WORKING CATTLE RANCHES
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Hallowed Ground
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Hallowed Ground
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019
Region: Central California
Sub-Region: San Luis Obispo
Region: Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast)► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:William Wendt was a master of California Impressionism, a distinct school of impressionist art forged in the California landscape back in the early 1900's. One of Wendt's most iconic paintings is called Where Nature's God Hath Wrought and features a boldly centralized view of this very peak. Look it up if you need to, it's worth the effort!
Wade Koniakowsky and I spent an afternoon scouting the countryside just off the central California coast, climbing under fences, walking through high grass, fumbling our way around holding pictures of Wendt's masterful painting up to the mountain before us, comparing his version to reality in hopes of determining exactly where he stood and painted the scene from. We pretty much nailed it down one afternoon and decided to come back to paint it …
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Barbed Wire, Central California, Fence or Gate Hopping Required, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Not the California Coast, Other Painters, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, Prohibited Area (on Public Land), San Luis Obispo, SLO 2019, Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast), Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, The Shoulder of a Busy Road/Highway, Travel, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: ARCING CLOUDS, DRY GRASS, GRANITE BOULDERS, GREEN GRASS, JUST NATURE, LOOK THIS UP, MEMORIALS AND TRIBUTES, OAKS, PERSONAL FAVORITES, PLUGGED UP VOLCANOES, RESPECT, ROCKS, SACRED SITES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SAME MOUNTAIN, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
A Pier Then Disappear
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A Pier Then Disappear
Original Size: 12" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019
Region: Central California
Sub-Region: San Luis Obispo► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Ok, let’s circle back to the Italian dairy farms that took root here in 1860's... I painted this small dairy farm building one afternoon from beside an old ranch house where a not-so-Italian* friend of Wade's was living.
Another not-so-Italian* fellow had long ago purchased this land and set up operations here all the way back in 1867. He first lived in the very ranch house where we were staying** (right behind me as I painted this scene), set in this picturesque valley, and began overseeing the dairy operations behind the house with a mind toward something bigger than the dairy. A former ship captain himself, his interest was in shipping and commerce and not long after settling here, he built the town's pier straight down from this dairy (along with a fancy new house right bes…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Central California, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Other Painters, Painted From my Van, Painted from Roof Platform on Van, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted Without Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, San Luis Obispo, SLO 2019, Subject, The California Coast, Travel, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, AGRICULTURE, ARCHITECTURE, BARNS, BUILDINGS, CALIFORNITALIA, CYPRESS, EUCALYPTUS, FENCES, GREEN GRASS, SHAPE: SQUARE, TREES, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
The Devil at My Heels
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The Devil at My Heels
Original Size: 16" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019
Region: Central California
Sub-Region: San Luis Obispo► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:The devil that was at my heels this day, wasn't really a devil at all. But he worked for one, or at least a nuclear power plant that has taken the devil for its name. I'd hiked 3 or 4 miles out on this windy day to see the furthest reach of this coast that I could legally access. It's not exactly public land, but is open during limited hours for public use with strict regulations about staying on the trail. These situations can make my work difficult. The best views are often a bit off the beaten path. I'd have to settle for a trailside setup today and was fortunate to find a spot that featured both an excellent elevated view of the furthest southern portion of this trail’s coastline, AND a nice windblock from the hill behind it. Painting here was a no brainer. 
 
Did I ment…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, 6-10 Miles, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Central California, Close Encounters with Running Cows, Cooking Hot, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, 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, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Private Property, Run ins with the Authorities, San Luis Obispo, SLO 2019, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Some Poison Oak Observed, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Weather Tags: BENDING LINES OF SWELL, BRIGHT MIDDAY SUN, COAST CHAPARRAL, DRY GRASS, KELP BEDS, NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, ON THE ROCKS, PATHS, PERSONAL FAVORITES, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POCKET BEACHES, POWER PLANTS, RIGHTS, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, TRAILS, VIEWS FROM HIGHER GROUND, WHITECAPS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Red and Gold
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Red and Gold
Original Size: 12" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019
Region: Central California
Sub-Region: San Luis Obispo► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Corralina, it's the Italian word for coral, and though no coral is found in this cold water, there is a red seaweed with a hard calcareous surface named corralina that does grow in these rugged tidepools. There's also gold poppies that bloom in the spring here. I’m a sucker for poppies.
