Pride & Joy

One of the pleasures of being a painter is having the opportunity to create a custom piece for a client. I was asked to paint a scene from Summerland Beach looking towards Loon Point. My client suggested that I include her labs Pride and Joy in the composition. I thought adding my client and her lovely daughter would also be a nice touch. Happily, she agreed. So Pride & Joy was started on location on a minus low tide day in January and finished, again on location, on a minus low tide day in February. The low tides offered the wet sand reflection of Loon Point; a tidal condition I've always wanted to paint. I was lucky to catch some gorgeous winter days before the last set of storms rolled in and froze Santa Barbara. I enjoy looking at this painting and remembering the warm Spring season we had this past January.

Pride & Joy, 18 x 24

Looking for the Full Moon

I anticipate the full moon each month as an opportunity to get outside and attempt to capture a unique and magical scene on canvas. The February full moon, appropriately called the Storm Moon in Medieval times, was obliterated by, well, a storm. I did go out to see if by some chance there was a clearing in the sky at moonrise. But no. So back home and into the studio to finish Summerland Moon instead. I started this painting months ago. It seemed appropriate that on another full moon I was able to finish it.

Summerland Moon, 9 x 12