KathrynLaw

Nexus

2012-01-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

20" X 24", oil/stretched canvas. Click for much larger image.

This painting is the centerpiece of the Cabrillo Series. This is how it looks there mosts days, overcast with a cool breeze off the ocean. Included are most of the elements which not only identify this place, they define it.

The Old Lighthouse still stands watch over the Point. The radar towers are active and maintained by the US Navy, who is responsible for establishing and helping maintain the Point Loma Ecological Preserve. Coastal scrub and Shaw’s Agave, endangered native plants, flourish here. The viewing stations overlooking the ocean at right offer information and an ideal vantage point to those who watch migrating Pacific Grey Whales passing nearby between December and March. The beautiful crumbling sandstone bluffs remind us that all of this is ephemeral. We can feel the importance of protecting and supporting this place here and now, as it continues to protect and enrich our lives.

The reception for the show is tomorrow, so with this post I conclude the Cabrillo series. You can see all 26 paintings in the show here and all work done on the subject of Cabrillo here.

Old Lighthouse with Torrey Pines

2012-01-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

9 X 12", oil/canvas panel

This started as a plein air painting at a very popular spot near the Lighthouse, with scores of visitors constantly walking by and stopping to chat. I absolutely love interacting with the visitors there, they're from all over the world and are always so appreciative and complimentary. But the painting usually suffers a lot due to my inattention and lack of focus, so this panel was headed for the bin when I got home. At first I tried to salvage it, and only made it worse. Then I completely changed it, moving the lighthouse to the left, changing the vantage point, and including much more of the trees. Sometimes you have to completely let go before things will begin to come around. The only part left from the original painting is the small dark area at the lower right, but now I'm really happy with it. It would be interesting to x-ray this one.

Bayside Trail Revisited

2012-01-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

12" X 16", oil/canvas panel

One of my favorite plein air studies in this Cabrillo series was the Bayside Trail 6" X 8", painted on site. It really captured the feeling of being there, experiencing the place, with fresh subtle (true) color. Studio paintings done from studies must have their own unique identity. They can never be copies of the source study, nor should they be! Each work should stand on its own as a separate, different entity, with its own merit. Like a sibling, but not a twin. Because I wasn't looking at the actual scene when I painted this larger version, I took some liberties to give it its own personality--while still retaining the presence of the place. A remembered impression, rather than an observed one.

About the Bayside Trail: This former Army road now provides a wonderful 2-mile hike for visitors, with information plaques describing the vegetation, birds, and other wildlife they might see there. This vantage point is at the end of the trail, looking back toward the starting point (at upper right, near the radar tower and Old Lighthouse). Behind me was Ballast Point, where Cabrillo made landfall in 1542, which is now part of the Navy's SPAWAR division.

Spirit of Cabrillo

2012-01-22T17:11:00.000-08:00

12 X 16", oil/canvas panel.

Visitors enjoy a clear view south toward Mexico, as a military transport plane (probably a C-130) comes in for a landing at North Island Naval Air Station. North Island is a stone’s throw from Ballast Point, probably the site where Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo made landfall in 1542. The commemorative statue of Cabrillo was donated by the Portuguese government (Cabrillo was Portuguese). The original statue, created in 1939, eroded over time and was replaced in 1988 with this exact replica, made in Portugal.

Egret Surveying Zone 3

2012-01-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

12" X 16", oil/canvas panel

This is from a photo taken during a visit to my friends at the Coast Guard outpost, not far from the New Lighthouse. Shorebirds are a beautiful presence at the Monument, and their numbers are closely monitored by Rangers and volunteers. A count is taken by hand every time there is a low tide (exposing the tidepools) and a tally is kept of which birds, and how many, visit each of the three zones of tidepools. This Great Egret is unconcerned with the solar-powered monitoring station right beside him. He was a bit concerned with us, though, so we took a photo and quietly moved away so as not to disturb him.

Darkling

2012-01-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

20" X 24", oil/stretched canvas

Today I hung the last three paintings in the Cabrillo series. There are 26 paintings at the Monument Visitors Center, and one in the show at L Street Fine Art (shown second from right, top row, on their website). Now I can finally get the blog caught up with all the work I haven't posted here yet.