I had a strict 25 minutes to paint this one before getting locked in for the night with the mysterious devil in the white truck (see previous post). Not a pleasant option, I’d have to work faster than usual this time.
Also cookies. I don’t know how they got there, but I recall setting up to paint and finding some big delicious chocolate chunk cookies in my paint bag. I had to eat them quickly too, on account of the time constraints and all.
But don’t worry, I’m a profession…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Central California, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Private Property, San Luis Obispo, SLO 2019, Sneaky Public Access Easement, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: BLUEBIRD DAYS, FLOWERS, FLOWING INTO THE SEA, GREEN GRASS, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, ON THE ROCKS, PAINTED UNUSUALLY FAST, PATHS, POCKET BEACHES, POPPIES, RIGHTS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: SQUARE, SPARKLING WATER, WILDFLOWERS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
The Back Road
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The Back Road
Original Size: 16" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019
Region: Central California
Sub-Region: San Luis Obispo
Region: Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast)► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes: As it happens, on this morning all of my plans were thwarted by that mother of all disruptions... No, not the pandemic, this was 2019- way before all of that. No, this diabolical mocker of all my good designs for spending a day under the sun will be with us long after this covid stuff is just a blip in our memory. I'm talking about a far more formidable foe here.  
 
Fog. On. The. Coast.  
 
Couldn’t even see the other side of the highway, let alone the ocean, so I found myself scouring the hillsides and back roads on this otherwise bright and clear morning for something to paint. Once I'm off the coast I get a little bewildered and turned around. It’s a struggle to stay motivated. But I was here to paint so I kept on and this little ranch road caught my eye l…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Central California, Free Range Road Trips, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Not the California Coast, Painted From my Van, Painted from Roof Platform on Van, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Plein Air, San Luis Obispo, SLO 2019, Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast), Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Uncomfortably Warm, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: DIRT ROADS, DRY GRASS, FOG CREEPING OVER THE HILLS, GRANITE BOULDERS, OAKS, PATHS, PLUGGED UP VOLCANOES, ROADS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SAME MOUNTAIN, TREES, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
I Shall Be Free
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I Shall Be Free
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:The third of three paintings from a quick trip last summer. The titles for the three are all chosen from Dylan tunes for various reasons. This one was chosen because the actual name of this creek comes up in the song. Also, as an artist I often do claim the right to freely edit a landscape if I choose. In this case I should have edited it further the first time around- when I got home and pulled it out I was shocked at the weird choices I'd made including trees to the left of the creek which effectively turned this idyllic beach scene into a fish-eye bubble of distorting confusion. Also the creek placement was technically pretty accurate but compositionally quite awkward. The painting just had all sorts of problems. But in keeping with my freedom, I just went ahead and fixed it all in t…
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SKU: N/A Categories: "Maycember" 2019, 2019, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Other Painters, Painted in Heavy Winds, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Subject, The California Coast, Travel, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, ARCING CLOUDS, COMMISSIONED WORK, DRY GRASS, ESTUARIES AND WETLANDS, FLOWING INTO THE SEA, GATED COMMUNITY, GOLDEN LIGHT, GREEN GRASS, JUST NATURE, POINT BREAKS, REFLECTIONS IN WET SAND, RIGHTS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, SANDY BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, SUN GLARE, THROUGH THE TREES, TREES, VIEWS FROM COLLECTORS HOUSES, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
The Ceremonies of the Horsemen
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The Ceremonies of the Horsemen
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes: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. Also, it's a fine place that has been used for many a fine wedding ceremony over the years.
What you don't see in this painting is the two figures painting away in the shade of the tree closest to the water in the middle of the painting. If one could zoom in to the scene in real life on this da…
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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!, 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
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
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 -
A Wide Range
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A Wide Range
Original Size: 20" x 10"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2018
Region: Northern California
Sub-Region: Marin► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:The fourth painting completed in one long day spent in solitude, hunting views and painting in one of the most beautiful parts of California I can think of. I’ve driven past this little ranch nestled along a finger of this estuary and always thought it would make a nice painting. The day was fading fast, but I don’t get out this way too often so I made the most of it. From tree lined roads, to quiet beaches, to sweeping rugged vistas, to serene pastoral settings, there truly is a wide range of possibilities to paint out here.
