Oh No, Not Today

Plein air artwork of palm trees in the carpark at San Onofre State park in Southern California

Written on April 3, 2020

You might think this empty parking lot scene is a reflection of our current times, but the reality is that I had planned to spend a day here goofing off after a busy flurry of painting on the road last year. At the time I thought, “I’ll just head down there today for a few waves, maybe see some old friends, who knows?”

But oh no, not today. It was the worst day of surf I’ve ever seen here. And I’ve seen some bad ones and surfed em anyway. I could always paint, but even that was tough. My usual approach to this place is to paint the bustling parking lot full of cars and scattered surfboards. It’s a living piece of California surfing history here. But alas, not today.

And so I present to you here this iconic mecca of carpark surf culture, absolutely empty. 


Artwork Information:


Artwork Title: "Oh No, Not Today"
Original Size: 12" x 12"
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019

Additional Artwork Information:


Method: Plein Air
Date Painted: 05/17/2019
Region: The California Coast > Southern California > Orange County > San Diego
Road Trip: Maycember 2019

Artwork Logistics:


Parking Logistics: Paid Park Entrance Required
Vehicular Logistics: Painted from Roof Platform on Van
Anthropological Hazards: Crowds with Lots of Questions
Weather Logistics: Painted in Heavy Winds, Painted in Full Sun with no Shade
Temperature: Uncomfortably Warm


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