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I was deeply honored and THRILLED that this new piece was juried in to
California Statewide Land & Sea Exhibit," at the Santa Cruz Art League. 

EXHIBITION DATES:
June 3 - July 3, 2016
Lecture: “Art of the Deep” by Juror: David C. Gallup.   June 10, Friday, 7pm.
Reception: Saturday, June 11, 3:00 - 5:00pm

LOCATION:
Santa Cruz Art League
526 Broadway
Santa Cruz, CA 95060 

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It was a beautiful day on the cliffs of Dinosaur Caves Park in Shell Beach when I painted a small 8x8 plein air piece here.
The plein air piece was called "Dinosaur Caves at Shell Beach" after the park.

I think the area is beautiful and was inspired to paint this larger studio piece.  I hope you will enjoy it.
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Since I saw no dinosaurs wandering through the park (except cement ones for children to enjoy) I wondered why it was called Dinosaur Caves Park.  Here is what I found:

Dinosaur Caves Park is a family-friendly park in the Shell Beach area of Pismo Beach, CA. The park has open grass areas, picnic tables, walking paths, ocean overlooks, and an abundance of kids play toys with animal and dinosaur themes. The park also has an interesting history. In the 1940’s a large concrete dinosaur was constructed at this location. Visitors could enter the dinosaur and descend a tunnel in the tail that lead into an underground sea cavern. The cavern has since collapsed and all evidence of the dinosaur have been removed. Unfortunately, all other access routes to the shoreline have eroded away so there is no beach access from the park anymore.   

I also found a great drone video of the park and the shoreline done by "RoadTripFPV"
Here it is for you to enjoy:

Is a painting ever REALLY "done"?
Recently I answered a call for entries to a show about the American West.  I submitted paintings and several were selected for inclusion.  They are all quite different but each represents a wonderful place and a wonderful adventure.

There is one from my recent backpacking/mule riding/camping/painting trip to the Eastern Sierras.   Two are from my painting trip to Canyon de Chelly and the one featured in this blog post is a studio version of a painting I did while rafting through the Grand Canyon.

(I have to say that painting has really improved my ability to see the world in ways previously unimaginable to me.  -- Perhaps for that alone, I LOVE having learned to paint!)

I've always loved the painting, Blacktail, even when my good painting buddy told me that no one would ever buy it because it was too weird.  I have enjoyed it on my own walls -- each time smiling at the memory of a fabulously beautiful and unique place created through time, wind, water and surely a higher power.

It's Only Paint
When I painted it I struggled with the foreground rocks.  I could have left them out completely but decided not to.  However, all the time I've looked at this painting, the stark white rocks had bothered me.  When the painting was juried in to the upcoming show at La Galeria Gitana in San Fernando, CA, I decided to revisit those rocks.  -After all, it's only paint.  In my Master Class with my mentor, David Gallup, David has been discussing the importance of losing focus in the foreground of our paintings.  To quote David, "Okay, Master Class. The idea for our Month of Foreground is that rather than trap the eye at the bottom of the canvas by increasing detail and focus as objects draw nearer, we can look past an out-of-focus foreground to the subject, nearer the desired target from a 2-D design perspective. Using in and out of focus areas to create depth and move the eye in addition to all of our other tools. Dig? "

David has a "David Gallup Master Class" Facebook group page and we've all be searching the web for examples of out-of-focus foregrounds.  Check it out if you're interested in participating with the discussions.  (We also post all sorts of interesting artwork and bits of nature - especially those that relate to David's interest in underwater things.)

Anyhow, the point is that my foreground rocks were too imposing and prominent.   They trapped the eye more than was necessary.  (See the original on the left.) They were whiter and had fairly hard edges which contrasted with the dark waters of the pool.  Rather than to eliminate them, I darkened them and tried to soften the edges a bit.  It wasn't a huge change, but I think that now the painting works better.

Thanks for stopping by.  Perhaps I will see you at the show opening at La Galeria Gitana on May 14th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  It's always an interesting show.