Showing posts with label Point Lobos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Point Lobos. Show all posts

Saturday, July 23, 2016

"China Cove Springtime", 12x16, oil on panel, paintings of California caost, Big Sur, Point Lobos, China Cove, MAryanne JAcobsen art, coastal art, Pacific Coast, water, sanctuary, seals, Matt Smith

"China Cove Springtime", 12x16, oil on panel

The very first time I visited China Cove in Point Lobos, a pristine nature preserve sandwiched between Big Sur and Carmel off the coastal highway in California, my jaw dropped and my heart pounded and then almost burst inside itself. Being from the northeastern part of the country, I had never before witnessed such vast beauty  as reflected in the mountains, the windblown trees,  the wildlife, and the turquoise waters of this bucolic place.

All around me I could hear seals barking, gulls reeling and nature in all its glory responding to this beautiful sanctuary of peace and tranquility.

I painted on site here as often as I could in our short visits to the area, the first being  at Headland Cove, near the entrance to the park. The painting sold on the spot to an art collector , who enjoyed telling me that he had numerous Matt Smith works in his collection. Ahh! I am in good company on his walls, I thought happily.

It was on my second trip there that I veered further south and discovered the beautiful little cove that was hidden away in a protected niche of the sanctuary; where the seals come and play and nurse their cubs in the springtime. The waters were a translucent blend of vivid emeralds and turquoise and cerulean blue, such as I had never before seen together in one place. So I set up my things and allowed the beauty of that place to become a part of my memory.




The painting above is one of half a dozen that I did afterwards, in memory of those moments. This one is available to purchase directly through me. If you would like to bring a tiny piece of this beautiful place into your home, please contact Galerie du Soleil at (239)417-3450 for purchase information.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

"An Afternoon at China Cove", 12x12 , oil, California landscapes, MAryanne Jacobsen art, Point Lobos, China Cove, impressionism, colorist art

"An Afternoon at China Cove", 12x12 , oil

Beautiful is the only way I came describe the dreamy waters of China Cove, in Point Lobos. The water in the cove ranges from emerald to teal and falls into a violet blue in the deeper waters. The light in California is soft, calming and slightly cool compared to  what I am used to here in Southwest Florida, where the light is usually quite warm, and harsh  in its brightness.

The seals were out on the beach lazing about on the day that I visited last month. It was helpful to paint there that day, because once you paint in a location, you remember those subtle qualities of the scene, that you would never get in a photograph. There was some really magical reflected light on the rocks near the keyholes- light reflecting off the water.

I painted this with palette knife and brush and I hope you enjoy it!

Tuesday, May 05, 2015

"Late afternoon, China Cove", 8x10, oil on panel, Maryanne Jacobsen art, Point Lobos, China Cove, Plein air convention, Monterrey, Carmel art, Pacific Ocean, sheltered coves, seals, plein air

"Late afternoon, China Cove", 8x10, oil on panel

I recently returned from a trip to California which included a week at the Plein Air Convention in Monterrey, as well as a side trip to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park.

While at the #PACE15 convention, I had another wonderful opportunity to paint at China Cove in Point Lobos. Point Lobos is eye candy for artists- an artist's Paradise on earth! It was a horrendously windy day on the first day of the convention, and while the other artists headed to Asilimar Beach to paint, I took the road less traveled by and headed to China Cove, which is just sheltered enough that it was peaceful and calm in those late afternoon hours when I set up.

Lest you think I am kidding about eye candy for artists, here's what it looked like from the walking trail where I painted...

 Do not miss the chance to visit one of the most breathtaking spots in the entire world if you happen to be in the mid-coast area of California. Here is the official web site for the state preserve of Pt. Lobos- Point Lobos State Preserve.

I happened to notice on the website that the steps leading to China Cove are now closed until further notice due to erosion! Whew! So glad I had the opportunity to paint there a few weeks ago before they closed the path!

The seals were also lazing about the shoreline with their pups while I was there. It was such a treat!

This was my second trip to the area. I do hope that it is not my last!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

"Cypress Cove", 12x16, oil on board, Point Lobos, Cypress grove, cypress trees, Carmel art, Monterrey cypress trees

SOLD
"Cypress Cove", 12x16, oil on board

This is the first painting that I did after returning home from California a couple weeks ago.  I never had a chance to post it because I've been busy with a large commission. I decided to take a break from the commission for a week or so, and now I need to catch up on my blogging!

Cypress Cove is a beautiful cove in Point Lobos where there are ancient cypress trees that literally hang from the cliff side! One of these is called Old Veteran. Here's a photo of Old Veteran that I took on the day we were there:

Note: Please do not use my photos with permission!

Further along Cypress Grove Trail are clusters of cypress trees rising above the headland above waters that are an almost unbelievable shade of bluish-green. That was the scene that was the inspiration for the painting above:

It's hard to appreciate the color of the water from a photograph, but even from the photo, you can see the strong viridian colors in the water!

It was a rather complicated scene to paint, but I did enjoy it , as it brought back such lovely memories of such a beautiful place! To learn more about Point Lobos State Reserve, you can read about it here.http://www.pointlobos.org/


Monday, May 06, 2013

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

SOLD
"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.

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

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

SOLD


"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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