Rhythm of The Crashing

March 10, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | 1 Comment

There are several places along the California Coast where cliffs meet ocean.    These places are well known, their beauty is alluring, and often become favorite vacation get-away spots.  The dramatic coastline is alluring to painters too.

I knew ahead of time that the day would be gorgeous, and took the opportunity to go to the ocean.  Near a herd of seals in the La Jolla Cove, my painting buddy Jim Wodark and I set up our easels.

Rhythm of the Crashing 12 x 16, Oil on Linen

The rock formations here are beautiful.  If you look long enough you can see reds, blues, yellows, and green colors in the rocks.  Painting surf is especially challenging since not only is the light shifting, but of course the waves are moving, and no two are exactly alike.

Posted in impressionism, plein air, Seascape Tagged |

Gliderport Oaks

March 9, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | Leave a comment

In the back roads of the North San Diego County, there is a stretch of road with some of the most majestic oak trees in California.  The stretch of highway 79 as you enter San Diego County is dotted by the towns, of Oak Grove, Holcomb Village, and Warner  Springs.  I have driven this highway in search of a good vantage point to paint these oaks, and whenever I drive by the private airport (Warner Springs Airport), I have looked at their grove of trees with envy.  Last week, Jim Wodark and I drove by, and on a whim, decided to drop in and ask if we could go into the airport to paint.

Gliderport Oaks, 11 x 14, Oil on Linen

The folks at the airport were great, and very helpful.  They escorted us to the oak grove, and told us about some of the oak trees in particular (one is completely hollow, full of water, and home to hundreds of frogs).  You could tell that  they too appreciated the trees on their property. (Link to Skysailing)

Posted in Landscape, plein air Tagged , |

At Times the Sun Shines Through

March 8, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | Leave a comment

In the eastern part of North San Diego county, there is a remarkable valley.  This is the ancestral home of the Mesa Grande Band of Diegueño Mission Indians, (Kumeyaay Indians).  I painted this from the side of the road leading up to the Mesa Grande reservation.  Looking toward the far end of the valley is the town of San Ysabel.

Sometimes the Sun Shines Through, Oil on Canvas, 12 x 16

Although in Southern California we have had some warm days recently, on this day, at an elevation of about 3000 ft, with overcast skies, on a hill, with a breeze, it was about 50 degrees (there was still some snow on the ground  in some places). From this vantage point, it was easy to see the the patches of sunlight creating patterns light on the ground.  I have visited Mesa Grande during the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, each season brings new surprises.

Posted in Landscape, plein air Tagged |

One of Two Harbors

March 7, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | 1 Comment

The town of Two Harbors occupies a portion of land called the Isthmus of Catalina Island.  At this point the island of Catalina is only half a mile wide, and the bodies of water on either side of the town, are the two harbors.  What drew me to this view- looking toward the southern side of the island, was the interesting shapes of the eucalyptus trees.  After a foggy morning, when the sun finally broke through, the bright colors of the water, grass, and the orange colors of the hills, were exciting to paint.

One of Two Harbors, Oil on Linen, 12 x 16

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Dreams of Shark Harbor

March 6, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | Leave a comment

On the southern side of Catalina Island, there is a beautiful small bay with big waves, mist and cliffs, and large,interesting land masses; it is Shark Harbor.  I have been looking forward to painting at Shark Harbor for years, but unfortunately by the time we arrived to paint, there was only about 2-3 hours of sunlight left.  After setting up to paint, I just had a chance to lay in some large masses of color, when low clouds rolled in and completely changed the scene.

Dreams of Shark Harbor, Oil on Linen, 11 x 14

Sometimes, painting is just fun.  I was in a remarkable island with three painting friends also struggling to paint the same scene.  Very quickly, we were just painting our memories of the scene that had been before us just minutes before.  Plein Air painting is like that.  The painter is not in control, and the process can be very humbling.  In the words of Jeff Horn, “Mother Nature always wins.”

