monday painting and then some

Monday plein air painting sessions have been an incredibly important part of my art life. We started out nearly 10 years ago - 4 friends dedicating every Monday as a painting day. It became a habit and we tried to never have other appointments or activities lined up on Mondays - keep it free for painting time.
Things change (sadly) and we lost one of our pals, another opted out and 2 of us were left to keep it up. And we did. Libby Smith and I continue to make the effort and unless one of us is sick or off traveling someplace, we meet every Monday and get outside someplace to paint. Another friend often joins us.
We've honed our skills, found some great locations to paint, had some adventures, worked to make our backpacks lighter and our equipment more conducive to setting up practically anywhere.
The discipline of getting out there has made us better painters. Nothing beats standing outside someplace and seeing the light change; the colors, smells and sounds that surround you, the feeling of connection to the bigger world and the richness of Nature. It truly clears your head and feeds your brain.

So the last few weeks have been dedicated to painting the Gaviota coast in preparation for the annual SCAPE exhibition at the Bacara which supports the Gaviota Coastal Conservancy.

Arroyo Hondo Trail, oil on panel, 9"x12"

Arroyo Hondo Canyon, oil on panel, 8"x10"

Trail at Ellwood Bluffs, oil on panel, 6"x8"

Lagoon at Devereux, oil on panel, 6"x12"

Old bridge at Devereux slough, oil on panel, 8"x10"