Jewels in the Garden

“Finding Jewels”
watercolor on paper
10×11

Near my parents’ home there is an overgrown garden. Years ago my daughter and her cousins discovered that someone had hidden little round glass “jewels” tucked under leaves, half-buried in the dirt. This painting depicts one of their hunts, intently searching for these precious shiny treasures.

Last Light in Laguna Canyon

I love painting in Laguna Beach. The canyons and hills are just as inspiring as the coast. This afternoon I was attracted to how rich the colors in the shadow were and how the last light illuminated just the crest of the hill and the distant mountain.

A photo of the same view clearly shows how a representational painting does more than just copy a scene. The artist translates the physical world through his or her own vision and communicates something (hopefully) truer, more focused, and more personal than a copyist.