"Father Serra's Garden",11x14, oil on linen, Father Junipero Serra, Carmel Mission, Beautiful gardens, Mission gardens, statues of saints, California missions, California art

 "Father Serra's Garden",11x14, oil on linen

Junípero Serra Ferrer, (November 24, 1713 – August 28, 1784) was a Spanish Franciscan friar who founded a mission in Baja California and the first nine of 21 Spanish missions in California from San Diego to San Francisco. He began in San Diego on July 16, 1769, and established his headquarters near the Presidio of Monterey, but soon moved a few miles south to establish Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo in today's Carmel, California.


The missions were primarily designed to bring the Catholic Christian faith to the native peoples. Other aims were to integrate the neophytes into Spanish society, and to train them to take over ownership and management of the land. 

Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988, and Pope Francis canonized him on September 2015 during the Pope's first visit to the United States. I painted a similar version of this garden and statue back then, and it was well received, so I decided to paint the scene again, in a slightly different format.

Whenever I have visited California, it is almost a must for me to visit one or more of Father Serra's missions. They are all tranquil and lovely. My favorite of the missions is Mission Capistrano, which I've painted numerous times, but the Carmel Mission in Carmel, where Father Serra established his residence and is buried, is a close second.

The painting above is of Father Serra's Garden at the Carmel Mission, also known as Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. It was close to closing time when I was there that day, and the long shadows added an air of mystery to the little garden alcove. Adding to the enchantment, the statue of Father Serra had the smallest slice of butterlike light cascading over his head and down his shoulder, an almost seeming continuation of the rapidly melting late afternoon sunshine that was snaking down the terra cotta roof, where it made a nose dive and finally came to rest over the figure of Father Serra.

I wish the fountain had been on, as the fountain itself was still bathed in that lovely light and a little running water would have added additional drama.

To inquire about this painting, send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Mission Morning Glories", 16x20, oil on board, morning Glories, Mission Capistrano, gardens,

"Mission Morning Glories", 16x20, oil on board (note: Click on the image to see the detail better.)


Mission San Juan Capistrano is located in southern California in Orange County, about an hour north of San Diego and just south of Laguna Beach. I have visited it three or four times and never grow tired of that beautiful place. It is a national treasure and historic monument, and most people have heard the beautiful legend about the swallows that return there every year to nest. To read more about the mission and the swallows , please go here.

If you would like to see more of my Mission San Juan Capistrano paintings, just insert the word Capistrano into the search box located in the left hand sidebar.


This painting was done with a palette knife only. It has thick, juicy passages of paint throughout.

Thanks for following my blog. To see more of my paintings, please visit my website here.

"Napa Morning", 9x12, impasto, palette knife, impressionism, Napa Valley vineyards, California art, wine country art, Sonoma, MAryanne JAcobsen art

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"Napa Morning", 9x12

I pulled out the photos from our trip to Napa last spring and decided on one of a vineyard. The challenge was to try to simplify the scene with all those posts going back in the distance.

The other challenge was the fact I had run out of white paint! Not fun if you are trying to finish a painting!

Not sure if I succeeded in capturing the scene or not, but I certainly enjoyed trying!

This painting was done with mostly a palette knife and has lots of juicy impasto in it.

Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you have any interest in this painting.

"May Grey, Pacific Grove", 12x9, oil on panel, California coastal landscape by Maryanne Jacobsen

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"May Grey, Pacific Grove", 12x9, oil on panel

I tend to avoid painting scenes that do not have strong light patterns in them because they are a little depressing for someone like me that has seasonal affective disorder. On overcast days, the light key is very different from sunny days, with much less contrast and a narrow value range. It also has a tendency to be a light key in which the shadows are warm and the light source is cool.

The photo below depicts a fairly typical May morning  in Pacific Grove, California, in which there is a thick foggy mist in the early morning hours, with gradual clearing throughout the morning- usually turning to bright and beautiful clear sunny skies by mid-day.

Many areas of California and particularly the mid-coast region has what is called a micro-climate, which often features a weather phenomenon known as "June Gloom or May Grey", presenting overcast or foggy skies in the morning at the coast, but sunny skies by noon during the late spring and early summer months. I took this photo around 11:30ish in early May, just as the skies were clearing and the sun was trying to break through.

Although I tend to not enjoy painting a scene like this, I forced myself to do it, because I need the practice! Living in Florida presents fewer opportunities to paint this type of light temperature and so I felt it would be a good study for me.

We also do not have rocks and cliffs and cypress tress and iceplants like this in Florida, so overall, this painting was a challenge for me. I think for my next painting, I'll settle back into my comfort zone!

If you are interested in purchasing this study, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

Thanks for visiting my blog today! To see more of my work, please visit my website at Maryanne Jacobsen, Fine Art.

