Rain and Mist

RAIN AND MIST is number two in a series of storms along the Pacific Coast of California.  Recently I have had a desire to paint a series of storms along the coast.  I'm wanting to peruse that desire.  This piece is about the lagoon, feeding into the beach, where I often paint. Lagoons are a very important part of our ocean habitat.  It's where fish come to spawn, and  where baby fish are born, nurtured and finally swim out into our life sustaining oceans.  I truly love the sea and the wetlands. Studying the sea and wetlands to me also means learning what happens to them during storms. 

 I live only minutes from the coast, and feel blessed to be there often.   When the weather permits, which is usually the case, I set up my easel, constantly enchanted by the seas movement and paint there often.  But these storm paintings are a bit different, its all about what happens when storms move in and I'm constantly learning more to incorporate into my work.  In Southern California, storms are infrequent until winter comes, and brings with it, the rainy season. 

I was able to paint SUMMER STORM during an infrequent summer squall, this past August.  This kind of got me started on my quest to learn more about the ocean during stormy weather and was number one in the series I'm planning to paint this year.

 I find I have to be at the coast, feel the storm approaching,  do some sketches, take some pictures and come back to my studio and that same day to begin the painting. The feeling has to be fresh, as if I was standing right there in the rain and wind.   I find Nature invigorating and still my best teacher. You must pay attention, be attentive and then paint her beauty.  I was honored to have Summer Storm exhibited this past November at the Salmagundi Club in New York City and it has a new home in Alabama.  Also during the New York show, someone mentioned they thought the floor might be getting wet.  I loved that.

I invite you to visit often and see what storm is brewing.