Geological Hazards
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Nosebleeds
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Nosebleeds
2021 | Southern California › Orange County | Plein Air
To be honest I don't know why I'd never painted here before, I've painted a lot of Orange County beaches, both iconic and off the beaten path, but none more famous in modern times than this one. On any south swell you can expect to see footage and photos all over the internets and newspapers (where they still exist) and the nightly news on TV, it's hard to escape. The day after I painted this I ate a bowl of cereal at my uncle's house in long beach and there on the front page of his morning pape… ► CONTINUE READING
SKU: N/A Categories: 2021, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Orange County, Painted in Public During a Global Pandemic, Plein Air, Prohibited Area (on Public Land), Southern California, Subject, Surfers Are The Worst, Surging Waves/ Wet Boots, The California Coast, Travel Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, BEACH BREAKS, COMMISSIONED WORK, HARBORS, JETTIES, LIFEGUARD TOWERS, PAINTED FROM LIFEGUARD TOWERS, PEOPLE, SAILBOATS, SANDY BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SHOREPOUND AND WOMP, TRUCKS -
Box of Rain
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Box of Rain
2021 | Northern California › Mendocino | Plein Air
And then there was this. I’d looked all my life for a wave like this peeling across an empty sandbar on a lonely coast in California. I could hardly believe my eyes. But even if they had betrayed me, there was also that feeling in the gut, the butterfly that gnaws and never lies about the presence of greatness, holy ground, and all that. Today was not the day to venture any further, but I’ll be back.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2021, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Mendocino, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Plein Air, Private Collections, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever Tags: FLOWING INTO THE SEA, GREEN GRASS, LEFTS, PLATE TECTONICS, POINT BREAKS, RIVERMOUTHS, RIVERS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, SANDY BEACHES, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, WAVES -
Prime Pelican Real Estate
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Prime Pelican Real Estate
2021 | Northern California › Mendocino | Plein Air
It had been awhile. We needed to getaway and we found what we were looking for on the Mendocino coast. A small house. Just our family and the wind and more beauty than one should rightfully be entitled to, unless it were by grace. Speaking of a different form of grace, pelicans are the masters, and it was a joy to paint this stretch of coast in their presence. What is going on with earth here though? Dizzying displays of plate tectonics. I set up a few feet from the edge, tying my easel to a small fence, partly to keep it from blowing away in the howling wind, and partly so I’d have something secure to grab on to should the heights send me spinning asunder.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2021, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Mendocino, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Stupid Strong Wind that I had No Business Trying to Paint In, Plein Air, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Some Poison Oak Observed, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Weather Tags: GEOLOGY, LEFTS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, PLATE TECTONICS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STEEP CLIFF FACES, WEATHERED ROCK/SANDSTONE -
End of Trail
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End of Trail
2021 | Northern California › Mendocino | Plein Air
After finishing the previous painting, I ventured further on to explore this coast trail to its logical end. I found it here. The sign told me so. The ribbons and trinkets tied to the barbed wire fence spoke of the prayers of others who’ve walked this lonely path. And I thought to myself, “that makes sense… that’s what people do at The End.” The next day I returned with my family to share this beauty with them. It wasn’t so lonely when they were there with me. I didn’t think so much about Prayers or The End, instead we just sat and watched the whale spouts dancing like ghosts on the horizon.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2021, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Mendocino, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Some Poison Oak Observed, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, BARBED WIRE, COAST CHAPARRAL, EVERGREENS, FENCES, FLAGS AND WEATHER VANES, GREEN GRASS, LEFTS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PATHS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STEEP CLIFF FACES, TRAILS, WEATHERED ROCK/SANDSTONE, WORDS -
Slip and Slide
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Slip and Slide
2020 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
I don’t know if anyone has ever painted from this vantage point, or ever will again. It’s over 10 miles from the nearest road. The logistics of getting here, along with all of one’s painting gear, are not easily solved. And once here, I imagine most would shy away from painting a barren rockslide, but to me that was the magic of this painting. This fire-swept wilderness is one of the most geologically unstable stretches of coastline in California (hence, no roads). It’s a harsh environment, but therein lies its charm and beauty.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2020, Accessed by Small Airplane, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Backpacking with Too Much Gear, Bears on the Beach!, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Drop Off Required, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Humboldt, Landscapes, Logistics, Lots of Poison Oak!, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, Subject, Surfers Are The Worst, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Uncomfortably Warm, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, BENDING LINES OF SWELL, DRY GRASS, FLOWERS, PATHS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POINT BREAKS, RIGHTS, ROCKS, ROCKSLIDES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, TRAILS -
Right Before Lunch
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Right Before Lunch
2020 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
A view that never gets old. I actually painted from this exact vantage point 15 years ago. I titled that painting Right after Breakfast and figured that I should revisit that spot and see what happens, so that’s what I did… right before lunch.
