Right after sunup, I hunkered down in the shade atop a stoney outcropping beside the highway. What I saw from there was enough to make me think “I could die now, a contented man.”
Continue readingYou hear it first, then you see it.
Went out at 6 AM to see what the ocean had going. The predicted storm never happened here, just a lot of moisture. Walking barefoot through the Ironwood trees, you hear it first. Then you see it. Every hour of every day it’s different, just like anything else. Always the same cast of players, but always a somewhat different story. 
All subtleties and tones, silvery lavenders. Alizarin and Viridian, the most unexpected pairing, works perfectly well here. There are no real darks to hang things on, only notes of color, some shapes and their placements. What little there seems to grasp must be made to count for something. Two hours, and it’s gone. But it stays in one’s mind, stored up for the future paintings.
Ocean off Kalama, 11 x 14″ oil
The initial lay-in, shot in my studio. After a busy month in July, a start on a seascape from one of my favorite locations. Nice to be able to get back where I belong.
About day 3.
The final painting.
Fresh paint
This piece, an 10 x 8″ oil on panel, began as a demonstration piece for students. The assignment was to see if such a subject could compose off center in a vertical format successfully. 
I remained interested in the painting, and pushed it forward. Now, I’m planning a frame.