LAKE TAHOE CARMEL TRIP REVISITED

Two weeks ago I made an extended trip to Lake Tahoe and Carmel. The first two days of the trip were spent in Lake Tahoe as one of the featured artists at the first Lake Tahoe Summerfest. Other artists included Gene Constanza, Albert Handell, Clayton Beck, Calvin Liang. Zhiwei Tu, Kelly Brewer, Debra Groesser and Lindsey Bittner Graham. Each evening we would gather outside the concert area and do demos while the concert going crowd milled around before the concert, at intermission and after the concert ended. During the day Albert Handel and Gene Constanza did demos.

 

"Half Dome"  9" x 12"   oil/linen

My painting of Half Dome is one of the demos I did at the concert.

 

On the third day I headed to Carmel and Point Lobos for three days of painting, visiting and photo research.
I've been in Mountainsong Gallery in Carmel for several months but I've never had the opportunity to actually paint in California so this was a much anticipated portion of the trip. I went with specific locations in mind because of paintings I've seen of other painters and from suggestions by painters who paint along the Monterrey coast regularly. Needless to say I was blown away by the shear beauty of the coast and Point Lobos State Park is on my list of top favorite places to paint. I produced nine paintings over three days so I was moving pretty quick. 

 "On the Way to Big Sur"   9" x 12"  oil/linen

 "Gibson Beach"  9" x 12"   oil/linen

 "San Simeon Arch"    8" x 10"  oil/linen

"Point Lobos North Point Trail"  12" x 16"  oil/linen

After spending over two months in Texas with temperatures in the 105 degee range it was a really nice change to be in the California weather where the high was 63 degrees. While painting "Point Lobos North Point Trail" I was standing in the shade and the temperature was 42 degrees....NICE!