BIG SUR & BEYOND...PART III: 'BIG SUR SHANTY'

'BIG SUR SHANTY' , Oil on Canvas (6"x8")

My two night stay on private land in the Los Padres National Forest was a perfect way to land in Big Sur. The two days allowed me to settle in and not feel rushed, thus giving me some time to establish my campsite and scout around for scenes to paint. My eyes were bulging at the beauty everywhere, and my hands were itching to paint. Yet, I was also tired from being on the move. Earlier in the day, as I was hiking around, there was a relaxing commons area with a hammock near the creek. The obvious thing to do in that moment (to satisfy the procrastinator in me), was swing in the hammock for a while and think about things to paint.

I decided it best to stay close to camp and paint, rather than exhaust myself hiking. Lucky for me, I picked the one campsite with a picnic table to spread all my art supplies out on. This became my mini outdoor art studio for two days. It also looked down on a little shack with clothes on a line blowing in the wind. I thought it quaint and a charming subject for a small painting. I got to sketching and mixing some bright colors to match the summer hues of the day.

Stay tuned for more stories, photos, and paintings!