SKU: N/A Categories: 1-2 Miles, 2020, Accessed by Small Airplane, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Backpacking with Too Much Gear, Bears on the Beach!, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Cooking Hot, Drop Off Required, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Humboldt, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, Some Poison Oak Observed, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, Surfers Are The Worst, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: DOUBLE-TRACK, DRY GRASS, FLOWERS, FOG BANKS, MORNING LIGHT, PATHS, POINT BREAKS, POPPIES, RIGHTS, ROCKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STEEP CLIFF FACES, TRAILS, WILDFLOWERS -
The Gamble of Art and Culture
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The Gamble of Art and Culture
2020 | Southern California › Los Angeles, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
They call it a casino, and yet aside from placing the riskiest bet known to man – betting on art and culture – no gambling has ever taken place in this building. When it was built, Vegas wasn’t much of a thing yet, and the word “casino” was still just an Italian word that means “gathering place”. And so it was the gathering place for art, music, performance, film, dancing and culture in general in this small island town.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2020, Acrylic on Canvas, Aggressive Seagulls/Birds, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Boat Required for Access, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Landscapes, Logistics, Los Angeles, Medium, Method, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Public During a Global Pandemic, Plein Air, Ride on Truck/Quad/Off-Road Vehicle Required for Access, Southern California, Southern California Catalina Ventura San Diego Orange County Van Smashed Could Have Died With My Wife in Gnarly Car Wreck at Rincon Point 2020, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, Uncomfortably Warm, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: AMERICA!, ARCHES, ARCHITECTURE, BELL TOWERS, BOATS, BUILDINGS, CACTUS, CASINOS THAT WERE NEVER USED FOR GAMBLING, DRY GRASS, EUCALYPTUS, FLAGS AND WEATHER VANES, HARBORS, JETTIES, PALM TREES, PEOPLE, SAILBOATS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SUBMERGED ROCKS, TREES -
Tower of Song
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Tower of Song
2020 | Southern California › Los Angeles, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
There’s a tower that watches over the city here and has been tolling its chimes on the quarter of the hour between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm since 1925. Unless Jani Eisenhut is feeling musical. I’ve heard that this lifetime local hops in and and plays whatever she wants on the organ’s chimes, whenever she wants. What a beautiful freedom. Two things. One, she is my hero. And two, we should all have our own tower of song in which to play for the town whenever we please. These paintings are mine. I hope they’re ringing clear to wherever you are right now.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2020, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Landscapes, Logistics, Los Angeles, Medium, Method, Painted in the Dark, People Drinking, Plein Air, Private Collections, Ride on Truck/Quad/Off-Road Vehicle Required for Access, Sketchy Human Interactions, Southern California, Southern California Catalina Ventura San Diego Orange County Van Smashed Could Have Died With My Wife in Gnarly Car Wreck at Rincon Point 2020, Subject, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, The Greatest Collector Ever, The Shoulder of a Busy Road/Highway, Vehicular Logistics Tags: BELL TOWERS, BOATS, CACTUS, CITIES AND TOWNS, HARBORS, NIGHT SCENES, PIERS, SUCCULENTS -
The Dark Watchers
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The Dark Watchers
2020 | Central California › Monterey | Plein Air
Through thickets of poison to a cliff in the wind beneath dark skies, they followed. Not with their bodies, just with their eyes. They call them Dark Watchers, and stories of them in these hills go back generations. If you see them and try to approach one, they vanish into the landscape. I wish I could do that sometimes too, just stand and watch and observe the landscape as I paint it, and as soon as someone sees me and wants to come chat and get-all-up-in-my-business-wanting-to-know-if-I-make-a-living-doing-this-stuff-as-if-that-somehow-has-any-bearing-on their-ability-to-appreciate-what-I-am-doing-right-there-before-their-eyes, then poof, I vanish back into the earth from whence I came. That would be beautiful. When I grow up I want to be a Dark Watcher. And just maybe I will.
SKU: N/A Categories: 1-2 Miles, 2020, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Big Sur 2020, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Central California, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, Lots of Poison Oak!, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Monterey, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Painted in Stupid Strong Wind that I had No Business Trying to Paint In, Plein Air, Sketchy Human Interactions, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Threatening to Rain, Ticks Observed on Skin or Clothing, Travel, Weather Tags: COAST CHAPARRAL, DARK AND MOODY, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, OUT OF DARKNESS, ROCKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED -
This Side of the Cactus
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This Side of the Cactus
2020 | Central California › Monterey | Plein Air
A lonely cypress stands on this ridge, holding on for dear life through every storm and gale it’s seen, and it’s seen a lot of them. It’s getting a good whipping from the north wind right now as I paint this, its roots holding firm and its muscular bows holding back the wind for myself and this happy little cactus patch looking down on one of the most beautiful beaches in all of California. One of the most photographed beaches in all the world, but you wouldn’t know it from here. Nobo…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2020, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Big Sur 2020, Botanical Hazards, Central California, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Monterey, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Ride on Truck/Quad/Off-Road Vehicle Required for Access, Some Poison Oak Observed, Subject, The California Coast, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, BENDING LINES OF SWELL, CACTUS, GREEN GRASS, JUST NATURE, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, ROCKS, SANDY BEACHES, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL -
Spring in July
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Spring in July
2020 | Northern California › Mendocino | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2020, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Mendemic 2020, Mendocino, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Painted in Public During a Global Pandemic, Plein Air, Private Collections, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Travel Tags: BARNS, BENDING LINES OF SWELL, BUILDINGS, CYPRESS, DRY GRASS, FOG, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, OVERCAST, POCKET BEACHES, POPPIES, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SHOREPOUND AND WOMP, WATERFALLS, WILDFLOWERS -
Bridging Continents
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Bridging Continents
2020 | Northern California › Mendocino | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2020, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Fog Battle, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Mendemic 2020, Mendocino, Method, Northern California, Paid Park Entrance Required, Painted in Public During a Global Pandemic, Parking, Plein Air, Private Collections, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Threatening to Rain, Travel, Weather Tags: ARCHES, BRIDGES, COAST CHAPARRAL, EVERGREENS, FLOWING INTO THE SEA, FOG, GULCHES THAT WERE INHABITED BY A RUSSIAN DEFECTOR FROM FORT ROSS, HANGING MOSS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, POCKET BEACHES, RIVERMOUTHS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, ROADS, ROCKS, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: VERTICAL, THROUGH THE TREES, TREES -
Making Amends
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Making Amends
2020 | Northern California › Mendocino | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2020, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Fog Battle, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Mendemic 2020, Mendocino, Method, Northern California, Painted in Public During a Global Pandemic, Plein Air, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Travel, Weather Tags: ARCHES, COMMISSIONED WORK, CYPRESS, DRY GRASS, FLOWERS, FOG BANKS, FOG CREEPING OVER THE HILLS, JUST NATURE, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, POCKET BEACHES, ROCKS, SEA ARCHES, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, WILDFLOWERS -
