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| Overlooking the Dunes Trail - 9x12, oil |
The weather finally shifted yesterday, and intermittent rain and clouds moved in over California's Central Coast. Fortunately, Carmel has many galleries, and I always say that if the weather is too unreliable to paint, visiting galleries is a good alternative. One of the best is James J. Rieser Fine Art, located on Dolores Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Although there is much good art in town, this gallery has what appeals to me most, which is landscapes by both contemporary and Early California artists. Guy Rose, Robert W. Wood, Ray Roberts and Charles Movalli are some of the names I found there.
The rain became more intermittent as the day wore on, so I seized an opportunity late in the day to do some more painting. I hadn't yet painted a Monterey cypress, and I wanted to include at least one, even if in a peripheral way, in a sketch. I found a bluff overlooking some sand dunes and a trail with a nice specimen close by. I also wanted to get in some of the coloration of the ice plants (a pretty but invasive plant that is common here on the cliffs and dunes). This overlook had it all. Rain began spitting down again just as I was finishing up.
This exploratory painting trip is nearly over. After one last day in Carmel, we'll be heading back to Sedona, where I'll be busy again with my Paint Sedona plein air painting workshops. But I also want to work on some larger, more finished studio paintings of the Carmel area. I'll go home with many photographs and sketches to work from - and, of course, many good memories.
