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.

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

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

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.

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