Spoke Too Soon
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Spoke Too Soon
2020 | Northern California › Mendocino | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2020, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Fog Battle, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Mendemic 2020, Mendocino, Method, Northern California, Other Painters, Painted in Public During a Global Pandemic, Plein Air, Private Collections, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Threatening to Rain, Travel, Uncomfortably Cool, Weather Tags: CYPRESS, EVERGREENS, FLOWERS, FOG, JUST NATURE, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, OVERCAST, SHAPE: SQUARE, TREES, WILDFLOWERS -
Precipice
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Precipice
2020 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
My sister loved this beach⠀
With it’s small rocks worn smooth ⠀
Tumbled in their own strange victory⠀
A full spectrum of color⠀
Joseph’s coat made of earth⠀
No wonder his brothers sold him⠀
Jealousy runs deep in the quest for treasure⠀
What good are these precious stones anyway?⠀
Were they not made to be coveted by thy neighbor?⠀
And yet my sister envied nobody⠀
She saw treasure in the ordinary stones⠀
The ones that are left behind⠀
We didn’t know at the time⠀
She was about to leave us behind⠀
To live our ordinary lives⠀
On the edge of this precipice⠀
It’s a long way down⠀
⠀
When the heavens rage⠀
On the deeper waters⠀
Far beyond the horizon⠀
Venting frustrations⠀
About her people on the shore⠀
And their love of treasure⠀
And their spite for truth⠀
The release of her fury⠀
Sends pulses across the sea⠀
Until the Outburst from above ⠀
Meets the Unmoved here below⠀
Determined to pound rock against rock⠀
To chip away at the rough edges⠀
On a single stone⠀
Swirling in the undercurrent⠀
Because heaven knows⠀
That from the edge of her precipice⠀
It’s a long way down⠀
⠀
And the stones of earth⠀
Were gathered together⠀
On that day when the two became one⠀
And the winds howled and shrieked⠀
Right into the watery womb⠀
A first breath breathed⠀
And sight was received⠀
By the stones that till now⠀
Had only swirled beneath⠀
Full of rough edges⠀
And yet soon to get smashed⠀
And made smooth again⠀
Even now digging in⠀
Scratching into the storm⠀
The earth against the water⠀
In a race toward the shore⠀
Stones lurching upward and looking down⠀
From this watery precipice⠀
And it’s a long way down⠀
⠀
March of twenty-twenty⠀
A sickness is spreading ⠀
Turning our lungs back into stones⠀
We’ve shut the world down⠀
We’ll put it back together later⠀
But nature never falls apart⠀
She lives on her own terms⠀
And she is always open⠀
So here I stand⠀
Painting this beach⠀
That my sister once loved⠀
And all those smooth stones below⠀
Colors blending into one shade of gray⠀
You can see it all from here⠀
Everything that’s coming⠀
And everyone that’s going⠀
I watch my step⠀
On the edge of this precipice⠀
It’s a long way down⠀► See More Art with Poetry
SKU: N/A Categories: 1-2 Miles, 2020, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Humboldt, Landscapes, Logistics, Lots of Poison Oak!, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Plein Air, Poems, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Thorns and Brambles, Ticks Observed on Skin or Clothing Tags: COAST CHAPARRAL, COMMISSIONED WORK, EVERGREENS, FLOWING INTO THE SEA, FOG BANKS, GREEN GRASS, LEFTS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, ON THE ROCKS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POINT BREAKS, REDWOODS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, ROOTS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STEEP CLIFF FACES, THE IDES OF MARCH, TREES, VIEWS FROM HIGHER GROUND, WATCH YOUR STEP -
A Man Among Giants… and Also His Cat
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A Man Among Giants… and Also His Cat
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
Over 20 years ago I read a story in the local press about an artist that would spend weeks on end out in the high mountain backcountry, living out of tent and cave, painting daily. Surviving snow and rock and ice and fire. On his return he’d see civilization’s blur of concrete and impatience through eyes made clear in the thin mountain air. He’d also return with 38 paintings. On his back. And that would just be one pack. He’d have another pack full of camp gear that he’d haul around…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Humboldt, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Not the California Coast, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Other Painters, Plein Air, Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast), Subject, The California Coast Tags: ARTISTS, CARS, CATS, EVERGREENS, FERNS, GOLDEN LIGHT, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY, PEOPLE, PLEIN AIR PAINTERS, REDWOODS, RESPECT, SHAPE: VERTICAL, SHAPE: VERY VERTICAL -
A Fresh Perspective
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A Fresh Perspective
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
Long straight sandy beaches are a lifelong nemesis when it comes to composing a scene that holds my interest long enough to see a painting through. Down on the beach it’s all just sand and sky with that little strip of compressed sea level ocean. Aargh. Get me up on a hill. Give me a little more earth, a little more ocean, a little more of everything and a little less sky. Nothing against the heavens, I’ll be heading there soon enough, but for now my feet are still planted firm in the clay. Give me a beer and a sandwich. Give me anything at all, just give me a fresh perspective please.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Food/Drink Delivered and Consumed While Painting, Geological Hazards, Humboldt, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Northern California, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Weather Tags: BEACH BREAKS, CARS, CARS THAT DON'T ALWAYS START, COAST CHAPARRAL, COMMISSIONED WORK, DRIFTWOOD, ESTUARIES AND WETLANDS, FREE FOOD, LAGOONS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, PARKING LOTS, ROADS, SAND DUNES, SANDY BEACHES, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: VERTICAL, THE '76 VW THAT I GREW UP IN, TRUCKS, VW'S, WATCH YOUR STEP -
The City by the Bay
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The City by the Bay
2019 | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 1-2 Miles, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Cooking Hot, Drop Off Required, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Fence or Gate Hopping Required, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Human Waste, Trash, and Debris, Hungry Parking Meters, International Travel Hauling Art Gear Through TSA Checkpoints, Italy, Italy 2019, Landscapes, Language Barrier, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Not the California Coast, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted Without Permission, Parking, Plein Air, Pounding Pavement, Private Property, Subject, Temperature, Thorns and Brambles, Travel, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: ANCIENT RUINS, ARCHES, ARCHITECTURE, BAYS, BOATS, BUILDINGS, CALIFORNITALIA, CASTLES, CHURCHES, CITIES AND TOWNS, DOCKS, HARBORS, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, MARINAS, PLACES THAT WERE BOMBED IN WW2, REAL CASTLES, RETAINING WALLS, ROADS, ROMAN CONCRETE, SAILBOATS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STONEWORK, WALLS -
Facts and Fiction
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Facts and Fiction
2019 | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 1-2 Miles, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Crowds with Lots of Questions, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, International Travel Hauling Art Gear Through TSA Checkpoints, Italy, Italy 2019, Landscapes, Language Barrier, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Not the California Coast, Plein Air, Pounding Pavement, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Subject, Surging Waves/ Wet Boots, Travel, Trudging Through Soft Sand Tags: ANCIENT RUINS, ARCHES, ARCHITECTURE, ARCING CLOUDS, BUILDINGS, CALIFORNITALIA, FROM THE BEACH, ITALIAN PINES, PAINTED WITH MY FEET IN WET SAND, REFLECTIONS IN WET SAND, RETAINING WALLS, RIGHTS, ROMAN CONCRETE, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SUBMERGED ROMAN CONCRETE, SUNSETS -
Ballad of a Crystal Man
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Ballad of a Crystal Man
