plum trees

This was painted plein air along the route from Halfmoon Bay to Palto Alto. I drove for miles looking for a spot to paint. I forgot my hat and my painting umbrella was not in the car (actually it has not been there for a while, I meant to pack it like the hat). I drove the coast north from Santa Cruz, it was to cold and foggy then to hot and shadeless. I love driving that area and have not been there in years. I was being followed to closely by a monster pickup on a windy stretch of route 84 when I pulled over as soon as the shoulder was wide enough. There was shade just behind my car and a eye catching vista. The shade lasted only long enough for me to get started but I stuck it out.

8" x 8" oil on board

While painting this painting I was reminded of a painting I did in high school. It was a landscape that had trees growing up a hillside. My Father helped me out with the trees. I could envision the brushstrokes he made on my field of hooker green that represented the trees. 

It felt like I was not painting alone.