I’d been driving past this little slot canyon for years wondering if I’d ever get out there to paint someday. It looks out over the wetlands that are fed by the tidal inlet at that reef way out in the distance. I’ve painted that reef from plenty of other angles (beach level, the cliff at the beach, the road behind the inlet, a friend‘s roof, etc). Off the top of my head I can roughly count about 8 previous times I’ve painted that reef, which would make this one number 9.

This was a commission for a woman who goes out walking on these wetland trails regularly. I met up with her one morning to see what she had in mind and the trails led straight back to this canyon. She was open to any view of the area that inspired me, and with a natural slot canyon and open space like this in the middle of the congestion of this county’s coast, it was not hard to be inspired. It was crazy foggy though. Had to go surf for a few hours waiting for it to burn off. An afternoon hike, hopped fence and scramble or two up a few narrow ravines later, and I was at the top of the entire canyon, uninterrupted for the next
couple hours. I love my job.

-Entry on May 10, 2017