"5th Hole- Pebble Beach Golf Links"-8x10, Pebble Beach Golf Course, paintings of pebble beach, leaning cypress, ice plants, pacific coastal art, golf pro art

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"5th Hole- Pebble Beach Golf Links"-8x10

Pebble Beach Golf Course is world-renowned. The best golfers the world over have played this course, including Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods!  I could understand why after taking a drive along the famous 17 mile drive that stretches from Carmel to Monterrey and along the beautiful Pacific Coast that the Pebble Beach Golf Course calls home. As we passed the course, we ran into a couple deer that were taking their time sauntering among the holes along with the golfers!

There was an abundance of gorgeous objects for an artist like myself to feast my eyes on, in addition to the deer, which included the wind-blown cypress tress, the spreading pink ice plants and golden poppies as well. Overall, the Pebble Beach area is not just a golfer's paradise, It is an artist's paradise as well!

PS: I'm now thinking of taking up golf!

If you have a dad or hubby who is a golf enthusiast, this painting would make a great Father's Day Gift! If he can't play at Pebble Beach, he can at least imagine it! Right?  (Sigh.)

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, and please check out my website here.

"Eventide" 12x24, oil on panel, eucalyptus trees, California impressionist art, California art, sunsets, colorist art

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"Eventide" 12x24, oil on panel

I definitely left my heart in California- among the ice plants and cypress groves and majestic parades of towering eucalyptus trees! I can't wait to go back!

In the meantime, I'll have to be satisfied with painting from photos of our vacation.

"View from Cypress Grove Trail", 20x16, oil on linen

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"View from Cypress Grove Trail", 20x16, oil on linen

This is the same scene that I painted en plein air while visiting Point Lobos State Reserve last week. I did not have the plein air sketch since it had sold, so I wanted to do a larger painting of that beautiful spot while the subtleties of the scene were still fairly fresh in my mind.

It's funny how much harder this one was for me to do than the plein air sketch. Painting from a photo just doesn't cut it anymore, once you are used to painting from life!

If you are interested in this painting, please contact Gallery 444 in San Francisco.

"Valley Sunset", 8x10, oil on panel, eucalyptus tree, California art, sunsets, mountains, Impressionist art

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"Valley Sunset", 8x10, oil on panel

The third thing on my bucket list of things I absolutely had to paint while I was in California was a eucalyptus tree. In my mind, these tall, magnificent trees epitomize grace, mystery and resilience. Their wispy, lace-like leaves hang down in soft patterns, in much the same way that Spanish moss clings to the live oaks that we have here is the southeast.

On Saturday, we drove out to Julian, a western town  in San Diego county that came into being during the California gold rush. It hangs 4,000 feet above sea level and boasts bakeries, antique shops and old- Western style architecture  that attracts tourists. After walking around Julian and eating fresh baked apple pie, we drove back down the mountain to San Diego, just as a magnificent sunset appeared above magenta -colored hills. The sunset and surrounding countryside were breathtaking to behold and I did my best to memorize the moment as we traveled along the hillside.

On Monday, I went to Balboa Park to paint eucalyptus trees as there are literally dozens there. I only had an hour to paint so I wasn't able to complete the scene. Instead, I decided to encorporate my sunset memory with the wispy eucalptus tree  I had begun and what you see above is the result.

I cannot believe how inspiring the California landscape was for me. I do hope I can return there again before my days on earth are over!

If you would like to purchase "Valley sunset", please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Lonesome Cypress, Los Lobos", plein air, 9x12, Point Lobos, Cypress, Monterrey Cypress, Carmel

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"Lonesome Cypress, Los Lobos", plein air, 9x12

I just returned from a 10 day trip to California where I had the chance to spend a few days in beautiful Carmel, on the Monterrey peninsula. The area is truly spectacular and boasts scenery that is guaranteed to whet the appetite of any artist!

We spent an entire day at Point Lobos Nature Reserve which is just a few miles south of the center of town which is called Carmel by the Sea. People wax poetic about Point Lobos and I could truly understand why! We took a nature walk  and tour with a very knowledgeable professor who helped us understand the botany of the area. The Monterrey Cypress tree is indigenous to the area and painting a cypress at Point Lobos was a must-do on my bucket list of things to paint while in California!  There was an abundance of these short, squat, bent and magnificent trees everywhere throughout the Reserve but it didn't take me long to find an area where I had a magnificent view of a cypress on a ledge above the ocean. Here's a photo from our tour of an ancient cypress called the Old Veteran, that literally grows from the rocks on the cliff wall:

We packed a picnic lunch and after our walk through the Cypress Grove we went down to China Cove to have lunch  and enjoy the beautiful weather. Afterwards I went back to Headland Cove and painted for the next few hours.

Just as I was finishing up a lovely couple came by and asked if I would sell the painting to them. They told me that they are art collectors and that they enjoy the spontaneity of plein air painting. Their daughter is a professional artist as well. So I sold the painting to them on the spot and was happy to know I had one less wet painting to worry about transporting!

I didn't get a photo of the final version, but my hubby took the photo at the top when it was pretty close to being finished.

I do hope I'll have the chance to return to Point Lobos again in the future. It was an incredible spot to paint, picnic and just enjoy the magnificent hand of the Creator!

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