Oct 30, 2022, Sun — Champagne Beach and Other Delights, such as Wild Parsnip and Vineyard Enchantment. I’ll get to these artworks in minute. But first, today was another home day of getting sh** done, as they say. I also took a long walk to the store, pretending I was a hunter-gatherer. ((That was the spiritual portion of my day). I returned with my little bag of stores and made a pot of clam chowder. Actually, all day long, every day is spiritual for me. It’s where I live full time. That was the “rest” portion.
It’s been unsettling reading Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own at this very moment when I feel so tested and unrested with no relief in sight. She wrote that book in 1928. And it’s fresh today if you are trying to be an artist and aren’t subsidized. She would be shocked at the lack of progress, and if not shocked, at least incredibly articulate about it. I wish she were here.
Since I am (shocker) exhausted, for the blog tonight I will share the descriptions for the three latest paintings on the website, two of which I uploaded tonight. I spend considerable time writing these descriptions.
Champagne Beach
The rocky coastline north of Santa Barbara is different from the rest of California in that it faces due south instead of west. This is why the sunsets there are so unique. Instead of the clarity of facing the setting sun, the terrain is bathed in the softest colors imaginable. Sky, surf, and sand merge in vibrating pastels. I used champagne colors and emotive brushwork to bring you the magical glow unique to this area. Look out onto the Catalina Islands and enjoy the bubble bath!
Wild Parsnip
The simplest things can sometimes overwhelm me with their beauty. Like this wild parsnip standing six feet tall, the upper part silhouetted against an orange sunset, the lower part glow-boosted with color from magic hour. I used lush brushwork to accentuate the yellow blossoms and blue stalks of this “extraordinary ordinary weed” glowing in the evening light.
Vineyard Enchantment
Magic hour in Napa Valley wine country is extra magical when Mount St. Helena undergoes her evening transfiguration. This mountain is named for a saint for good reason. When viewed right after sunset from the south end of the valley, she appears to disconnect from the terrain and levitate above it like a giant neon pink apparition. It’s an otherworldly experience. Even the hills and rows of vines in her shadow momentarily take on the glow from that pink light. I used thick impasto brushwork and expressionistic shapes to bring you this enchanted moment.
In conclusion, thank you for reading Champagne Beach and Other Delights. I invite you to my website to see Originals, Prints, and sign up for the Art Giveaway.