2019 | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Crowds with Lots of Questions, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Hungry Parking Meters, International Travel Hauling Art Gear Through TSA Checkpoints, Italy, Italy 2019, Landscapes, Language Barrier, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Not the California Coast, Painted in the Dark, Parking, People Drinking, Plein Air, Pounding Pavement, Subject, Travel Tags: ARCHES, ARCHITECTURE, BACK ALLEYS, BUILDINGS, CALIFORNITALIA, DARK AND MOODY, FREE SHOTS FROM THE BAR, GEOMETRY, GUITARS, HAVE A SEAT, LIVE MUSIC, NIGHT SCENES, PEOPLE, PLACES THAT WERE BOMBED IN WW2, RESPECT, ROADS, ROMAN CONCRETE, SHAPE: VERTICAL, STONEWORK, STREETS, STRINGED INSTRUMENTS, THE FIRST* SURFER IN ITALY -
It’s Never Like This
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It’s Never Like This
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Crowds with Lots of Questions, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Humboldt, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Oil on Canvas, Other Painters, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Weather Tags: ALDERS, BLUEBIRD DAYS, DRY GRASS, FOAM TRAILS, JUST NATURE, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SEA STACKS, SPARKLING WATER, SUBMERGED ROCKS, TREES, WATCH YOUR STEP -
Wade and Two Steves
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Wade and Two Steves
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Humboldt, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Other Painters, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: ARTISTS, DRY GRASS, PAINTED UNUSUALLY FAST, PEOPLE, PLEIN AIR PAINTERS, RESPECT, SHAPE: SQUARE, UMBRELLAS -
Head Games
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Head Games
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Humboldt, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Other Painters, Plein Air, Roaming Scientists, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast Tags: BEACH BREAKS, COAST CHAPARRAL, DRY GRASS, EVERGREENS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, OUT OF DARKNESS, PATHS, SANDY BEACHES, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, STEEP CLIFF FACES, WATCH YOUR STEP, WEATHERED ROCK/SANDSTONE -
Drink Up
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Drink Up
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
The final panting of this trip. To keep our packs as light as we could (since I was carrying an entire studio) we carried little water with us- just enough to get to our next destination point and keeping our eyes out for water sources along the way. We brought a small filter and there’s lots of creeks that flow on this rugged coast year round, so we knew we wouldn’t have much trouble. This proved to be a perfect creek to drink up and refill after a long morning of painting and getting dried out in the now hot wind. It was also just enough of a bend in the coast that it didn’t face the full force of the wind and we opted to stop again for one more large painting before hiking the final 4 miles back to the car.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, 6-10 Miles, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Backpacking with Too Much Gear, Biological Hazards, Cooking Hot, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Humboldt, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Trudging Through Soft Sand, Weather Tags: BENDING LINES OF SWELL, BRIGHT MIDDAY SUN, CANYONS AND VALLEYS, COAST CHAPARRAL, FLOWING INTO THE SEA, GREEN GRASS, JUST NATURE, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY, ON THE ROCKS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, RIVERS AND STREAMS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, UMBELLIFERS, WHITECAPS -
Punctuation Marks
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Punctuation Marks
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
As we hiked our way down the coast yesterday, I made a lot of mental notes for today’s paintings. Yesterday was for reconnaissance and smaller, quicker paintings. Today was time to get to work on some larger vistas. This was a scene that really struck me the day before. A sweeping view, punctuated by triple exclamation points in the solitary yucca, the jutting rock by the trail, and the old lighthouse barely visible in the distance. In the strong morning wind, I set about painting this larger 20″ x 16″ on location from this steep bluff beside the trail, carefully dodging poison oak, and thoughtfully weighting down every element of my supplies to keep them from blowing over the edge. I’d seen this spot in the afternoon light the day before, but had no idea what a treat it would be to paint here now. There is something so good and right about a crisp morning light.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Backpacking with Too Much Gear, Biological Hazards, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Humboldt, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Over 10 Miles, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Heavy Winds, Painted in Stupid Strong Wind that I had No Business Trying to Paint In, Plein Air, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Trudging Through Soft Sand, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: BENDING LINES OF SWELL, DRY GRASS, EVERGREENS, FOG BANKS, LIGHTHOUSES, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY, ON THE ROCKS, PATHS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, ROCKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STEEP CLIFF FACES, SUCCULENTS, TRAILS, VIEWS FROM HIGHER GROUND, WHITECAPS, YUCCA -
Anything But Silent
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Anything But Silent
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
As my wife slept in the shadows by the creek beside this headland, I stood and faced the moonlight and attempted to sort out mixing colors by headlamp. Due to the timing of the tides we’d have to leave first thing in the morning so even though I’d rather have been sleeping myself, this was my only chance to paint here, over 7 miles from the nearest dirt road- our furthest point reached on this quick backpacking trip. It might look a peaceful serene setting, and in a way it was, but it was anything but silent. If you squint your eyes you might just hear a gust of canyon wind rushing to meet the crashing surf. Or an artist grumbling away by headlamp attempting to quiet his own inner struggle to stay motivated. This title may or may not also be referring to the manner in which I sleep, which can also be anything but silent- especially when I’m dog tired from hiking and painting all day and into the night. Sorry, honey. I love you!
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Backpacking with Too Much Gear, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Downright Frigid, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Humboldt, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Over 10 Miles, Painted in Heavy Winds, Painted in the Dark, Plein Air, Some Poison Oak Observed, Subject, Surging Waves/ Wet Boots, Temperature, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Travel, Trudging Through Soft Sand, Weather Tags: DARK AND MOODY, FROM THE BEACH, JUST NATURE, LAGOONS, LEFTS, MOONLIGHT, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY, NIGHT SCENES, PERSONAL FAVORITES, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, ROCKS, SHAPE: SQUARE, SPARKLING WATER, THE MOON -
Out of the Lighthouse and Into the Light
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Out of the Lighthouse and Into the Light
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
Just a reminder to never abandon your light.
You will wind up empty, forlorn.
Graffiti on your walls, occasionally funny, sometimes crude.
But mostly just the illegible names of spirits brought in by the wind.
And the markings of lovers whose bodies were dragged in by the tide.
Your doorway darkened by the ghost of a travelling painter.
Stealing your light.
Haunted.► See More Art with Poetry
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, 6-10 Miles, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Timeline, Backpacking with Too Much Gear, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Humboldt, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Painted in Heavy Winds, Painted in Stupid Strong Wind that I had No Business Trying to Paint In, Plein Air, Poems, Some Poison Oak Observed, Subject, Surging Waves/ Wet Boots, The California Coast, Travel, Trudging Through Soft Sand, Weather Tags: DRIFTWOOD, DRY GRASS, MORNING LIGHT, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY, PATHS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, SUN GLARE, TIDEPOOLS, TRAILS, VIEWS FROM INSIDE LIGHTHOUSES -
Grounded
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Grounded
2019 | Central California › San Luis Obispo | Plein Air
I painted this boat a few years ago, grounded hopelessly on the rocks in a small cove on the Central Coast. I had just learned that it had previously belonged to a friend's family for years. It was even named after her brother, the “Craig G” until it was sold and the new owner renamed it the “Point Estero”.