Posted in Seascape, Sketch Tagged , , |

Rancho Escondido

March 5, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | 1 Comment

As our group drove across Catalina Island in search of  places to paint, we notice some majestic tall sycamores in a valley below.  The eucalyptus trees were easily 80 feet high.  Unlike the eucalyptus trees that we see around more urban settings, these trees, had not been painstakingly trimmed, so the branches reached the ground, and the bark peeled off in large clumps.

Rancho Escondido, 12 x 16, Oil on Linen

This Valley is very near a winery that is being developed on Catalina Island.  I wonder how accessible this place will be in the future.  They are currently building a road that will go around the winery, so that there will be less traffic near the vines (in the 3 hours we were there painting, only one truck went by).

My interest in this scene was in capturing the differences in the nearer compared to the further eucalyptus trees.

Posted in Landscape, plein air Tagged , |

Above Avalon

March 4, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | Leave a comment

Catalina island is a beautiful sanctuary about 20 miles from the heavily populated Southern California coast.   It is a real treat for a painter to arrive and have such a wealth of subject matter, so after arriving on a beautiful sunny day, I felt a little bit of pressure to not waste the last 2 hours of sunlight.  I convinced Jesse (not that he needed much convincing), to hike up the western side of the island to a strand of eucalyptus trees.  From there we could see much of the Avalon Harbor.  When we arrived, we startled a large deer that had been standing in the clearing near the trees.

Above the Avalon Harbor, Oil on canvas 9 x 12

What struck me when I arrived at the scene was the striking difference between the sun and shadow side of objects, so I focused on the eucalyptus tree colors and the difference between the boats in shade vs. the boats in light.

Posted in plein air, Seascape Tagged , |

Catalina Yacht Club

March 3, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | 1 Comment

Last week I had the privilege of going on a 3 day trip to Catalina island with my painting friends, Jeff Horn, Michael Obermeyer, and Jesse Powell.  Over the next few days I will post some more paintings.  This first I did a couple of hours after landing on the island.  The Afternoon sun was dipping, down, and I painted the Catalina Yacht Club on the water.  The glare on the water leading the eye to the historic structure.

 Catalina Yacht Club 12 x 16, Oil on Linen

Posted in plein air, Seascape Tagged , , |

Coastal Living

February 4, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | 1 Comment

Last week Jim Wodark and I went south, to the La Jolla coast to find a place to paint.  La Jolla is  an affluent seaside community along the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, home of University of California, San Diego, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  The sky had high clouds which caused the sun to appear and disappear sporadically.

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Coastal Living, Oil on Linen 12 x 16

I saw women in tank-tops, walking along the road bordering the ocean, so I made the decision to wear only one sweatshirt.  As it turns out, painting along the cliff edge, in the shade and breeze can be very cold, as I was finishing the painting, I found myself shivering.  Afterward, my friend Jim Wodark and I ate at Smashburger.  The “San Diego Burger” was delicious, and I am sure that we will return, not just for the beautiful scenery, but also for more Smashburger .

Posted in painting progression, plein air, Seascape Tagged , , |

Shimmering Sea

January 17, 2012 by Daniel Aldana | 1 Comment

Even though it is January, here in Southern California, we just experienced a little heat wave.  On Friday, I went to Laguna Beach on the north end of Heisler Park and set up to paint.  I had worn several layers of clothing, but ended up painting barefoot and shirtless.  Despite the warmth, it is still winter, which means that the light still rakes across the landscape at an acute angle and the light can be blinding.
Shimmering Sea 11 x 14, Oil on Linen

What drew me to this scene was that as you looked across the water, the foam on the water caught the light of the sun, yet to adequately capture that, I had to depict every other value as much, much darker.  The second problem I faced, was the color of the water.  As I looked at the water, I thought it looked violet then green then blue, red, yellow, orange, all at the same time.  Clearly the hue was very desaturated, so I chose a color (violet), and increased the saturation (chroma).  I thought that it may be an interesting contrast to the yellow glare.  Lastly, I exaggerated the “S-shape” of the sea glare to lead the eye through the painting.

Posted in Laguna Beach, plein air, Seascape Tagged |