Plein air artwork from Santa Rosa Island's Lobo Canyon trail in Channel Islands National Park in Southern California

Prey For Rain

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 did it take to wash all the little foot bridges out earlier this year? How fun would a flash flood in this little canyon be? How can I pass this little creekside scene without stopping to paint it? That was the only question that mattered in the moment, and I had no good answer. So I stopped right there and painted it. A brief window of blue sky had me feeling pretty good for about 20 minutes. Then the dark clouds returned. Then the canyon wind started howling. Then the drops started falling again. I was pretty close to wrapping it up anyway, so for the second time today, I scrambled out of there pretty quickly.

Post-script: Yes, I did get completely soaked. Yes, the two paintings and this fresh new one all survived the soaking when the skies finally unleashed. No, my wet socks no longer mattered to me one bit once everything else was dripping wet too. I still don’t know how much rain it would have taken to wash out all the footbridges, but it was probably a lot more than today’s rain. And no, I have no idea if it would be any fun at all to get stuck in this canyon in a flash flood situation. Depends on the outcome, I suppose. Any other questions? I think that’s all of em. Unless anyone was asking about the deals I’m offering offering on my site right now. For that answer you’ll just have to go and check for yourself. 


Prey For Rain


Original Size: 12" x 16"
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2019

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ADDITIONAL ARTWORK INFORMATION:


Method: Plein Air
Date Painted: 03/19/2019
Region: The California Coast > The Channel Islands > Santa Barbara > Southern California
Road Trip: March 2019

ARTWORK LOGISTICS:


Miles Hiked: 6-10 Miles
Hiking Terrain: Deep Creek or River Crossing
Vehicular Logistics: Extra Vehicular Assistance Needed
Extra-Vehicular Requirements: Boat Required for Access
Geological Hazards: Mud and Sludge
Botanical Hazards: Some Poison Oak Observed
Biological Hazards: High Grass- Tick Country!
Weather Logistics: Threatening to Rain, Rain!, Painted in Heavy Winds


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