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I know very little of boats and what I do know filters in through little bits here and there until it’s hard to say if I know it at all or just made it up. But one thing a…
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Central California, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Plein Air, San Luis Obispo, SLO 2019, Subject, Surfers Are The Worst, Surging Waves/ Wet Boots, Temperature, The California Coast, Threatening to Rain, Travel, Uncomfortably Cool, Weather Tags: BOATS, FROM THE BEACH, MARINE LAYER, MORNING LIGHT, ON THE ROCKS, RIGHTS, ROCKS, SAME BOAT DIFFERENT TIME, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SHIPWRECKS, SPARKLING WATER, STORM CLOUDS, TIDEPOOLS -
Ebb and Flow
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Ebb and Flow
2019 | Central California › San Luis Obispo | Plein Air
There is nothing like painting in the cool shade on a warm summer day, with a good art pal like Wade Koniakowsky humming around painting here, painting there, disappearing for awhile and returning with snacks and cold beers.
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It reminded me of those days of my youth, before we could drive, and we’d take turns walking the mile from our little jetty to the liquor store up the road and return back down to the beach with a haul of sodas and chips and general junk food. Good memories, but …
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Central California, Food/Drink Delivered and Consumed While Painting, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Other Painters, Plein Air, San Luis Obispo, SLO 2019, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Travel Tags: BEACH BREAKS, BLUEBIRD DAYS, BRIGHT MIDDAY SUN, CYPRESS, EVERGREENS, FLOWERS, FREE BEER, FREE FOOD, GREEN GRASS, ICEPLANT, KEEP OFF THE GRASS, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PEOPLE, PIERS, RIGHTS, SANDY BEACHES, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, STEPS AND STAIRWAYS, SUCCULENTS, THE OTHER PAINTER BOUGHT ME LUNCH OR AT LEAST A BEER THOUGH, TREES, WEATHERED ROCK/SANDSTONE, WILDFLOWERS -
Sir Francis Drake Was a Pirate
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Sir Francis Drake Was a Pirate
2019 | Central California › San Luis Obispo | Plein Air
It's true, he was a full on sea-sailing, ship-boarding, plunder-stealing, off-with-yer-head-if-you cross him pirate. The Spanish navy hated the guy and he had a personal beef with them as well. He even sailed clear past all of Spanish-settled California and claimed all of northern California for England in 1579. It didn't stick, but it was still an interesting gesture.
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But that's all just history. And according to some historians it is believed Drake may have hidden treasure in t…
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Central California, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Other Painters, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, San Luis Obispo, Sketchy Human Interactions, SLO 2019, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Travel, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: BAYS, BLUEBIRD DAYS, BOATS, FOAM TRAILS, FOG BANKS, GRANITE BOULDERS, GREEN GRASS, KAYAKS, KELP BEDS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PERSONAL FAVORITES, PIRATE'S BOOTY, POCKET BEACHES, ROCKS, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, STEEP CLIFF FACES, STEPS AND STAIRWAYS, SUBMERGED ROCKS, WATCH YOUR STEP, WEATHERED ROCK/SANDSTONE, WHITECAPS, YIKES! NUDE BEACH -
A Dissonant End
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A Dissonant End
2019 | Central California › San Luis Obispo | Plein Air
I've got no ear for harmonies, seriously. I might not be tone-deaf, but I am certainly tone-dumb. But I have heard that in the language of jazz, the end of a song is often concluded with what is called a dissonant chord. I couldn't really pick a dissonant chord out of a crowd, but I understand it to be one that isn't in tonal harmony, whatever that may mean. It doesn't quite fit in, but it works in its own way I guess.
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The end of this trail was kinda like that for me. An abrup…
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, 4-6 Miles, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Central California, Fog Battle, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Painted in Heavy Winds, Painted in Stupid Strong Wind that I had No Business Trying to Paint In, Plein Air, San Luis Obispo, SLO 2019, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Some Poison Oak Observed, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Ticks Observed on Skin or Clothing, Travel, Weather Tags: BENDING LINES OF SWELL, COBBLESTONES, FLOWERS, FOG, FOG BANKS, FOG CREEPING OVER THE HILLS, GRANITE BOULDERS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, ON THE ROCKS, PATHS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, ROCKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, TIDEPOOLS, TRAILS, WATCH YOUR STEP, WILDFLOWERS -
She Loves the River
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She Loves the River
2019 | Northern California › Del Norte | Plein Air
Painted on location, 2.5 miles from the road. A challenging back-country hike with all my gear to paint this one-day late birthday gift for my wife last year…
⠀
It’s true, she loves the river⠀
And it’s steady constant force⠀
The ocean is just leftovers⠀
And she prefers the source⠀
⠀
She leads me through the briars⠀
Stinging nettle, oak, and sorrow⠀
Some pain for the present moment⠀
But the rest we’ll save for tomorrow⠀
⠀
The path is narrow and overgrown⠀
If it’s even a path at all⠀
Two roads diverged and we took neither⠀
She heard the river’s call⠀
⠀
Down the bank we scrambled and slid⠀
Grasping roots along the way⠀
These roots they hold back mountains⠀
They can hold us here today⠀
⠀
Scraped and bruised and winded⠀
At last we find relief⠀
We swim and laugh and stub our toes⠀
Even blessings hold some grief⠀
⠀
My mind drifts off to the coast and its songs⠀
Why oh why am I here⠀
I followed her and would do it again⠀
But we should have brought more beer⠀
⠀
How we ended up together⠀
A mystery untold⠀
I am a pool of simple pleasures⠀
She is the mountain, faithful and bold⠀
⠀
It’s true, she loves the river⠀
And it’s steady constant force⠀
The ocean is just leftovers⠀
And she prefers the source► See More Art with Poetry
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, 4-6 Miles, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Climbing or Vertical Scrambling Using Hands, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Del Norte, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, Lots of Poison Oak!, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Mosquitoes, Mysterious Insect Bites/Stings, Northern California, Not the California Coast, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Plein Air, Poems, Rain!, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast), Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Thorns and Brambles, Threatening to Rain, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: EVERGREENS, GRANITE BOULDERS, JUST NATURE, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY, MY LADY, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, RIVERS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, ROCKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SUBMERGED ROCKS, SWIMMING HOLES -
To God the Best and the Greatest
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To God the Best and the Greatest
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Boat Required for Access, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Painted in the Dark, Painted Without Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Ride on Truck/Quad/Off-Road Vehicle Required for Access, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, The Island of Bearded People - 2019, Uncomfortably Cool, Vehicular Logistics Tags: ARCHES, ARCHITECTURE, CALIFORNITALIA, CHURCHES, DARK AND MOODY, EVASIVE MANEUVERS, FREE FOOD, GATED COMMUNITY, GOTHIC ARCHES, MOONLIGHT, NIGHT SCENES, NO HEADLAMP, PAINTED QUICKLY FOR FEAR OF GETTING CAUGHT, RESPECT, SALVATION, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, THE CROSS -
