developing clientele.  This is an amazing area of country life with sprawling ranch homes on acres of land sitting beautifully on the bluffs over looking an amazing stretch of beach.  The area includes a fabulous golf course and country club.  As you drive through the rambling hills you can catch a glimpse of horse back riders on the trails throughout Hope Ranch.

This painting depicts the private pathway to the cabanas and beach.  It is a forested path that takes you to the edge of the Pacific Ocean.  

Sunset On The Santa Barbara Mesa

Santa Barbara has some of the most beautiful coastline.  This is a stretch of beach below Mesa.  I was out on a walk through a forest area up on the mesa.  It was just wonderful.  At the end of the walk was a set of stairs down to the beach.  It was perfect timing for a wonderful sunset.

This was a demonstration pastel I did as part of an evening gala and concert series in collaboration with Enderle Center and Chemers Gallery in Tustin.  I currently have six framed pastel paintings on display and for sale at Chemers Gallery.

12x12, pastel

Available through Chemers Gallery 

In Enderle Center Since 1978
17300 Seventeenth Street, Suite G, Tustin, CA 92780
714.731.5432     info@chemersgallery.com

Afternoon Shadows

12x9, pastel

The afternoon light hitting the foliage and trees on the coastal bluff of Santa Barbara casts beautiful shadows.  What a gorgeous place to hang and watch the sunset.  

Ocean Walk

6x12, Pastel

Walking on this stretch of Santa Barbara beach with the smell of the ocean in my face is pure paradise.

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Sand and Rock

8x6, pastel

I was drawn to the rock on this cliff as it turned into the shadow.  This is another view of the beach area of Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara Coast

18x16, pastel

The California coast is just forever beautiful.  I grew up with the crowds of the Southern California beaches.  The summers are over run with visitors taking advantage of the warm sand and recreation.  Moving up the coast is a much different feeling.  There are so many beautiful beach spots.  It takes some hiking down, but it is worth it.  From the edge of the cliffs to the sand and the surf it is quiet and beautiful.  I love the peacefulness of it.  

I am presently in Big Sur and wow!, what a beautiful place.  Hoping to get some art work out of this picturesque place.  The hardest thing is where to start and how to edit such beauty.  So that will be coming soon.

Golden Hours

9x6, pastel

The hours in the late afternoon when everything is rich with color is called the golden hours.  It is like the curtain call before the end of a play.  I first heard this reference was from my son who studied film in college.  These are the hours when the light is doing all the work.  No need to fill or bounce.  It is cheaper too.  Less to rent.  

So as an artist I find light to be my best friend and at times my worst enemy.  In plein air it is hard to capture.  I need to take that mental picture and paint fast without losing my vision or concept which always involves the light.  In my studio it is a little easier to control, but again it effect what and how I see.  The best hours for me to paint in studio is morning.  Outside it is morning and afternoon, because mid day light can flatten contrasts.  Shadows are important in my painting and come into play early in the game.  I find I look for light always with her best friend shadow for a little drama.

"MORNING LIGHT ON SYCAMORE CANYON"

8x8, oil on gessobord, $100.00

Since I have been getting out to hike, I have also been taking lots of photos.  This was from a hike a few weeks ago in Sycamore Canyon, Laguna Beach.  It is a pretty place.  The plant life is abundant and seems to like the cooler coastal moisture and temperatures.  This was from the top of the trail looking back.  Lots of cactus.  I liked the way this cactus was reaching and creating shadows.  Mostly, the light and atmospheric conditions created a spectacular view.

"COASTING ALONG"

6x8, oil on raymar, sold

Looking north along the coast from Dana Point.