Also, there will always be a moon over Marin.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2018, A Bit Farther Out (Mostly) 2018, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Marin, Medium, Method, Mosquitoes, Northern California, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Travel, Weather Tags: AGRICULTURE, BARBED WIRE, BARNS, BUILDINGS, CYPRESS, DRY GRASS, DUSK, ESTUARIES AND WETLANDS, EVENING LIGHT, EVERGREENS, FENCES, FOG BANKS, LAGOONS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SHAPE: VERY HORIZONTAL, THE MOON, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A MOON OVER MARIN, TREES, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Nova Albion
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Nova Albion
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2018
Region: Northern California
Sub-Region: Marin► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Plein air painting in strong winds is indeed a sport. Especially on the edge of a steep cliff. Painters know the challenges, but most folks just see finished paintings during their 10 seconds of social media fame and think whether they like it or not. Whether they should type a comment, hit the like button, or just keep scrolling. The next painting on the viewer's feed may have been created in a comfy studio, warm, nice lighting, no glare, no time rush to race a changing light. One created in luxury, the other with the easel constantly shaking like it's a passenger in a third world tour bus on a back country road about to go over the edge and into the ravine. There's no way to appreciate the effort that went into painting in 30 mph wind gusts and what sort of makeshiftery and desperate …
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SKU: N/A Categories: 1-2 Miles, 2018, A Bit Farther Out (Mostly) 2018, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Marin, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Northern California, 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, Prohibited Area (on Public Land), Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Travel, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, BAYS, CYPRESS, DRY GRASS, EVERGREENS, HARBORS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PERSONAL FAVORITES, PIERS, POCKET BEACHES, REFLECTIONS IN WET SAND, ROCKS, SACRED SITES, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, STEEP CLIFF FACES, SUN GLARE, WHITECAPS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
The Light at the End
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The Light at the End
Original Size: 12" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2018
Region: Northern California
Sub-Region: Marin► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:First of four paintings I’d paint this day in one of my favorite parts of California. Thick morning fog prevented me from seeing the views I came for so I went with my standard back up plan- wander around aimlessly and grumble about that old nemesis- the Great Northern Pacific Marine Layer. Mid grumble I passed this road lined with Cypress trees and it changed my tune.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2018, A Bit Farther Out (Mostly) 2018, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Fog Battle, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Marin, Medium, Method, Northern California, Plein Air, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Threatening to Rain, Travel, Weather Tags: CYPRESS, DIRT ROADS, DRY GRASS, FOG, MORNING LIGHT, OVERCAST, PERSONAL FAVORITES, ROADS, SHAPE: SQUARE, TREES, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
California’s Dream
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California’s Dream
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2018
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Occasionally the California Coast sleeps in during the May Gray/June Gloom and has this recurring dream.
She sees a distant marine layer and no other clouds in the bright clear sky. She sees the shade of an old and twisted eucalyptus. The tree itself- invasive, and beautiful, and loved- a rare combination indeed.
She sees the memories of her adolescence, the old rail, the lifeline that connected her various towns and settlements when she was just coming of age and didn’t know the difference between a scoundrel and a gentleman.
She sees the running barbed wire fence placed to keep the cattle in place, another reminder of her adolescence when shots fired from a rider on horseback could signal fear, or theft, or love, or life, or all of them at once.
She sees a c…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2018, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Other Painters, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Southern California- May 2018, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: BARBED WIRE, BRIGHT MIDDAY SUN, COAST CHAPARRAL, COMMISSIONED WORK, DRY GRASS, EUCALYPTUS, FENCES, FREE BEER, GATED COMMUNITY, KELP BEDS, OAKS, POINT BREAKS, RAILROAD TRACKS, RIGHTS, ROADS, SAGE, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
From the Grave to the Cradle
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From the Grave to the Cradle
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2018
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:A funny thing about life, that we don’t really ever consider the miracle of our birth until we've truly reckoned with the reality of your impending death. Standing here, two feet planted firmly on the path to the cemetery (let the reader understand), this is the first time I ever laid my eyes upon the moment of conception (again, let the ready understand).
