Orcas!
I was out painting yesterday at Pacific Grove, and from what I can tell, a pod of Orcas were having fun off shore. Enjoy this short video….
A Beautiful Day
In the spring, the ice plant blooms in Perkins Park, Pacific Grove, CA, covering much of the park in a blanket of reds, pinks, and purples. I had been meaning to make the short drive there to paint, and a group paint-out by the Monterey Bay Plein Air Association gave me an excuse.
Generally, I consider these outings as more social events than trying to produce a sellable painting. This time though, I wanted to spend a little more time trying to get a good piece, so arrived early to catch the morning light.
I settled in painting a backlit view of Lover’s Point. It was a wonderful day! It was difficult painting looking directly into the sun as I am still trying to find a good pair of outdoor spectacles since my cataract surgery a year ago. The painting was turning into a muddy mess. I kept at it though, and got it back on track.
After an hour or so, I didn’t see any other fellow painters, so walked around, and found just a few on the other side of the point. There were only about 4 of us total, as far as I can tell.
The painting turned out good…a keeper! The above is a little over two hours work. I will touch it up just a bit in the studio, but could stand as-is.
Here are a few more pictures of the day…
Wilder Hogs
aka Hollister/Carmel Run
Enjoy this short video of a ride on April 13, 2022. Be sure to turn the volume up!
Route was Hollister Hwy 25 South; Hwy 198 West; Hwy 101 North;Greenfield to Arroyo Seco; to Carmel Valley; Laurels Grade; Hwy 68 East.
An Entirely new Art Form Breakthrough
Marina, CA, April 1, 2022.. World renowned, award winning artist Donald Neff has just invented an entirely new genre of art. We think it will take the art world by storm. Art and painting constantly evolve and transition to ideas and areas we may not have imagined just a few years before. Think Picasso, who as a teen could paint like Raphael, and with no where to go was a forerunner of modern art. Pollock stumbled upon drip painting. Hunter Biden blew the art world away with his doodling.
After spending two years virtually locked up due to covid restrictions, Neff was yearning to be free. “I just wanted to be free to paint, so I strapped an easel on my Harley, took off and started painting”, Neff says. Neff frequently rides his Harley, including painting trips, but has never painted while actually riding. “I have always wondered what a painting would look like if I did it while cruising down the road, so rigged an easel on my gas tank to paint while on the road.” Neff continues “it was so great, because as soon as I got to my first actual painting location, I already had one completed.”
“Freedom!” is Neff’s first ‘zoom painting’. According to Neff, it was a little difficult concentrating on the painting while staying on the bike, but he did it without any scrapes or accidents. For such a big invention, Neff also chose a big canvas, 24×36, and it was a little hard keeping it steady in the constant headwind. Like a sail, Neff had to keep correcting course to stay in his lane. Neff says, “I also had to circle around a lot to keep painting the same scene, but didn’t get too dizzy.”
You can read more about Neff’s other painting trips on the Harley here.
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Foiled!
The Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters were meeting for a paintout at Carmel River Beach. I decided to join them.
Carmel River Beach is tucked away from the normal crowds, and offers views of the Carmel River as it moves through a lagoon and empties into Carmel bay. Expansive views of Point Lobos are in the distance. You might guess it’s also a favorite artists spot!
Upon arrival, we found the parking was closed due to assembling a new coast guard life saving station. So, everyone parked on the nearby streets and had to walk a little further to the beach. I ended up parking a bit away, so instead of painting with the others on the beach, painted along the bluff overlooking the beach. Some painted the quaint Carmel cottages.
It was overcast and foggy the entire morning with occasional slivers of sunlight. I used to hate painting days like this, but have come to love the misty, foggy atmosphere, and some years ago started a ‘misty’ series of paintings I occasionally add to. You can see much of the series here. (Looking back through these pieces, it seems collectors like them also, as most are sold, and one is currently touring in the Yosemite Renaissance show.)
I had commitments later in the day, couldn’t stay long, so did a quick color study. The above was about a 60 minute effort. Although a fairly simple piece, I was pleased with the colors, so consider it a keeper for future reference.
Here are a few more pictures of the day–
And Now, For Something Completely Different
Enjoy this short video, March of the Skunks (be sure to watch with volume up), the second installment of the Critters of Bluffs Dr., Marina, CA. We don’t have a lot of wildlife around here, but living close to Ft Ord National Monument, we get our share. Once again, with 6 outdoor cameras, I boiled dozens of clips down to 90 seconds.
BTW, if you missed it, you can see the first installment here. https://youtu.be/bsWzIfAPhas
And Now, For Something Completely Different Read More »
Moon Over Monterey
Founded on June 3, 1770, Monterey is one of the oldest cities in California. Once an abundant fishery, it also attracts writers, painters, and other artists. Now a tourist destination with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, and Fisherman’s Wharf, it also hosts the California Roots Music and Arts Festival, and the annual Monterey Jazz Festival.
Fresh off the easel at the Neff Studio, from Del Monte Beach, the moon and downtown Monterey light up the dusk sky overlooking Monterey Bay.
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The Mission
Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo, or the Carmel Mission, was the second mission built by Franciscan missionaries in upper California. Built in 1797, it is still in use today for Masses and other services. Being restored off and on over it’s lifetime, it just recently underwent a major restoration.
The Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters met there yesterday (Wednesday) for a paint out. About half a dozen showed. Most paid the entry fee, and went inside to the courtyard to paint. Here are a few pictures of the day.
I decided to just do a simple color study of the outside building wall.
It was fun pushing heavy brush loads of paint around to get the texture of the stucco. It probably would have been a better composition if the sun had partially shown on the wall creating more light/shadow, but I painted it like it was. After about an hour, here is what I came up with.
Monterey Dunes
We frequently walk by this scene along the trails of Ft Ord Dunes State Park near our home in Marina, CA, and I have talked about it numerous times. I have painted this immediate area several times, but from an entirely different viewpoint several yards away. You can see those here and here. The other day as we embarked on our walk, the sun was hitting the dunes at just the right angle to illuminate the scene, and I determined it just had to be painted. Fresh off the easel, here is Monterey Dunes.
Thanks MCWeekly!
Thanks Monterey County Weekly for including “Marina Beach Sunset” in your daily eNewsletter! You can see the daily eNewsletter online here (scroll to the bottom).