Remember Roy

Roy’s Beach, 12×24, oil on gallery wrap canvas

I never met Roy.  But from now on, will certainly remember him.  

One of the greatest satisfactions an artist can have is when a painting has extra special meaning to the collector.  Besides just being a nice scenic painting to hang on a wall, if the place has some special significance to the purchaser, it also means something to the artist.

Last February I painted a scene of Ft Ord Dunes State Beach.  We frequently walk among the dunes near our new home in Marina, CA, and we always pass by the scene.  The late afternoon sun on Monterey Bay and the beach are just stunning. The painting sold almost immediately online.   You can read about it here.

During my Open Studio event last October, Allen Crane, a lifelong resident of Marina, stopped by and told me he really wanted that painting, but it sold so fast he missed his chance to purchase it.   I told him I could do a commission piece similar to the painting, although I wouldn’t paint the exact same thing. We settled on making it more of a sunset scene. 

He then told me the story of why he wanted the painting…well, I’ll let him tell you in is own words:

Roy and Allen Crane first moved to Marina in the fall of 1964 after their father, Donald, retired from the US Army. Roy absolutely loved walking, very briskly, on the beach – Ft Ord Dunes State Beach was his favorite starting point for his daily walks. He always had a sighting to share – of whales, or porpoises, of the squid boats or flocks of pelicans following the curve of the waves. Nobody else seemed to see as much activity on the waves as Roy did, then again, not everyone walked for miles, daily, on the beach either. Roy passed away in his sleep at his childhood home in Marina, on Sept.22, 2020. A few days later, Allen held a memorial for his brother on this beach (he calls it Roy’s Beach) attended by friends and neighbors from all over Northern California.

Allen Crane

During the painting of this commission, and many times before and after, we walk by the very same scene, and we see the porpoises, squid boats, and pelicans just like Roy and Allen had for so many decades.  It’s still there, and to be enjoyed for everyone many more decades to come.  


Here’s a few photos of Roy’s Beach


Now, every time we walk there, I will…

Remember Roy.


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