Artwork

Rising Tide- Setting Sun

Plein air artwork from Terra Mar near Carlsbad on the San Diego coast of southern California
About a year ago, I spent a week in San Diego painting with my friend Wade Koniakowsky and wrapped it up with a show in his gallery. It was a hot week, and sometimes challenging to find the motivation. This was at the end of a long day in the bright sun as the afternoon […]…

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Plein air artwork from Tamarack near Calsbad on the San Diego coast of southern California
Another rainy day morning here has me thinking back to hotter times, like summers in San Diego. I’ve realized later in life that a lot of folks actually and truly like hot weather. Like it feels good to them or something. I imagine folks from these climates heading north and braving the cold (55 isn’t […]…

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Intertidal Architecture

Plein air artwork from Oceanside Pier on the San Diego coast of southern California
The first painting I ever recall painting of a specific location on the California coast was of the Seal Beach Pier. It was for a 7th grade art class. It wasn’t painted on location. It was painted with watercolors. And I’m sure it had lots of details conveyed through the awkward lens of a 12 […]…

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Not So Distant Shores

Plein air artwork from Scorpion Ranch on Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park off the coast of California

Plein air from one of California’s other coasts Not too often do I paint from places I can’t drive my van to, but it sure is fun to see these coasts with no roads and crystal clear waters. I’m stoked to be heading south for another round with one of our offshore islands next week.


Vanishing Points

Plein air artwork overlooking Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugo on the Ventura coast of southern California
There was a day back in July of 2018 that saw record breaking heat all over California’s coast. This was a few days after that when temperatures here cooled down to a chilly 96 degrees on the coast. Believe it or not, this was a relief from what it had been two days prior. This […]…

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The Great Escape

Plein air artwork of beachgoers escaping the heat at Carpenteria beach on the Santa Barbara coast of California

This was from a heat wave last July that saw temps in the 100’s at the water’s edge. If you could find parking, you could attempt to cool off in the water with your family and everyone else that lives in a hundred mile radius and who have no AC at home and who are […]


Sarah’s Lemonade

Plein air artwork of Malibu Point and Pier on the Los Angeles county coastline of southern California

I scour the coast looking for views like this- familiar places from unfamiliar angles. They don’t always reveal themselves right away. This one took years of following hunches and calculating the risks of trespassing on these multi-million dollar properties (or in this case, nearly trespassing, but not quite) . If they can afford real estate […]


Vaudevillian Cartoon

Plein air artwork of Leo Carillo State Park on the Malibu coast of los angeles county in southern California
Painted en plein air, summer of 2018Temperature at 10am: 92 degrees and stupidly humid. Vaudeville [vôd(ə)ˌvil] noun. a theatrical genre of variety entertainment, typically made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill. Act one: The rugged beauty of a pristine corner of California’s coast- and a truly magnificent […]…

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The Unveiling

Plein air artwork from the Sonoma coast of Northern California

Painted on location while giving a somewhat distracted interview with a Bay area newspaper editor… Donuts cooking on the dashboardAs I jumped out to meet the pressWe discussed life and art and historyA dozen different ways to make a royal mess We dodged the ticks and poison oakAnd spoke as loud as we likedOut of […]


Broke Down Van Blues

Oil Painting plein air artwork from the Trinidad coast of Humboldt County in northern California
Seems like my van was in the shop for repairs more often than not last year. One particular stint was over two months long. After awhile it started getting me down. This was from a beautiful day last summer, but I remember having to stop and remind myself how wonderful it was to just be […]…

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One Last Chance

Plein air artwork near the last chance grade on highway 101 on the Del Norte Coast of northern California
Plein air painted last year from a portion of the California Coast that might fall into the sea at any moment if it hasn’t already… I’ve wanted to paint this one for a long time. Not sure why it took so long, but it was fun to finally take the time to make it happen. […]…

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Car Trouble

Plein air artwork from beside the road at Pebble Beach in crescent city on the del norte coast of northern California

I seem to remember several occasions over the last 20 years where my van wouldn’t start after a surf here. Probably because it was just an old Volkswagon and that’s kinda how they work. It was as good a place as any for the old van since the road makes a gentle descent to beach […]


California’s Dream

Plein air artwork from hollister ranch on the santa barabara coast of southern california
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 […]…

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From the Grave to the Cradle

Plein air artwork from the the hollister ranch with a view of cojo point and point conception on the santa barabara coast
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 […]…

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Almost Home

Plein air artwork of the railroad trestle on the Hollister Ranch on the santa barbara coast of southern california
Some islands are formed by water, some are formed by the long standing legacies of private property dating back generations to a time before “coastal access” was even a thing. Some of these have effectively become islands in their own way shielding their environs from the outside world and preserving these lands in a state […]…

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Cubic Yards

Plein air artwork from the beach near windansea on the la jolla coast of san diego in southern california

Plein air from a beautiful morning along the La Jolla coast from awhile back. I always enjoy the flowing weathered forms of the rocky shoreline here. In this case it was that cubic chunk of rock just catching the light that caught my eye so I ditched my usual mode of operation that typically involves […]