When confronted with metaphor of this proportion there is no need of a horizon line- that usual separator of the known and unknown is no longer relevant when faced with this stark reality. There is nothing really to do now but just stand here and look back at our lives and face the rushing wind as it hollows out the spaces in our souls that turned to stone while we were busy dreaming of the points in between the Grave and the…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2018, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Other Painters, 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, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Southern California- May 2018, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel, Uncomfortably Warm, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: COAST CHAPARRAL, DIRT ROADS, DRY GRASS, GATED COMMUNITY, GREEN GRASS, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY, PATHS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POINT BREAKS, RIGHTS, ROADS, SACRED SITES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, SUN GLARE, VIEWS FROM HIGHER GROUND, WHITECAPS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Almost Home
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Almost Home
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2018
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes: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 …
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2018, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Other Painters, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Southern California- May 2018, Subject, The California Coast, The Greatest Collector Ever, Travel, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, ARCING CLOUDS, BRIDGES, CANYONS AND VALLEYS, DRY GRASS, EUCALYPTUS, GATED COMMUNITY, KELP BEDS, PERSONAL FAVORITES, POINT BREAKS, RAILROAD TRACKS, RIGHTS, ROADS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SPARKLING WATER, STEEP CLIFF FACES, SUN GLARE, WHITECAPS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
We’ll Cross that Bridge When We Get to It
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We’ll Cross that Bridge When We Get to It
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2017
Region: Central California
Sub-Region: Monterey► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Under the authority of a king in Europe, there is land in California, owned and private today, that was divided up and given to friends of the throne. It’s wild to think of the history behind some of the barbed wire we see all over the coast here. I don’t blame anyone. I’d have accepted any land they offered me as well, and to be honest, it’s not hard to imagine what these pristine lands would look like if the gates were open to us all. Pack your trash and leave no trace is truly some sort of elitist psuedo hippy mumbo jumbo now. I’d rather be kept out of some places than to allow myself and everyone else to trample nature into a twisted banal backdrop for the drama of humanity’s less noble urges. Still though, when I see the signs telling me to stay out of places like this,…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2017, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Awkwardly Close to Cars or Trains, Biological Hazards, Central California, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Human Waste, Trash, and Debris, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Monterey, Plein Air, Southern Central California 2017, Subject, The California Coast, The Shoulder of a Busy Road/Highway, Travel Tags: AGRICULTURE, BARBED WIRE, BRIDGES, CATTLE, COAST CHAPARRAL, DRY GRASS, EUCALYPTUS, FENCES, FOG BANKS, PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, ROADS, RULES AND REGULATIONS, SEA ARCHES, SEA STACKS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SUN GLARE, TREES, WORDS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Redgate Ranch Afternoon
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Redgate Ranch Afternoon
Original Size: 16" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2016
Region: Central California
Sub-Region: San Mateo
Region: Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast)► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Quick afternoon sketch of the scene here. Gonna get weird with some live art after I finish a burger real quick. Good vibes all around, stoked to be here.
SKU: N/A Categories: 2016, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Central California, Cooking Hot, Crowds with Lots of Questions, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Music, Not the California Coast, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Private Property, San Mateo, Santa Cruz 2016, Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast), Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Travel Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, AGRICULTURE, ALMOST-PASSED-OUT-FROM-BREATHING-EXHAUST-FROM-THE-TACO-TRUCK-PARKED-BEHIND-ME, ARCHITECTURE, BARNS, BUILDINGS, EVERGREENS, FREE BEER, GOOD TACOS THOUGH, HAVE A SEAT, LIVE MUSIC, PEOPLE, PERSONAL FAVORITES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SOLD OFF THE EASEL TO A PASSERBY, UMBRELLAS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Grass Fed
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Grass Fed
Original Size: 18" x 24"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2016
Region: I Made This One Up► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:um… not plein air
Music is like math, where math allows us to see the inner workings of the physical world around us, music allows us to see the inner workings of the non-physical world within us.
What?
