Seaside Village

You have to see it to appreciate it, as the saying goes. That’s just what I did when I set to work on Seaside Village. I hauled a massive easel, oversized canvas, brushes, and oils outdoors to the charming northern California seaside village of Pacific Grove, where I worked on my largest ever Plein Air painting.

The sun glistened on the waves as I painted and gulls were flying overheard. I came to feel that I was in wonderful harmony with the sea and sun and sand. I did all I could on location, and then took the canvas back to my studio to add imaginative touches. Seaside Village became a studio impression – set alive by joyous and vigorous brushwork.

My work on the painting gave me a renewed appreciation for the lovely simplicity of life lived in harmony with the rhythms of the sea. Imagine living, talking, and working in a place where the ebb-and-flow of waves and tides beats like a metronome in the background – setting a slow, steady pace. I can still taste the salt air and hear the seagulls’ cries. That’s why I’ll be visiting more seaside villages as we savor the simple pleasures of this natural way of life.