Light In The California Landscape

California Landscape (Capitstrano Beach Area)

I was attracted to this scene because of the light.  I enjoy trees (they all have different personalities) but it was the shadows and light that I wanted to describe.   Also as the trees branches are moving upward there is this light and color that brush the tips…  It’s curious how one scene will grab you over another…

I was also working with the upbeat under painting and I wanted that hint of color to be part of the process…  It always a pleasure for me when light, dark, color, and composition come together.    



"Branching Out"

My usual painting size is 8” X 10” or smaller. These small format paintings have an intimacy that I enjoy and I’ll continue to express myself in that format but I needed a change this week…

While researching this seascape, sketching, taking photos I felt the painting needed an expressive change. This painting is 12” X 16” it doesn’t seem like such a large leap but it was a way of moving forward. The ocean is so huge, you’ll see surfers, swimmers; people enjoying themselves at the pier but sometimes that big water tugs at you and I just want to paint something huge.

So I looked around the studio and the biggest canvas I had was 12” X 16” not very “huge” but it fit the artistic urge. I don’t know where this is going but I’m certain for myself painting is like writing a visual story and sometimes the story needs a few more chapters… and inches of canvas.