Another Beach perspective...

JOY! 9x12 oil
Depending on where I park myself at the beach, I can view sunsets as a totally different experience each night. In this painting, I moved a short way up the beach from the previous post's painting. The pier creates a foil for the sunset. The vertical posts, unmoving against the horizontal landscape with it's constantly changing elements provides me with contrasting elements for my painting. The reflection of the pier in the water embodies that contrast. I chose to do only a small section of the pier to focus on the sun at the dramatic moment when it starts to disappear. As the waves crash under the pier, they dissolve into the shadows and then reappear as they approach the viewer. The meandering lines of the reflection, the edge of the receding water against the dark sand and the intensity of the colors in the foreground are used to lead the viewer back toward the drama of the setting sun.

A Perfect Ending to the Day

"Day's End",Aptos, CA 12x16 oil

Visiting my daughter since she moved to California has opened up a new plethora of painting possibilities. Her location is perfect for me, a beach lover. While she is at work during the day I can load up my painting gear on her bike and head to different locations along the beach or high on the cliffs overlooking the beaches. Whether it is early morning or late in the day, the sky and water are always dramatic. During the day the beach visitors provide varied additional subject matter. No two days are ever the same and the beauty is always present. This view from Seacliff Beach looking towards Capitola provided an uncluttered composition to focus on the intensity of the experience as the sun went down. I tried to capture the water's movement and undulating colors while implying to the viewer the sounds and smells that accompanied my experience.