Down Harbor Blvd, Just Past the Airport
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Down Harbor Blvd, Just Past the Airport
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
It’s like standing on holy ground. I can’t believe how fortunate I am to be here today. These thoughts are never far from my mind as I stand on the edge of this steep shore cliff and paint the scene before me after a rare opportunity to walk the interior valley of one of Southern California’s more untouched regions that is generally off limits to folks that aren't scientists, or students, or movie stars, or rock stars, or just plain wealthy. Being that I am none of the above, I know ful…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, 4-6 Miles, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Boat Required for Access, Botanical Hazards, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Ride on Truck/Quad/Off-Road Vehicle Required for Access, Roaming Scientists, Santa Barbara, Some Poison Oak Observed, Southern California, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, The Island of Bearded People - 2019, Vehicular Logistics Tags: COBBLESTONES, EVENING LIGHT, FOG BANKS, FOG CREEPING OVER THE HILLS, FREE FOOD, GREEN GRASS, JUST NATURE, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POCKET BEACHES, SACRED SITES, SHAPE: VERTICAL, STEEP CLIFF FACES, SUBMERGED ROCKS, WATCH YOUR STEP, WHITE CLIFFS -
What Lies Behind
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What Lies Behind
2019 | Southern California › Los Angeles | Plein Air
A friend I had just met earlier at an event in San Diego invited me for a rare visit to this exclusive piece of California’s coast. I absorbed it with all my senses as we surfed all morning and I painted all afternoon.⠀
⠀
So what exactly does lie behind these locked gates? Here’s a few things that come to mind…⠀
⠀
There’s bamboo and nasturtiums⠀
Shelter from the wind⠀
The rich and the famous⠀
And a few of their kin⠀
⠀
They’ll question you silently⠀
Check who you’re with⠀
To be sure that you’re nobody⠀
So they know who to dismiss.⠀
⠀
There’s a boathouse on stilts⠀
A pretty woman walking down the street⠀
Surfers walking back up the beach⠀
Blood still dripping from the soles of their feet⠀
⠀
There’s yoga pants and selfies to shoot⠀
A slippery rock holds a sign full of laws⠀
Merely suggestions for the leashless dog⠀
That nearly got paint all over its paws⠀
⠀
There’s fires burning on the higher hills⠀
Smoke blowing out of the canyon⠀
Heroes and children stand watch at the gate⠀
With garden hose, bucket… and shotgun⠀
⠀
There’s black cars with blacker windows⠀
Caviar and music for the blind⠀
Leave your shoes at the door, my friend⠀
All this and more⠀
Is what lies behind► See More Art with Poetry
SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Los Angeles, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Poems, Private Property, Southern California, Subject, Surfers Are The Worst, The California Coast, Unruly Dogs Tags: COBBLESTONES, EVENING LIGHT, GATED COMMUNITY, GREEN GRASS, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, PATHS, PIERS, POINT BREAKS, RIGHTS, ROCKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STEEP CLIFF FACES, WHITE CLIFFS -
No Harm, No Foul
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No Harm, No Foul
2019 | Southern California › Orange County, San Diego | Plein Air
I was thinking this would be a simple little painting to start my day. It was in some ways. But it was also a bit nerve-wracking. Nestled between boulders I painted the morning away, and marveled at just how quiet the trains that run this line have become. I barely heard them coming. The stretched cotton canvas hummed in vibration as they passed by just a few steps away. I was safely out of the way where I stood, but it was startling every time one snuck up on me. At one point I was visited b…
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SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2-4 Miles, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Awkwardly Close to Cars or Trains, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Orange County, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Prohibited Area (on Public Land), Run ins with the Authorities, San Diego, Sketchy Human Interactions, Southern California, Subject, The California Coast, Weather Tags: FOG BANKS, LEFTS, MARINE LAYER, OUT OF DARKNESS, OVERCAST, RAILROAD TRACKS, ROCKS, SHAPE: SQUARE -
Midday Flats
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Midday Flats
2019 | Southern California › Orange County, San Diego | Plein Air
The beach wasn’t closed last May, it was a just a terrible run of surf and conditions that kept everyone away. I’d never seen this place so empty. It’s hard to believe this is one of the focal points of surfing in Southern California. But not this day. There was no one. Looking down the coast from here brings back a lot of good memories for me and after a long morning sipping coffee waiting for the last showers to wring themselves out, I’d wanted to come down and spend a whole day wandering and painting here, but the wind had come up and ripped the ocean ragged, making the chore difficult and the inspiration harder to come by. I’m not sure what it was that struck me about this little scene, but in spite of the flat midday light that sought to steal even the shadows out from under the rocks themselves, there was a simple elegance to it that caught my eye. Or that might have been a piece of windblown sand caught in my eye. Or maybe both.
SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2-4 Miles, 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Orange County, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, San Diego, Southern California, Subject, Surging Waves/ Wet Boots, The California Coast, Trudging Through Soft Sand, Weather Tags: BRIGHT MIDDAY SUN, COBBLESTONES, FROM THE BEACH, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, MILITARILY SPEAKING, NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, PALM TREES, POWER PLANTS, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SHAPE: SQUARE -
A Hard Rain
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A Hard Rain
2019 | Southern California › Los Angeles | Plein Air
Written on March 17, 2020
With my annual spring road trip season hanging in the balance as we all hold our breaths, I'm reflecting back on my tour of Southern California last May. Throughout the trip I was met with less than stellar weather. At first it was frustrating, but later it was liberating as I realized the opportunity that was presented. Even the smallest break in a darkened sky can illuminate the earth and her waters in an unspeakably sublime display of contrasts. A…
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SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Los Angeles, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Plein Air, Rain!, Southern California, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Threatening to Rain, Weather Tags: ARCHITECTURE, BENDING LINES OF SWELL, BUILDINGS, DARK AND MOODY, DRIPS AND RUNS, GATED COMMUNITY, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, ON THE ROCKS, OUT OF DARKNESS, OVERCAST, PALM TREES, RAIN AND SHOWERS, ROCKS, SEA STACKS, SHADOWS OF CLOUDS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STEEP CLIFF FACES, WATCH YOUR STEP, WHALE WATCHING -
Bird, As a Weapon
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Bird, As a Weapon
2019 | Southern California › Los Angeles | Plein Air
Written on March 26, 2020
This may look like social distancing in effect, but this was painted on a weekday last May. There were people, but they were moving and since plein air painting is in some ways like a hand-made photograph with a 3 hour exposure, the moving objects (people, cars, etc.) don't always register.
