Month: April 2017

Road To Port San Luis

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ROAD TO PORT SAN LUISThis recent painting was done for my “Road Trip” series.  The inspiration comes from my trip to the Central Coast of California and my stopover in Avila Beach.  I took this picture from San Luis Bay Inn.  It is perched high above this road and the ocean below.  From here you have magnificent views of Port San Luis and the harbor.  On this beautiful day many of the fishing boats were out to sea with only a few moored.

I really love painting these small studies, and the memories that bring back times of pleasure and relaxation.  I love to take road trips for the inspiration and the regeneration that they provide.  I always feel full of creativity after a short road trip.

I get lost in the creative process, and visualizing my memories.  Telling my story, and putting it on canvas makes me feel as if I am traveling again.  Jot me a line and send me a picture and I will help you bring your memories back to life. Just tell me your story and let’s see how the two of use working together can create a memory for your home.

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Cruising the Coast

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CRUISING THE COAST

“Cruising The Coast” Acrylic Study on 11′ X 14″ canvas

I could paint this picture blind folded, well actually maybe not but this stretch of the California Rte 101 is etched in my memory.  I commuted to work on this byway for nine years.  OK, in the painting I omitted the hotels, homes and restaurants that dot the shore, but I prefer to paint the coast in its pristine beginnings.  All those hotels, and homes have created traffic on the 101 and that is one of the reasons I no longer live there.  These days I prefer my small mountain town to crazy California traffic jams.

I do miss my ocean breezes and the smell of the salt air, walking the beach and fresh seafood, I could go on and on…. So our last road trip was back to the old stomping grounds around Pismo Beach.  It was perfect timing corresponding with my new “Road Trip” series  which I started this spring and will work on through the summer and into the fall. I hope to have a sweet slugh of painting about road tripping since it is one of the things I like to do best.  Road tripping gives me great inspiration for painting my positive-energy art, and many of these small studies will be inspirations for larger paintings.

So heres to Road Tripping, enjoying life and expressing myself one painting at a time.

If you love road tripping or want to see more of my beautiful art join my blog or visit my website.

 

 

“Looking Over Avila”

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“Looking Over Avila”  11″ X 14″ acrylic study

This is an acrylic study of  a view I saw looking at Avila Beach while I was standing on the patio of the San Luis Bay Inn. The inn is situated on the hill above the town.  I snapped a photo and saved it until I was back in the studio.  I had never seen Avila from this perspective.  I thought it would make a great painting for my “Road Trip” series. The road below leads to San Luis Port which is one of my favorite destinations.  I love watching the seals begging for scraps from the fishermen coming into port with their fresh catch of the day.

 

I enjoy capturing these interesting vignettes, which become memories of a life well-traveled.  At a later date I may create a larger painting of this scene. But for now it captures the mood and feeling of that moment.  One of my friends who saw this study said it was “magical”… Yes, I believe it is.

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Road Trip Revisited

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Passing Trough Santa Barbara heading home there is this beautiful building in the hills above East Beach

My road trip is over and I am happy to be back home and stepping into the studio. This is when I get the most creative.  Down loading my pictures on to my computer, I can relive my memories and decide what images to paint. This image was taken going 70 miles per hour down the 101, a blurry but romantic image of Santa Barbara.

I decided to paint the emotion and feelings that this image brought up.  I have always liked the architecture of the Santa Barbara area and the feeling of another era of opulence and wealth.  There is this building that is right above East Beach that we pass by each trip, I saw it in the distance and when we approach I snapped this quick shot.  I was amazed that I even got it.  So this is the first painting of the “Road Trip” series that I completed this morning.

This is the beginning of the Study, laying in the colors.

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Now I am detailing the building, (If I only knew the name of it).  If anyone knows add in the comments please.

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Next I start refining the landscape, pushing the image back, adding more drama in the mountains, and correcting the building.

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I finish the piece by putting in the abstract sky, by mark making.  I never want my painting to look photo-real, I prefer the spontaneity of the marks.