This is a Darkling beetle, an abundant species of the genus Eleodes which can be seen scurrying all over the area here. They are also known as Clown Beetles or Stinkbugs, and are unique among our local beetle species for their daytime activity. They move about fearlessly because they have a pretty effective defense mechanism: when alarmed, they will stop and raise their rear end and spray an offensive substance to foil their pursuers. They're large (about an inch and a half long), harmless, and make a beautiful, satiny black color note against warm hues of the sandstone rock and sand.

I love insects, as well as reptiles, amphibians, and birds. They're beautiful things.

The Show is Up!

2012-01-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

We hung the show at Cabrillo National Monument yesterday, and in the next couple days I'll get caught up on the most recent work that I haven't posted here yet.

This is the flyer (created by Ranger Tavio) to promote the show:

And here are some shots of the gallery and the installation process:

Ranger Tavio (right) and I, hanging a painting. Below: the gallery, looking left and right. One could not ask for a more beautiful setting. It really adds dimension to the work, seeing the actual landscape where many of the paintings were created.

This is the information table, where there is now an exhibition catalog, business cards, my statement and CV. That painting (yet to be posted here) is 20 X 24, and is really the centerpiece of the show. It sums up my intention in this body of work.

If you would like to see all 26 works in the exhibition with my descriptions of each painting, you can see them on my website at this link.

A special shout-out to my sainted husband, who was instrumental in the success of this 4-hour installation process and who also took these pictures.

More soon.

Lighthouse from the Bluffs

2012-01-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

This is the back of the Lighthouse, viewed from the bluffs, done during the last paint-out with the Meetup group.

12" X 9", o/cp. (Sold, private collection)

The intermittent fog and hazy sun made for an interesting atmosphere, but the challenge was to render that white building against a cool bright sky in weak sunlight, and to push it back so that the bluffs would get the attention. This is a study for a larger work in progress, so I wrestled with this a bit.

Painting for a residency feels a bit like a combination of commissioned work (and it is, in a way, since one painting will be donated to the Monument's permanent collection) and painting to please a certain audience (the park visitors). I have my own concept, which I've talked about here, and have mainly expressed it with subjects that interest me. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, though admittedly everyone still wants to see more of the lighthouse. And that's okay.

Old Lighthouse

2012-01-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

11 X 14", o/linen panel. The endangered coastal scrub on the rocky hillside below the iconic old lighthouse is wild and beautiful. Radar towers at left belong to the Navy, which has been instrumental in establishing and co-managing the Point Loma Ecological Reserve. The Torrey pines near the building were planted in the 1930's; we can't be sure if there were ever Torrey pines naturally occurring here. They were very widespread in this region millions of years ago, but currently there are only two remaining native populations. One is Torrey Pines State Reserve, a few miles up the coast, and the other is on Santa Rosa Island near Los Angeles.

Cabrillo Show and new work

2012-01-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've been working feverishly to finish some larger works for the upcoming solo show at Cabrillo Monument, and will be posting those very soon. The show runs January 14-31.

Here are updated versions of a couple small paintings.

End of Point, hazy morning color. 8" X 6", o/cp.

Winding Tidepool Path. 6" X 8", o/cp.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Sincere greetings of the season, and happy Solstice--days are getting longer, at last! Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to look at my work, it's a real honor to know that good people care about what I'm doing. I'm humbled and very grateful to all of you who stop by. Looking forward to an even better year in 2012!

A few quick updates:

The solo show at Cabrillo Monument for my artist-in-residency is slated to open January 14, and I'm finishing up some larger works for that which I'll post here in the next couple weeks.

I have this painting in the San Diego Art Institute juried "one-foot" show that's up right now:

Cherry Pie, 6" X 8"

And I'm thrilled to have been invited to participate in a group show at a great gallery in downtown San Diego, L Street Fine Art; the show opens in mid-January with a reception the evening of February 4, 2012. The theme of the show is the spectrum of forms of abstraction, and I'm delighted to have four small paintings in it (one of which is from the Cabrillo series). Here they are:

June Gloom and Jacarandas, 6" X 6"

Northern California Rainstorm, 6" X 8"

La Playa Cove Morning, 8" X 6"

Dudleya (Live Forever), 10" X 8"

A Nice Surprise

2011-11-29T19:05:00.001-08:00

I'm the featured artist this week on Judson's Plein Air Journal! I had no idea that was in the works, just got a note from Sarah Judson after the post was up! She chose one of my favorite Cabrillo paintings to feature, Searchlight Shelter. Judson's is a long-time favorite source of plein air supplies, they've got everything--including the Guerrilla Painter line of pochade boxes, like my little one pictured on my bike -->.