SKU: N/A Categories: 2016, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Birds and Bones, I Made This One Up, Imaginations, Landscapes, Medium, Method, Not the California Coast, Other Studio Work, Subject Tags: AGRICULTURE, ANATOMY, CATTLE, CATTLE SKULLS, DIRT ROADS, DRY GRASS, EVERGREENS, KINDA WEIRD, OFFICIAL ARTWORK OF THE REDGATE RANCH MUSIC FESTIVAL, PATHS, PLACES THAT AREN'T REAL PLACES, RIGHTS, SHAPE: VERTICAL, SKULLS AND BONES AND SKELETONS, STEEP CLIFF FACES, THE FOOD CHAIN, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Further Up, Further In
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Further Up, Further In
Original Size: 12" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2016
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
SKU: N/A Categories: 2016, 4-6 Miles, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Barbed Wire, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Fence or Gate Hopping Required, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Off Trail Wilderness Tromping, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara/Ventura 2016, Some Poison Oak Observed, Southern California, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, The California Coast, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, JUST NATURE, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POINT BREAKS, RIGHTS, SHAPE: SQUARE, SPARKLING WATER, STEEP CLIFF FACES, SUN GLARE, WATCH YOUR STEP, WHITE CLIFFS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Forgive Us Our Trespasses
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Forgive Us Our Trespasses
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2016
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:The first sign said
No TrespassingAfter climbing over the gate
And walking across the forbidden land
The second sign said
Permission to PassWe couldn’t help but wonder
For whom was this one written?It is always good
To be forgiven
SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2016, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Barbed Wire, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Fence or Gate Hopping Required, Free Range Road Trips, Geological Hazards, High Grass- Tick Country!, Hiking, Landscapes, Logistics, Lots of Poison Oak!, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted Without Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara/Ventura 2016, Southern California, Steep or Unstable Cliffs, Subject, Temperature, The California Coast, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, PETROLEUM, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POINT BREAKS, RIGHTS, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, SMOKE FROM WILDFIRES, SPARKLING WATER, STEEP CLIFF FACES, SUBMERGED ROCKS, SUN GLARE, WATCH YOUR STEP, WHITE CLIFFS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Land Rights
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Land Rights
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2016
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:To step foot on these shores is to step back into an older California
Preserved in the ether of wood, and rust, and leatherIf exclusion is the cost, so be it
Surely we’ve spent more for less elsewhereBy the way, if you can get me past the front gate
I give really good deals on commissioned artwork out hereI just thought I should mention that
SKU: N/A Categories: 2016, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Food/Drink Delivered and Consumed While Painting, Free Range Road Trips, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted With Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara/Ventura 2016, Southern California, Subject, Surfers Are The Worst, The California Coast, Weather Tags: COAST CHAPARRAL, COMMISSIONED WORK, DIRT ROADS, DOUBLE-TRACK, DRY GRASS, EUCALYPTUS, FREE BEER, GATED COMMUNITY, PATHS, POINT BREAKS, RAILROAD TRACKS, RIGHTS, ROADS, SACRED SITES, SAGE, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Her Answer
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Her Answer
Original Size: 16" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2016
Region: Northern California
Sub-Region: Marin► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:I'd hiked this windswept beach for hours through the midday heat when the sun is at its shadowless peak. I was looking for a few things- a painting mostly, but also a wave or two. What I found was mostly wind. Lots of it. Blowing hard offshore early in the hike, then sideshore as the coast gradually bent to meet it. Just once it stopped briefly, then switched gently and met me face to face, greeting me with a holy sprinkling of sand, curiously examining this bearded fellow with the funny backpack. Not threatening but not welcoming either, whispering a cautious reminder of what she did to those Spaniards the other day who attempted to sail her waters. I told her what I was looking for but she said nothing and flew violently back to her Maker, leaving me to search in vain for a spot to pa…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2-4 Miles, 2016, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Hiking, Hiking Terrain, Landscapes, Logistics, Marin, Marin 2016, 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, Subject, The California Coast, Travel, Trudging Through Soft Sand, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, FLOWING INTO THE SEA, FROM THE BEACH, JUST NATURE, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, RIVERS AND STREAMS, ROOTS, SAND DUNES, SANDY BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Milk and Honey
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Milk and Honey
Original Size: 12" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2016
Region: Northern California
Sub-Region: Marin► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Plein air from a van rocked by gusty winds. I tried to leave this area after the last one, I was beat, dirty, and looking forward to a hot shower and my family's faces once again. But just as I was mentally plotting where I might find the nearest cheeseburger before making the 5 hour drive home, there was a fork in the road. To the left was food and the prospect of being home tonight, to the right was a road that would take me further out on this headland, already an hour's dogleg from highway one. I'd never been this far out here before and not knowing when I'd be this way again it was an easy choice. I'd have to sleep in the van one more night. Then 5 or 10 minutes down that new road there was another fork that headed to the leeward side of the headland. I thought I would just take a …
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2016, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Marin, Marin 2016, Medium, Method, Northern California, Painted from Inside the Van, Painted From my Van, Painted in Heavy Winds, Painted in Stupid Strong Wind that I had No Business Trying to Paint In, Plein Air, Subject, The California Coast, Travel, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, AGRICULTURE, BAYS, CANYONS AND VALLEYS, CATTLE, DRY GRASS, GOLDEN LIGHT, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, PAINTED UNUSUALLY FAST, SHAPE: SQUARE, THE FOOD CHAIN, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Welcome Home
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Welcome Home
Original Size: 12" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2016
Region: Northern California
Sub-Region: Marin► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:The night before I painted this I stepped into a small bar in an even smaller town to sip a beer and charge my dead phone.
