Santa Cruz Island WIP

A little more than a year ago the prompt at Illustration Friday was 'fluid' so I painted the ocean.
I was happy with the painting and decide to do a trio of ocean inspired paintings.

The first Fluid is a close shoreline view. The second, Fluid no. 2, which I painted about a month later was a mid view of a crashing wave. I had in mind that Fluid no. 3 would be a far off view, such as the way Santa Cruz Island looks from the mainland, but I took several detours into Hungarian folk art, drawing with colored pens, journaling, and experimenting with watercolors. That third canvas stayed white as snow...hidden in a closet.

My dear friend L's brother, who is decorating a new home, took Fluid and Fluid no. 2 home and asked me to paint Fluid no 3. for him.  I sold three paintings!  (my first three!)

So here it is, a work in progress.  Santa Cruz Island at sunset.



 

Some lovely roses from my garden for inspiration.

 



I'm sharing at Sunday Sketches and Artists in Blogland. 
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The Tree

Years ago one of the first paintings I felt good enough to give away as a gift, and I mean a real gift wrapped and presented at a birthday party, was this Cypress tree I painted for A's birthday.  If you are from Santa Barbara you would instantly recognize it as the tree at the end of the bluff of the Wilcox Property (Douglas Family Preserve) which is an open space and off leash dog walking area not far from my house.

 

Like most people around here, especially if you live in this part of town, I have a relationship with this tree.  I have sat under it.  I have run past it as I turn around and head for home.  Sometimes I even tag it because it's just the half way point of a 5 mile run from my front door.  Lots of people have climbed it, but not me...as I find climbing a tree at the edge of a cliff a little too scary. 

Mostly I've just admired it and painted it and stood next to it.

 

This past week we had some fierce winds.  They lasted a few days but one night was so windy that I was woken up several times during the night hearing wind and the crashes of pots falling over and gates banging.  I knew we'd lose some trees around town but I was hoping it might be one of the trees on my street that blocks my ocean view!

 

I was so sad to hear the Cypress fell.

 

The dog and I went to visit and say goodbye.  Poor tree.

 

A very different view without that tree.

 

 

 

Cute!

I'm not much a journaler but I wish I was.  I always admire art journals.  I love it when the journals have a date stamp on the pages so when I saw this adorable mushroom stamper I had to buy it.  Maybe it will motivate me to journal...or maybe it will just look cute on my art desk...