"Beauty Amidst the Ruins, Mission Capistrano", 12x16, oil on linen, Mission San Juan Capistrano, California earthquake, California missions, Juanero Indians, beautiful gardens, Orange County attractions, historic ruins

 "Beauty Amidst the Ruins, Mission Capistrano", 12x16, oil on linen

Mission San Juan Capistrano is a place of quiet peace, lush, fragrant gardens, as well as ghostly whispers of the past. 

Echos of long ago struggles can now hardly be detected in this place of serene fountains, gracefully curved arches and seasonal flowers, yet the missions stretching along the California coast  have a long controversial history that profoundly shaped the culture and founding of California and the history of its ethnic peoples.

Mission San Juan Capistrano, in Orange County, is probably the most beautiful of the many missions that defined California's history.  The Great Stone Church, built  by the Juaneno Indians beginning in 1797, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812, yet today it is still one of the biggest tourist draws in the county*. Mission Capistrano is one of my favorite places to visit whenever I am in Southern California, and over the years I've painted dozens of paintings of this crumbling, yet still beautiful structure and its lovely gardens. I never tire of seeing its enduring beauty amidst the ruins, which are a solemn  reminder of nature's fury and lack of favoritism when destruction comes.

As the anniversary of Hurricane Ian approaches, I can say that the Mission and its history cause me to reflect on life's roller coaster rides. The painting reflects a bit of both- hope and despair, beauty and ruin, and the light and shadows cascading over the stones of the ruined original church, remind me of Matthew 6:19. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy (insert earthquakes), but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven."

 It's always joy to visit the Mission, so be sure to visit it if you are in Southern California. 

This painting is available. Contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for purchase information

* information from the LA Times

"Beauty amidst the Ruins", 12x16, Mission San Juan Capistrano, California missions, Beautiful gardens, California history, Maryanne Jacobsen fine art

"Beauty amidst the Ruins", 12x16

Mission San Juan Capistrano is a place of quiet peace, gorgeous gardens and ghostly whispers of the past. 

Echos of long ago struggles can hardly be detected in this place of serene fountains, gracefully curved arches and seasonal flowers, yet the missions stretching along the California coast  have a long history that profoundly shaped the culture and founding of California and the history of its ethnic peoples.

I've visited and painted at Capistrano many times and never tire of its beauty. The old church was destroyed by an earthquake at least a hundred years ago and the ruins of that church are a solemn reminder of nature's fury and lack of favoritism.

This painting reflects a bit of both- the light and shadows cascading over the rocks of the ruins, while the lush fragrant gardens beyond beckon us into a season of hope. It's a joy to visit the Mission. Someday I intend to go back again, when this COVID mess is over!

"Bougainvillea Riot", 11x14, oil on panel, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Palette knife painting, colorist art, Maryanne Jacobsen art, The Mission Walker, Edie Littlefield Sundby, Hurricane Irma, Historic California Mission Trail, impressionist art

"Bougainvillea Riot", 11x14, oil on panel

Well we weathered Hurricane Irma without losing much, except our energy and a little patience.

One thing that the storm made me realize, as we boarded up the house and made plans to evacuate was this- I have too many paintings in my house!

I figured that they wouldn't last if they were on the walls and a 150 mph wind gust tore off our roof. They also wouldn't have faired well during a storm surge, especially since we are so close to the Gulf of Mexico. So I had a really hard time trying to figure out what to do with the many paintings that I have in my home. In the end, I vowed to offer some of my older works for sale through my blog after the storm passed.

This is a painting that I did quite a few years ago, in the days when I only used a palette knife. Many collectors prefer my older work to some of my newer stuff, so here's a chance to own one of my older works  that may have missed the cut in terms of shows or galleries.

This is a painting of the courtyard at the incredibly beautiful Mission San Juan Capistrano in California. I have done paintings of this mission many, many times, and the truth is that I never offered this particular painting to the public before because I think I forgot that I had it! Anyway, the storm helped me find it again, lol.

I have been reading "The Mission Walker", by Edie Littlefield Sundby. It is an amazing testament of faith and endurance that this woman, given only three months to live due to gallbladder cancer, refused to accept her diagnosis and went on to not only recover, but to walk the entire 800 mile Historic California Mission Trail! I have always loved the California Missions and have visited half a dozen of them while in California, but this book and this brave woman's story have re-affirmed my own confidence in the peace and serenity that these beautiful places imbibe into the spirits of those who partake of their beauty.

So I am now determined to paint a few more paintings of the missions, and hopefully do justice to their beauty along the way.

Thanks for your prayers during Hurricane Irma. It was a wild ride, but we are stronger in faith and happier to be alive now!

If you are interested in this painting, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"The Colors of Capistrano", 12x16, oil on board, Mission San Juan Capistrano, California mission, MAryanne Jacobsen art, impressionism, bougainvillea, beautiful places

SOLD

"The Colors of Capistrano", 12x16, oil on board

I painted this a while back and took it out just last week and looked at it. Overall, I was happy with it, but felt that there were some areas that needed strengthening. So I simplified the flower bed beneath the bougainvillea tree to unify the mass overall. Next I simplified the shadows on the ground and lightened them since vertical planes on the ground are lighter, even in shadow. I strengthened the shadow mass on the right side of the bush in the back and then just tweaked some roof tiles. I think it helped quite a bit to unify the painting, and I was happy with it.

Serendipity occurred over the weekend, before the new paint had even dried, when  a new collector inquired about it and bought it instantly as a gift for his wife. I love when that happens!

Below is an image of the painting before I tweaked it, so you can see the changes that I spoke of. It is always encouraging to me to be able to take out a painting and make it better. It helps me know that I am continuing to learn and to improve my craft!