Also this week, Katherine Tyrrell kindly included my autumn DC painting post on her awesome Art of the Landscape blog. Katherine's blogs are always interesting and informative.

In other news, my solo show at Cabrillo has been moved to January, and so has the workshop--I'll post the dates on my website as soon as the details are firmed up.

Adventures in DC

2011-11-13T12:11:00.001-08:00

Constitution at Pennsylvania Avenue, 6" X 8", o/cp

I had a chance to spend three wonderful days in Washington DC this past week, so I set out for the art museums. Two days exploring the National Gallery (west and east buildings) and one day for the Smithsonian Art Museum. Not nearly enough time, but enough to result in euphoric exhaustion.

I brought along my little 6"X8" paintbox each day. You can't bring paint into the museums, of course; but I'd check it and retrieve it later, to do a painting or two in the surrounding area. The fall colors were still mostly on the trees, but leaves were falling fast and some trees were already quite bare.

National Mall from the steps of the National Gallery, 8" X 6", o/cp

The National Gallery has a fabulous Sculpture Garden, and that was a great place to sit and paint.

Landscape with Ellsworth Kelly, 8" X 6", o/cp

This piece is Stele II, about 10 feet square and an inch thick, rusty steel. Very beautiful, and while I was there, it elicited the standard "how is that ART? I could do that!!" from an indignant nine-year-old boy. Minimalists must have gotten really tired of hearing that. Especially from nine-year-olds.

Landscape with Calder's Red Horse, 6" X 8", o/cp

The National Gallery has several Calders, and this is my favorite. I could go on forever about their collection of paintings, which is truly world-class. It was an emotional experience to see so many long-admired works in person, my eyes just inches from the canvas.

8th and G at Sunset, 8" X 6", o/cp

I became an urban painter for the first time. Everywhere you look, there are old, interesting, historically significant buildings. This is the scene looking north from the steps of the Smithsonian Art Museum, at sunset on my last day in Washington. I can't wait to go back.

Untouched

2011-11-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

20" X 24", oil on stretched canvas. There are tidepools and shoreline below the "new" lighthouse which are not accessible to the general public. The effect of this was obvious when I saw these beautiful stones and shells laying there undisturbed. Two of the three "zones" of tidepools at the monument are open to the public, and even though there is a strict rule against lifting or disturbing anything there, those areas are pretty well picked clean. I loved having the chance to see these natural ocean-polished stones, shells, and even coral.

Because this is a larger painting, the resolution of my camera doesn't pick up the detail too well--so here are some detail shots.

Thanks again to the very gracious Coast Guard family who granted me the opportunity to see and paint these beautiful scenes and objects by the lower Lighthouse.

Searchlight Shelter

2011-10-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

10" X 8", oil on panel. Along the Bayside Trail at Cabrillo Monument, there is this interesting large metal enclosure built deep into the hillside. It's the Searchlight Shelter; more about that further down.

To show a step in the process, here's how I started this painting on site, quickly noting some color and value relationships and placing landmarks in a composition that I was happy with. Then, using a photo reference at home, I corrected drawing errors and fleshed out the color. Now you're probably wondering, what the heck is this thing?

Click on the image to see a readable enlargement. The searchlight was on rails, of which there are remnants visible coming out the front of the enclosure. The rest of the track is gone, the cement retaining wall has eroded away/been buried by sandstone erosion, but the shelter remains and its former path is an integral part of the Bayside Trail. In addition, the area has become a case study in the effects of habitat disruption, to help us learn more about the importance of preservation.

Climb to the New Lighthouse

2011-10-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Looking up at the "new" lighthouse (built in 1891) from the shore below. The cliff is not too high, but steep enough such that the only way to get up it is with the help of that rope. 8" X 6", oil/canvas panel.

Ever wonder what a foghorn looks like? Here is what this one looks like:

Those openings are the "speakers", and the concrete slab probably helps project and disperse the sound. And it is LOUD, audible for several miles. We had to hold our ears every 15 seconds or so, since this was a very foggy morning and it was in full operation.

The lighthouse and the foghorn do all they can to warn mariners away from the rocks below, but every so often, there's someone who thinks they can disregard the warnings. That's when this happens:

A fiberglass carcass on the rip rap.