Open mic night was raging for a handful of locals and passer-throughs like myself.
Nursing my beer in the corner by the pool table (only spot near an outlet), and watching a few Mexican fellows play their game, I must have looked a bit too interested because next thing I knew a local had me lined up to shoot a game with him. He chose a poor opponent, I nearly didn't sink a single shot even after he cleared his from the table.
We got to chatting a bit and I mentioned I'm down from Humboldt, and he says he knows the guy that painted the Humboldt Surf Company sign years ago when they were on the plaza up there. I'm tripping out a bit because he doesnâ…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2016, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Botanical Hazards, Fog Battle, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Marin, Marin 2016, Medium, Method, Northern California, Painted in Heavy Winds, Plein Air, Some Poison Oak Observed, Subject, The California Coast, Travel, Weather Tags: BEACH BREAKS, BEACH HOUSES, BENDING LINES OF SWELL, CARS, ESTUARIES AND WETLANDS, EVASIVE MANEUVERS, FOG, LAGOONS, MY VANS, OVERCAST, PARKING LOTS, PATHS, SANDY BEACHES, SHAPE: SQUARE, SHOREPOUND AND WOMP, VANS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Free Range #24: The Spirit Not the Letter
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Free Range #24: The Spirit Not the Letter
Original Size: 20" x 16"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2015
Region: Southern California
Sub-Region: Santa Barbara► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Odometer: 1,120.9 miles
Driving out to check this place, I could tell the wind was coming up fast and early, so I figured I'd skip the surf and just get right into painting. I had the easy spots in mind, simple views right off the shoulder of the road as it wound over the bluffs above the beach. It had been awhile since I'd passed this, way so I didn't recall all the no parking signs lining the entire length of road. Large, wide, safe shoulders everywhere with amazing views up the coast and someone got a wild hair to keep anyone from stopping there. With the wind blowing as it was, I knew my only chance to paint this view would be from the windblock afforded by my rolling studio van. I figured I'd go down to the county park at the end of the road and see what the park ranger had …
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2015, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, California 2015, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Painted from Inside the Van, Painted From my Van, Painted in Heavy Winds, Parking, Plein Air, Prohibited Area (on Public Land), Questionable or Illegal Parking Required, Santa Barbara, Southern California, Subject, The California Coast, Travel, Vehicular Logistics, Weather Tags: BARBED WIRE, BENDING LINES OF SWELL, FLOWING INTO THE SEA, FOG CREEPING OVER THE HILLS, KELP BEDS, LOOKING BACK TOWARD LAND, MILITARILY SPEAKING, MORNING LIGHT, RAILROAD TRACKS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, ROADS, SACRED SITES, SAGE, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SHAPE: HORIZONTAL, WHITECAPS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Free Range #23: Location, Location, Location
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Free Range #23: Location, Location, Location
Original Size: 12" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2015
Region: Central California
Sub-Region: Monterey► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
Artwork Notes:Odometer: unknown, the numbers kept spinning, I'll have to get it checked out, must be busted or something...
