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Dolphin at Loon Point

"Dolphin at Loon Point" 8 x 10. Watercolor. 2015.


 Walking down the sand to find that view I had taken months ago with my camera. I knew Loon Point was a special from the photo I took of huge cliffs on the sandy beach next to turquoise navy water.

I retraced my steps to where I took my reference photo and immediately remembered why I had been drawn to this beach again...on the top of the steep cliffs perches a bright white heron was standing on the top of the very steep cliff looking down to the ocean...while in the ocean appeared a flock of Brown Pelicans diving the water for fish and out of the low tide rocky shore popped a pop of dolphin swimming together and then swimming off. ANd in the middle of the madness appeared a harbor seal looking to see if I was joining in on the the fun.

Once I began sketching the life around me kept appearing and more pelicans appeared and left and more dolphins appeared and left and and the rocks held the animals out of the water such at the mussels and sea anemones and limpets and barnacles and more.

I decided to sit closes to the water to paint as to not miss the action in the water. Dolphin felt very comfortable coming so close to shore to swim in the low tide shallows and around the rocks of the crashing waves, just a few feet form where I was sitting and watching.

I ended up getting out my watercolor paper to try and capture the activity of the animals right in the ocean. SO I painted a piece quickly as I was sitting on the wet sand and a few times the ocean got me and my camera bag and my paints and paper and the last straw was the lid to by water canister. After finding my things I took off down the beach where families of travelers were riding horses on the beach in the water and dogs were marching around wit their owner.

ANd in the distance a boat speeding by following once again another pod of dolphin out farther from the shore...

So I dedicated my watercolor to the dolphins in the sea....which was splashed my the ocean as well before I left..

Aloe Blooms

"Aloe Blooms" Watercolor & Colored pencil. 2015.

I enjoyed these twisting aloes...so beautiful with the stems.

Aloe Variegated Watercolor

"Aloe variegated" Watercolor. 2015

Another live plant that was an inspiration for this botanical painting.

Butterfly Beach in a Storm

"Butterfly Beach in a Storm" 8 x 10 inches. Copyright 2015

Windshield wipers and quick brushstrokes allowed me time to mix my watercolor colors in my lap as my Arches watercolor paper became almost too saturated to finish. By the time I finished my last brushstroke the fog engulfed the view and I drove home. Enjoy!

Trinidad Scorpion Pepper

"Trinidad Scorpion Pepper" Watercolor. Copyright 2015.

Striped Succulent in Watercolor

"Striped Succulent " Watercolor. 2015.

Getting my hands back into botanicals and wanted to include the latest painting. 

It started with a preliminary sketch, then onto the transfer of the image using my light table and then this final painting.  I hope you like it. It's especially important during this time of low water usage to find suitable plants for the garden. 

Yellow Lupine and Flying Finches.

Yellow Lupine and Flying Finches" 81/2" x 11".Watercolor. 2015.

After embracing the current drought situation in California, I decided to pull out a watercolor painting to finish when the gardens had water and the finches were flying carelessly about eating the seeds from these lovely yellow flowers. The yellow lupine appeared at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in which I snatched this scene in memory of when the flowers were in bloom.  I wanted to post it now to bring back that feeling of joy you get when taking in the color yellow.  A happy feeling.  I hope you embrace this sunny painting full of life and yellow.

Porch with a View

"Porch with a View" Watercolor. 2015

Watercolor painting from a porch with a view. Blooming coccolithophores phyto plankton are turning the water a turquoise color. What a way to celebrate World Ocean Day!

Muddy Puddles at More Mesa.

"Muddy Puddles at More Mesa:, 81/2" x 11", Watercolor. 2015.

I painted this watercolor in honor of the rain that fell the morning I went out hiking at More Mesa and caught a view of the first muddy puddles that this town had seen in a year of heavy drought. This is a good beginning to the winter season in anticipation of the flowers soon to bloom!