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I grew up near here. Technically in this city, though a few miles from this scene. It’s a very industrial coastline, and one I’ve mostly avoided throug…
SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 1-2 Miles, 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, and Debris, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Crowds with Lots of Questions, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Human Waste, Hungry Parking Meters, Landscapes, Logistics, Los Angeles, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Parking, People Drinking, Plein Air, Sketchy Human Interactions, Southern California, Stinking Tar Balls, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Trash, Trudging Through Soft Sand, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, ARCHITECTURE, BEACH BREAKS, BIKE PATHS, BREAKWATERS, BUILDINGS, HARBORS, JETTIES, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, PALM TREES, PATHS, PEOPLE, PERSONAL FAVORITES, PETROLEUM, RIGHTS AND LEFTS, RULES AND REGULATIONS, SANDY BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SHAPE: VERY HORIZONTAL, SHOREPOUND AND WOMP, SINGING BADLY WHILE PAINTING, SPARKLING WATER, SUSPECT WATER QUALITY, THE QUEEN MARY, THE SPRUCE GOOSE -
The Deep South
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The Deep South
2019 | Southern California › San Diego | Plein Air
Written on March 23, 2020
Looking north from about as far south as you can go on the California coast. The showers that threatened and taunted all morning finally passed, the sun burned the darkened watery grays right off the earth, evaporating in a humid mist rising, an all-hands invite to the impending mosquito feast. Had to paint fast because we were all hungry- me for a sandwich, them for my blood. The showers would move through the city in the distance and even the warm concrete there would be dry again soon, cleaner than before, but still teaming with all the distractions ever designed to suck our blood on a sunny afternoon in paradise.
This was from a year ago… but it’s still true today. These dark times will pass… What comes next is anybody’s guess. I do hope there’ll be less mosquitoes out trying drain us dry though.
SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2019, 4-6 Miles, Acrylic on Canvas, and Debris, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Cooking Hot, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Human Waste, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Mosquitoes, Mud and Sludge, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, San Diego, Sketchy Human Interactions, Southern California, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Threatening to Rain, Trash, Weather Tags: BEACH BREAKS, BUILDINGS, ESTUARIES AND WETLANDS, FLOWERS, GREEN GRASS, LIMONIUMS (SEA LAVENDER/STATICE), PATHS, RAIN AND SHOWERS, SAILBOATS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STORM CLOUDS, TREES, WILDFLOWERS -
The Other Side
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The Other Side
2019 | Southern California › San Diego | Plein Air
Due to late season rains, the road here was closed so I had to walk in the last 2 miles to the spot. After tromping off in the wrong direction and ending up at the border about a mile from the coast under the watch of border patrol agents and confronted by a myriad of signs saying I wasn’t supposed to take a step further- the area between these two fences where I thought I might walk down to the beach was a definite no-go zone, I tip toed back to the van and tried again.
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I noticed a …
SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2019, 4-6 Miles, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, and Debris, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Human Waste, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Mosquitoes, Mud and Sludge, Plein Air, Rain!, Run ins with the Authorities, San Diego, Sketchy Human Interactions, Southern California, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Threatening to Rain, Trash, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: BARBED WIRE, BEACH BREAKS, BORDERS, DARK AND MOODY, FENCES, GATED COMMUNITY, ISLANDS IN THE DISTANCE, LEFTS, OUT OF DARKNESS, OVERCAST, PERSONAL FAVORITES, RAIN AND SHOWERS, RIGHTS AND LEFTS, SANDY BEACHES, SHAPE: SQUARE, STORM CLOUDS, SUSPECT WATER QUALITY, WALLS -
The Ceremonies of the Horsemen
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The Ceremonies of the Horsemen
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara | Plein Air
The second of three paintings from a quick trip to this slice of California paradise last summer (I posted the first a few weeks ago with no commentary). The titles for these three are all chosen from Dylan tunes for various reasons. In this case it's a double-meaning referring to the occasional cattle roundup on this working ranch that sees horsemen (and women) leading herds of cattle down the narrow roads, like holiday parades but with more leather and fresh pastures instead of presents. Al…
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SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Other Painters, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Travel Tags: COMMISSIONED WORK, DRY GRASS, GATED COMMUNITY, GREEN GRASS, JUST NATURE, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, OAKS, POINT BREAKS, RIGHTS, SACRED SITES, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, TREES, VIEWS FROM HIGHER GROUND, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Come Out Ye Gifted Kings and Queens
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Come Out Ye Gifted Kings and Queens
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Other Painters, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, Surfers Are The Worst, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: COAST CHAPARRAL, DRY GRASS, EUCALYPTUS, GATED COMMUNITY, GREEN GRASS, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PATHS, POINT BREAKS, RIGHTS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SOLD OFF THE EASEL TO A PASSERBY, STORM CLOUDS, WATCH YOUR STEP, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Postcard from Paradise
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Postcard from Paradise
2019 | Northern California › Humboldt | Plein Air
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Botanical Hazards, Climbing or Vertical Scrambling Using Hands, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Humboldt, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Some Poison Oak Observed, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Weather Tags: BENDING LINES OF SWELL, COMMISSIONED WORK, EVERGREENS, GREEN GRASS, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, MORNING LIGHT, PATHS, ROCKS, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, WATCH YOUR STEP -
Holy Ground
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Holy Ground
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
This is the view from the top of a hill that overlooks the entire crescent of this coast. Though there was no trail up here, and no clear signs of humanity in this refreshingly pristine landscape, I know I wasn’t the first to stand in this exact spot. The way the peak looms over the landscape beckoning the human spirit to ascend, it’s only natural that others have heeded that same call- both in our times and long before them. From the peak, you can feel a human presence. An old presence. A place where eyes kept watch. There is an ancient history here that doesn’t belong to our age, but to a people that did not believe they migrated here, but were rather created here (or at least just across the channel). Sure the volcanic rock where I stood is full of holes but there’s more to this title than that. Just a feeling really, but some places seem to carry a significance all their own. This is one of them. Holy ground indeed.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, 6-10 Miles, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Boat Required for Access, Botanical Hazards, Climbing or Vertical Scrambling Using Hands, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, March 2019, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Heavy Winds, Painted in Stupid Strong Wind that I had No Business Trying to Paint In, Plein Air, Santa Barbara, Some Poison Oak Observed, Southern California, Subject, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, Threatening to Rain, Trudging Through Soft Sand, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: BAYS, FLOWERS, FOG CREEPING OVER THE HILLS, FREE FOOD, GREEN GRASS, ISLAND POPPIES, JUST NATURE, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POCKET BEACHES, POPPIES, RESPECT, SACRED SITES, SANDY BEACHES, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STORM CLOUDS, TORREY PINES, VIEWS FROM HIGHER GROUND, WILDFLOWERS -
