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I have driven to Malibu through Las Virgenes Road and Malibu Canyon my whole life.  I had never taken the time until recently to stop the car and explore -- to actually see down the sheer canyon walls. 
All this time and I never realized that there was a dam down at the bottom of that steep canyon!
All of this area is part of Malibu Creek State Park, but this area has been closed to hikers because it is difficult terrain and because of the fact that hikers often did stupid things ending up in having to be rescued.  

Much of the area was part of the Reagan Ranch.  Reagan donated the land to the state and it now is part of Malibu Creek State Park.
Apparently the dam was built by Malibu's historic Rindge family to provide agricultural water supply in the 1920s. 
Today's environmentalists are happy the area has been closed because apparently there are steelhead trout who live in the area.  
The State has been pushing to tear down the dam but there are always a variety of issues to consider so it hasn't happened.

Who knew??

Hope you enjoy my version:

"The Rindge Dam in Malibu Canyon"

I was recently reminded about a quote by Winston Churchill:  "The vistas of possibility are only limited by the shortness of life." 

Painting outdoors has allowed me to begin to explore many more of those vistas of possibility.  I think we are often also limited by our own perceptions.  Finding this dam in Malibu Canyon while scouting painting locations is one such example.  Unless we allow ourselves to see beyond what we "think" is in front of us, we never really see.

I love the fact that I have discovered such lovely "new" places in a world I thought I knew. 

Sure, I have also traveled to places I probably would never have gone in the name of plein air painting, but I have also explored more familiar areas and seen great beauty and discovered newness in the familiar.

I'm also learning to look at things in different ways.  David Gallup's teaching encourages us to explore possibilities in a scene... to use our minds to create or enhance or obfuscate in order to make a painting... not just a copy of things. 

This is a most difficult and wonderful journey to be on.  -- and to paraphrase Churchill ... the possibilities are only limited by the length of the "journey".

Happy painting!