Almost Home

Plein air artwork of the railroad trestle on the Hollister Ranch on the santa barbara coast of southern california

Some islands are formed by water, some are formed by the long standing legacies of private property dating back generations to a time before “coastal access” was even a thing. Some of these have effectively become islands in their own way shielding their environs from the outside world and preserving these lands in a state of blissfully arrested development.

I haven’t spent much time on this particular stretch of coast, but the short windows I’ve been blessed with have been spectacular immersions into one of the most well-preserved portions of an older California still remaining on the mainland.

Some folks even call this place their home. This is the view they see coming home every time they leave and return.

I sometimes half-jokingly call the entire California Coast my home- and if the whole coast were a magnificent house on a hill, this would surely be the entryway to it’s Great Room, it’s focal point, where all of the architectural nuances used to great affect elsewhere culminate to a sublimely perfect crescendo of the Architect’s true genius. This is only the entry mind you, you’d have to explore around the corner to see the rest.

It’s not likely that I’ll ever live here in the normal sense, but still, when I consider this scene, I feel I am Almost Home.


Artwork Information:


Artwork Title: "Almost Home"
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2018

Additional Artwork Information:


Method: Plein Air
Date Painted: 05/14/2018
Region: The California Coast > Santa Barbara > Southern California
Road Trip: Southern California- May 2018

Artwork Logistics:


Travel Logistics: Had to Sleep in My Van
Miles Hiked: Less than 1 Mile
Hiking Terrain: Off Trail Wilderness Tromping
Access Logitics: Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property
(Painted With Permission)
Biological Hazards: High Grass- Tick Country!
Anthropological Hazards: Other Painters
Weather Logistics: Painted in Full Sun with no Shade


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