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Morro Bay at Sunset

Morro Rock has been something of a touchstone in my life. My dad loved its massive grandeur, and never failed to point out this rugged sentinel of the sea when we drove California’s scenic Highway 1 together. Morro Bay at Sunset depicts a lover’s paradise. Nanette, our girls and I have enjoyed quiet interludes here, delighting in each other’s company and savoring memories that reach back into my own childhood.

Recently, I visited the bay with Winsor and Merritt at my side. As I set up my easel for a Plein Air study, the sun setting behind the rock painted the azure ocean in radiant hues. I was enchanted by the ever watchful pelicans, and for the first time I included these great birds in my canvas. To celebrate my family’s fond attachment to this picturesque harbor, I decided to name one of the trawlers “Billy Boy” in honor of my father Bill Kinkade. You’ll also spot a “Nan” and a “Merritt” among the resting fleet. I challenge you to find the seven N‘s I’ve hidden in this painting in tribute to my wife and the joy we’ve shared here.

When I finished my canvas, Winsor, Merritt and I shared a seafood feast while savoring the spectacle of sunset over the bay. I hope that Morro Bay at Sunset will delight your family as it has mine.

  • To honor his devoted wife of twenty-two years, Thomas Kinkade has hidden seven N’s in Morro Bay at Sunset for Nanette.
  • Home to one of California’s largest and most productive commercial fishing fleets, Morro Bay at Sunset depicts the active and proud fishing village surrounding Morro Rock.
  • El Moro – now known as Morro Rock – was discovered and named in 1542 by Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who explored the Pacific Coast for Spain.
  • The fishing trawler in the center left of the composition is named “Billy Boy Morro Bay” as a tribute to Thom’s father Bill Kinkade, who frequently made pilgrimages to the central coast and loved Morro Bay.
  • In the foreground of Morro Bay at Sunset you will see that Thom has included one of California’s beloved, albeit endangered, seas birds: the Pacific Pelican – a common sight around Morro Bay and along the West Coast.
Title Morro Bay at Sunset
Published August 2004
Subject Location Morro Rock in Morro Bay, California

Image Sizes

12" x 18"
18" x 27"
24" x 36"

In Stock
12" x 18" PP Edition
18" x 27" PP Edition
24" x 36" PP Edition

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