California Bound!

A week from today I will be in my absolute favorite place to be - the central California coast! l'm excited to be returning to a place I feel I truly belong. I haven't decided on my painting spots yet because the possibilities are so numerous and my time there so short. 
There is some kind of magic to the land there. The sights and scents and light of even the most mundane scenes, remains imprinted in my memory like a series of movie stills. These encapsulated images float into my mind frequently with such detail and clarity that if I closed my eyes I'd swear I was right there. In all my travels, I've never experienced this phenomena anywhere else. There's something else too I haven't seen since early childhood. The images from my earliest memory of what I saw around me when I was outdoors, are filled with a soft hazy golden light. The air hasn't looked like that to me since my pre-school years. I thought my eyes had changed. But on my first trip to the central coast three years ago, I was amazed to see that light again! It's there all the time. I haven't been able to capture it yet,but I dream of being able to spend my days wandering the rocky coast and mountains chasing that golden light in paint.

Cayucos Sunset - oil on canvas panel - 12x16
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Eucalyptus Trees - Oil on canvas panel - 11x14
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The Language of Artists

Today I was talking to a woman about painting. She is not an artist but she's always wanted to learn to paint. As we talked about colors and brushwork and different styles of expression, her eyes lit up and she grew animated. We were speaking the same language even though she had never painted! It occurred to me how important it is to spend time with people who speak your language. They Get it. Painting is such a solitary profession. Even though I'm surrounded by supportive family and friends, I usually see their eyes glaze over when I'm enthusing about some great art observation or discovery. They don't hear or see the same language.
It's interesting that the French Impressionists who were friends with each other in youth and even painted the same scenes side by side, worked in isolation as they got older. Monet even asked his dealer at one point to not reveal to Renoir where he was going on a painting trip so that he could work alone. Yet they still would get together in Paris from time to time to hang out and talk about art and artists. I suspect that they left these dinners renewed and re energized and ready to get back to work. 

April Rain in the Valley of the Oaks

Do you want to help keep this beautiful mission open? It will be closed unless funds can be raised to do an earthquake retro-fit. Purchase a print of this image and 20% will go towards the conservation project. Click here for information.  Click here to purchase a print. Thanks for helping!