Gulls at the beach.

I decided to try and paint one more landscape before the weather changed.  I packed up my paints and gear in my large REI backpack, put on my warm layers and hiked down the stairs to the beach.  The tide was low but the sand was all soaking wet and cold.  I headed out hoping for that trigger to make me sit and spend a few hours of my life painting.  Today I found my eyes wandering less to the view of the beautiful cliffs and ocean waves, but to the group of gulls playing on these rocks near the waters edge.  So I plopped myself down in my thermarest chair, and pulled out my sketchbook.  The gulls were all grouped together at the waters edge, about 30 of them or so, looking out to sea.  A few gulls were closer to me on boulders next to a mossy log that was half buried in the wet sand.

So I sketched these wonderful gulls playing in the water, staring out to sea, realizing that they were taking turns walking up the beach to a freshwater spring that was running off the hillside.  Two by two,  they would walk up to the spring, drink some water, and walk down with the rest of the flock. 

After completing some rough sketches of the gulls, my drawing came to a hault, when two youg girls came running by and decided to chase them away from the very spot I was about to paint them.  However due to my sketches and positioning of the gulls, I was able to finish my painting with no worries.  And here is my watercolor of the gulls at the beach.

Gulls at the Beach. 8 1/2 " x 11". Watercolor.

Cormorant on a Eucalyptus

Today I checked the tide and realized that the beach would be a great place to paint.  I packed up my watercolors, brushes, paper, pencils, water bottle, cup and granola bars and headed down the steps at Mesa Lane.  The tide was low and the sand was wet, but perfect colors for a painting.  I looked around to see which direction I would head and there bathing in the sun was this beautiful cormorant.  I couldn't take my eyes of this beautiful bird!  So I plopped down and started sketching...wings out, head down, look left look right...the cormorant was moving and drying in sun.

After I felt I got the best sketches of the flying birds, I began some other sketches of the fallen eucalyptus this cormorant was perched on, and the other fallen tree and rocks around it.

After sketching out the preliminary drawing on my watercolor paper, I began painting the sky and then worked on the farthest point of the horizon. Then I worked my way closer and closer until I was working on the fallen log in the lower right hand corner. All in a great day painting with a cormorant at the beach.

Cormorant on Eucalyptus. 8 1/2 x 11. Watercolor. 

Lake Los Carneros

Another day, another painting.  I woke up Saturday morning and drove myself over to Lake Los Carneros.  The air was very thin and when I arrived there was a beautiful reflection in the water.  Unfortunately by the time I got to painting the water the reflection had passed.  I definitely used alot of purple, which always makes me happy. Another beautiful day in Southern California.

Lake Los Carneros. 8 1/2" x 11". Watercolor.

East Beach Landscape

Here I am attempting a landscape at East Beach in Santa Barbara on September 24, 2011.  The weather was nice and I decided to attempt my first painting from this location.  I plopped myself down in my comfortable cray creek chair and sketched out the view onto my watercolor paper in my travel field journal.  I then spent the next 3 hours painting this view of the beach.
I hope you enjoy this landscape as much as i did painting it!

East Beach. 8" 1/2 x 11". Watercolor.

Finding New Inspiration

Welcome to my blog!  After years of working as a teacher/naturalist in some form, I am determined to put all my energy into pursuing art full time!  In order for this to happen I am putting together a blog of the process as I figure out what it means to be an illustrator.  I hope to share in my newest passion for landscapes paintings of the California coast including several from Santa Cruz Island where I am an assistant kayak guide in the summer.  I hope to use this blog to push myself to doing a new piece of work everyday. Enjoy

This is the view looking east on Santa Cruz Island toward Anacapa Island.  8 1/2" x 11".  Watercolor.  I painted this on August 2, 2011 after spending the previous day kayaking.  This was my first attempt at using paynes gray gouache for the dark shadow of the islands.  Next time I want to try the watercolor paynes gray to see how it looks.

Santa Cruz Island looking towards Anacapa Island. 8 1/2" x 11".  Watercolor.