I'm back!

Mary-Gail King and David Gallup at Santa Cruz

Here's a snapshot from the Channel Islands trip I just took.  I'm still getting my land-legs back and my tripod has sand in it but what fun!  This photo is from our second day on Santa Cruz Island where I painted from the deck of the boat Conception.  The Painted Cave is the largest sea cave in the world and has become an old friend.

You'll notice that I'm painting in oils in the photo.  David teaches oil exclusively and I took up oils to study with him in his Masters Class.  I've learned lots of color theory and refined my philosophy and sense of design with him.  That with solid business coaching has made him an invaluable mentor.

Now to my first love...Here are some small watercolor sketches I did from my kayak.

I find that taking just five minutes to sketch an immediate response to wherever I find myself is like taking a deep breath of fresh air.  Here are a couple of gulps I took from my kayak...It was tricky keeping the salt water off of them as they dried but worth the extra juggling in the kayak.

For those of you unfamiliar with watercolor salt causes granulation of the paint when applied to watercolors.  In the waterfall painting the sides of the cliff show this effect.

Small Waterfall on Santa Cruz

Caves Painted from my Kayak

 I took a photo of my travel kit as well.  It's small enough to fit in a pocket or small fanny pack.  That and the cap from a water bottle are all that's needed for a portable studio.  I've painted all over the world with these tools and the little postcard sketches are both charming and engaging