Wish You Were Here
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Wish You Were Here
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
Those two old barns standing together in this distant outpost reminded me just how much I miss my best friend, my wife, when I’m out wandering around on the edge of the earth. I hope to bring her back here soon. One of the nice things about this region of California’s coastline is that this once private land now is now National Park land, so when you encounter a barbed wire fence standing between you and the view you desire, the only concern is getting around or over said fence, and not whether the owner and their dogs might find you. Also there are no snakes hiding in the grass, which is hard to believe, but true in these parts. Double win. Good things come in pairs.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Barbed Wire, Biological Hazards, Boat Required for Access, Botanical Hazards, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Fence or Gate Hopping Required, Free Range Road Trips, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, March 2019, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Roaming Scientists, Santa Barbara, Some Poison Oak Observed, Southern California, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, Thorns and Brambles, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: AGRICULTURE, BARNS, BENDING LINES OF SWELL, BUILDINGS, FLOWERS, FREE FOOD, GREEN GRASS, ISLAND POPPIES, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PERSONAL FAVORITES, PIERS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POPPIES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, STORM CLOUDS, WATCH YOUR STEP, WILDFLOWERS -
Moonshine
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Moonshine
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
Painted on location from a pier on one of California’s offshore islands during a full moon back in April. We’d bodysurfed that right in shorepound on this very beach earlier in the afternoon. Super fun. I can’t imagine too many paintings have ever been painted at night on this pier though. Pretty cool eh? The moon changes everything. I’ve been drawn to some nocturnal paintings from a few of my favorite artists over the last few years and since getting out for a few myself I’ve discovered two things.
1. It’s a pain- it’s dark, colors are hard to see on the palette (and painting), a headlamp helps, but can be too bright, lots of straining to see, it gets a lot colder standing around at night.
2. It’s super fun.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Boat Required for Access, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, March 2019, Medium, Method, Painted in the Dark, Plein Air, Roaming Scientists, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, Uncomfortably Cool, Vehicular Logistics Tags: BEACH BREAKS, DARK AND MOODY, FREE FOOD, JUST NATURE, MOONLIGHT, NIGHT SCENES, OAKS, RIGHTS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SHOREPOUND AND WOMP, SPARKLING WATER, VIEWS FROM PIERS -
The Apex of Spring
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The Apex of Spring
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
Visiting this hard to reach outpost of California’s coast during the Spring Equinox after a few wet months, I was hunting not just new corners and vistas, but had wildflowers on my mind as well. Elusive creatures, they can be, I didn’t see as many as I’d hoped. But I did spot this little patch on my way past this point earlier in the morning at the base of a canyon named after another hunter, an apex predator. It would do just fine. Toward the end of this painting the weather shifted. I packed this one up quickly in a heavy, darkening wind and retreated back into the canyon from which I had come.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Boat Required for Access, Botanical Hazards, Climbing or Vertical Scrambling Using Hands, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, March 2019, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Over 10 Miles, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Rain!, Santa Barbara, Some Poison Oak Observed, Southern California, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, The Greatest Collector Ever, Threatening to Rain, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: FLOWERS, FOAM TRAILS, FOG BANKS, FREE FOOD, GREEN GRASS, ISLAND POPPIES, JUST NATURE, OFF THE ROCKS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POPPIES, RAIN AND SHOWERS, RIGHTS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SHOREPOUND AND WOMP, SPARKLING WATER, THE MAINLAND, WEATHERED ROCK/SANDSTONE, WILDFLOWERS -
Strata Various
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Strata Various
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
This headland took some serious work to get to. All said, this ended up being the furthest point reached on an eleven mile round trip solo hike, which required several creek crossings up to my calves, washed out bridges, wet sloggy socks, and by the end of the day getting soaked to the bone in a late afternoon downpour. I might not have painted here at all, except after hiking all the way up and over to the other side of this island and venturing along the coast as far as I could this was the…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Awkward Footing on Uneven Terrain, Biological Hazards, Boat Required for Access, Botanical Hazards, Climbing or Vertical Scrambling Using Hands, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Fog Battle, Free Range Road Trips, Full-On Bushwhacking, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, March 2019, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Mud and Sludge, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Over 10 Miles, Plein Air, Santa Barbara, Some Poison Oak Observed, Southern California, Subject, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: FOG CREEPING OVER THE HILLS, FREE FOOD, GREEN GRASS, JUST NATURE, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, MORNING LIGHT, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, ROCKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SHOREPOUND AND WOMP, SPARKLING WATER, STEEP CLIFF FACES, WEATHERED ROCK/SANDSTONE -
Prey For Rain
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Prey For Rain
2019 | Southern California › Santa Barbara, The Channel Islands | Plein Air
Deep in this prehistoric canyon, I was watching the weather shift quickly as I made my way back to the cabin. I was still a solid hour and a half of hiking from dry shelter and warm food. A spattering of occasional raindrops peppered the hike with questions of doubt. Will I make it back to the cabin without getting soaked? Will the two wet paintings in my box survive a good soaking if the skies unleash? Will my wet socks matter so much anymore if everything else gets wet too? How much rain di…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, 6-10 Miles, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Notes, Artwork Notes | Backstories, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Boat Required for Access, Botanical Hazards, Deep Creek or River Crossing, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, March 2019, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Mud and Sludge, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Rain!, Santa Barbara, Some Poison Oak Observed, Southern California, Subject, The California Coast, The Channel Islands, The Greatest Collector Ever, Threatening to Rain, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: CANYONS AND VALLEYS, FLOWERS, FREE FOOD, GREEN GRASS, ISLAND POPPIES, OAKS, PATHS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, RIVERS AND STREAMS, ROOTS, SHAPE: VERTICAL, STORM CLOUDS, TRAILS, TREES, WILDFLOWERS