The image feels right, the emotion is there of wealth and opulence. And I dream of myself living in this beautiful place over looking East Beach.  Ah, what a life.

Passing Through Santa Barbara

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North of Cuesta Grade

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Driving up the Cuesta Grade

Today was a road trip to North San Luis Obispo County. One of my favorite places for wine and frivolity.

I usually schedule a full day for wineries and a stop in Moro Bay. Today started out cold and overcast by the coast but slowly burnt off as we traveled inland.  Going up the Cuesta Grade, just north of San Luis Obispo, we were heralded with patch works of green and bright yellows from all the winter rains dressing the mountains with wild mustard scattered amongst the wild grasses and live oaks.  We noticed that many of the grape vines were pruned down to stubs and new sets had been planted. No doubt due to the bad drought that this area has witnessed for the last four years. Thank God for the winter rains, for everything looks very healthy now.

We were on a mission to pick up our wine club order from Peachy Canyon Winery so that was our first stop.

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Peachy Canyon Winery, the best place to find a Zinfandel 

Peachy Canyon is a small winery that the locals love best where you will find a great Zinfandel. I have been buying from them for years. I joined their wine club once I moved to Arizona so that I could have their wonderful Zins shipped directly to me.

After visiting with the staff, we continued our tastings of some of the other fine vintners on the Central Coast, and then it was time to fill up with food to soak up all that wine. So we headed south on California Rte. 1 to Moro Bay and my favorite lunch spot, Bayside Cafe.

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Bay Side Cafe, always the best for fresh from the sea fish

OK, I had been waiting all day, heck, all week for this.  A fresh Salmon filet on a pretzel roll and their California Chowder. (Basically clam chowder and green Chilies). The perfect end to a great day of road tripping.  I gathered a ton of reference photos and I can’t wait to get back in the studio to paint the memories.

If you enjoy road tripping or painting the Central Coast, join my blog or visit my website at https://pameladunmirefineart.com

 

 

 

 

 

Road Tripping Day One

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Coming through San Gorgornio Pass

 

Woke up bright and early this morning to start our Road Trip to the Central Coast of California. A full day of driving got us to the coast around 5:30 with check in at the San Luis Bay Inn, in Avila Beach.  It was cold and breezy, with fog hanging low over the ocean; typical for this time of year.

The Drive was one of the prettiest in record years with a wildflower bloom that climbed up the hills and mountains as far as you could see.  This was due to the wonderful winter rains that blessedly fell on California and Arizona this winter.  There is still snow on the peaks around Palm Springs and Los Angeles.

Traffic was light going through the LA basin and the dreaded traffic jams around Burbank on the 101 never materialized. So we made the trip in record-breaking time.

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Pacific Ocean North of Ventura

North of Ventura the 101 opens up to the ocean and the gloom of coastal fog, and we knew we were getting close to our destination.

Road Trips are the ultimate way of seeing the USA.  I hope you will join me as I paint and photograph my way across the Central Coast.

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Saturday In The Studio

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WATERFALL

Water Fall 14″ X 11″ on Paint Board

Today is a rare opportunity to play in the studio, without time constraints or deadlines.  It will be the last time in the Studio for a week since our Road Trip to the Central Coast starts Monday bright and early.  My studio will be plein air on the coast.  Looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, today I decide to go abstract, play with colors and see what happens.  First off the easel is this piece.  So full of energy, very alive.  I can always tell my mood from my paintings.  Today’s start is expectations of fun, excitement and freedom.  I guess I need this upcoming road trip badly.

Using three main colors and their variations created the cohesiveness of the chaotic strokes.  Black gave it drama.  I love mark making and this is pure mark making.  No thought as to what it should become, it definitely is telling a story. Going back to my roots as a child growing up on the water. My happiest places are near the water, and on Monday I will be heading for the Pacific and that’s one large body of water.

Follow me on this fun adventure, for I will be doing some plein air painting on the coast.

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