Below the "New" Lighthouse

2011-10-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

This portion of the shore is not open to the public, so I'm fortunate to have access to it via a very kind member of a Coast Guard family in residence there. The shore is really pounded by the ocean, being right on the tip of the point, so large boulders (known as "rip rap") have been put down to slow the erosion. There are substantial colonies of endangered Brown Pelicans here, and they frequently cruise past with their wingtips just clearing the waves. 6" X 8", oil/canvas panel.

Sunbath

2011-10-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for reptiles: I just love them. This very young Western Fence Lizard was catching some rays to warm him/herself in the sun. They are plentiful at Cabrillo (an important element in the food chain), often spreading themselves out flat on a warm spot. Sometimes they stop right in the middle of the path and fall asleep in the sun. You can almost touch them before they wake up and scurry away. 10" X 8", oil on panel.

kathrynlaw.com, and Paint-Out

2011-10-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

I've got a website now, a real one! Took a while to get it going, but it's coming along. Check it out at KathrynLaw.com and let me know what you think! New business cards on the way.

Saturday's paint-out at Cabrillo Monument was spectacular. Fourteen painters and some of the most beautiful weather of the year, made it a day to remember. We've already begun planning future painting events for the Park. Here are some photos of painters in action.

Emerald Building show and Upcoming Paint-out

2011-10-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

I have a show of 10 paintings from the Cabrillo Artist in Residence project, showing in the display window of the Emerald Building in Downtown San Diego, at C Street and Columbia. Around the corner are four still lifes in another window.

Old Lighthouse Parlor

2011-10-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

10" X 8", oil on panel. The interior of the Old Lighthouse was also the living quarters for the lighthouse keeper and his family. In the late 1800's when this was an active lighthouse, the lighting was by lamplight, so probably never very bright inside. It's been kept pretty much as it was, almost a time capsule. I'm looking at it through a plexiglass viewing window, and the dark atmosphere is probably pretty true to how they lived.

6" X 8", oil/cp. These are the brass oilcans that the Keeper used to replenish the oil that illuminated the Fresnel Lens atop the Old Lighthouse. They are beautiful objects.

Live Forever

2011-09-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

10X8", o/panel. This is Dudleya pulverulenta, one of my favorite plants, also known as Chalk Dudleya and "Live Forever". It's a succulent, forming part of the extremely endangered coastal sage succulent scrub plant community. This one is growing adjacent to some California Coastal Sagebrush (artemisia californica). I love the chalky white stalks with small red leaves and red blossoms. It has a ghostly beauty rising up out of the scrub.

Bayside Trail

2011-09-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

6X8", o/cp (Sold, private collection). This trail is part of Cabrillo Monument, and on a rare sunny morning, I took another stab at getting the color of this amazing coastal scrub. Even in sunlight, the colors are very subtle. The brightest green is Lemonadeberry, which has a Mediterranean growth pattern. The leaves grow straight up (at a vertical angle) to minimize moisture loss by avoiding direct exposure to the sun. As a result they don't reflect light the way most green shrubs do, so it's an interesting visual problem when painting them. The orangey plants are Buckwheat, and much of the grey is Encelia which survives the summer by dropping all its leaves and looking really quite dead. After the rains start again, it will green up and this scene will look quite different.

Another view, a couple hours earlier (8" X 6", o/cp; Sold, private collection):

2011-09-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Overlook(ed)

2011-09-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is the New Lighthouse, the less-glamorous but much more practical younger sister of the Old Lighthouse which gets all the attention. The Old Lighthouse is a much more picturesque and beautiful building, but it was actually a bit of a failure as a lighthouse: because it's so high on a hill, it can't be seen as well underneath the marine layer of fog which rolls in almost nightly. The newer, more visible lighthouse shown here was built in 1891, at a much lower elevation. In fact, it's near the water's edge, and the buildings around it currently house the Coast Guard members stationed here. As I was painting this, one of them stopped by and expressed her gratitude that this lighthouse was getting some recognition. In the foreground, more Shaw's Agave, with a fallen stalk. (These paintings are all 6" X 8", o/cp.)

A mid-day sunny view up the tidepool path toward a radar tower which overlooks it from above.

Early morning sunshine on the ocean overlook which was the launch point for those gliders, mentioned before. That road off to the left is the start of the legendary (among cyclists) Tidepool Hill, where many of us get our morning workout by coasting down to the tidepools and riding back up that 3/4 mile hill...several times.