5th day on the road, 14th painting completed, 1st one this day

Occasionally when I mention to folks that I travel up and down painting the California coast, they will suggest that I do paintings of all the lighthouses. I usually think that’s because someone once gave them a calendar with a different lighthouse on each month. Or because they think lighthouse paintings will sell easily (as opposed to the rest of my art? Gee, thanks. By the way, almost all of it sells these days- thanks you guys! Oh and by the other way, making art based on what sells when it’s not where your heart really is, well that’s basically just straight up worshipping money. Get behind me, Satan, I’m not going there. I’ve seen too many artists lose their joy, passion, drive, and ultimately their art as well and end up running aground when they chart their course in sole pursuit of Mammon… Ok, sermon over…)

The truth is I have nothing against lighthouses, in fact, I’ll happily paint them when my road leads to them and I truly appreciate a bit of the symbolism that I think people like to put on them- guiding lights, light in the darkness, etc… but personally I’m more a fan of the rocky gnarl that usually surrounds them. Maybe I just see some things in a bit of a different light, but I know I’m not the only one.