Plein air
12 x 12
One of the most enjoyable parts of this trip has been having the time to explore some dog legs off the main roads that I've wondered about for years and peer around a few corners on nothing but a whim and a bleeping internal surf radar. On one remote stretch of coast where I stood looking out at the glassy lines I was surprised by the sound of the crunching dirt road gravel very close by. Looking around for who or what was nearby, I realized it was just my jaw that had dropped to the ground on realization that I was staring out at just the oceanfront spread I'd been looking for for so long. Nothing too fancy, just a place to raise some cattle, skat…
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SKU: N/A Categories: 2015, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Awkwardly Close to Cars or Trains, California 2015, Central California, Free Range Road Trips, Had to Sleep in My Van, Landscapes, Logistics, Medium, Method, Monterey, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Parking, Plein Air, Questionable or Illegal Parking Required, Subject, The California Coast, The Shoulder of a Busy Road/Highway, Travel, Weather Tags: CATTLE, FLOWERS, KELP BEDS, LEFTS, LOOKING DOWN FROM STEEP CLIFFS, NO NEED FOR SKY, ON THE ROCKS, PLACES NOBODY MIGHT HAVE EVER STOOD AND PAINTED BEFORE, POINT BREAKS, SHAPE: SQUARE, SKATE SPOTS, WHALE WATCHING, WILDFLOWERS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Finding California
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Finding California
Original Size: 24" x 24"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2014
Region: Northern California
Sub-Region: Humboldt► MORE ARTWORK INFORMATION ►► PURCHASE OPTIONS
SKU: N/A Categories: 2014, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Humboldt, Landscapes, Medium, Method, Northern California, Studio Landscapes, Subject, The California Coast Tags: AFTERNOON LIGHT, ARCING CLOUDS, BARBED WIRE, COMMISSIONED WORK, FENCES, ROADS, SCALLOPED BEACHES, SHADOWS OF CLOUDS, SHAPE: SQUARE, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Happy Cows
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Happy Cows
Original Size: 14" x 11"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2005
Region: Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast)
Artwork Notes:While painting this one from behind a rusty barbwire fence running along the overgrowth by the riverbank, I had an odd thought of what would happen if a cow came charging down the little path I was on. I sorta game-planned how I would step back into a little clearing behind my easel to let it pass, then dismissed the thought as the product of too much coffee working on the ol' brain. About halfway into the painting I heard some rustling in the brush up a little ways, and sure enough, COWZA! I stepped back as the bovine stomped its way happily down the trail, out to the road, and off down the lane. I went and knocked on what appeared to be the farm house door to let them know of the great escape. They just shrugged and said it happens all the time, them cows are all branded anyway, she'l…
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Categories: 2005, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Biological Hazards, Botanical Hazards, Close Encounters with Running Cows, Geological Hazards, Hiking, Landscapes, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Mud and Sludge, Not the California Coast, Painted Without Permission, Plein Air, Posted: No Trespassing, Private Property, Somewhere in California (Just not the Coast), Subject, Thorns and Brambles Tags: AGRICULTURE, ALDERS, BARNS, BLUEBIRD DAYS, BRIGHT MIDDAY SUN, BUILDINGS, CATTLE, COW-DODGING, GREEN GRASS, KEEP OFF THE GRASS, THE FOOD CHAIN, TREES, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES -
Spring in Mexico
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Spring in Mexico
Original Size: 24" x 12"
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2003
Region: Most Likely Mexico
Categories: 2003, Access Logistics, Acrylic on Canvas, Anthropological Hazards, Artwork, Artwork Timeline, Barbed Wire, Fence or Gate Hopping Required, Had to Sleep in My Van, Hiking, Landscapes, Language Barrier, Less than 1 Mile, Logistics, Medium, Method, Miles Hiked, Most Likely Mexico, Not the California Coast, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade, Painted Without Permission, Plein Air, Private Property, Subject, Temperature, Travel, Uncomfortably Warm, Weather Tags: BARBED WIRE, DESERTS, DIRT ROADS, FENCES, FLOWERS, PATHS, POPPIES, PUBLISHED IN 'SURF STORY' MAGAZINE, PUBLISHED WORK, WILDFLOWERS, WORKING CATTLE RANCHES
