LUNA SEA GALLERY
Luna Sea Gallery in Pescadero began exhibiting Michele's paintings early in 2019.
Cliff Shadows
Oil on canvas, 9x12. Early last summer, I was out seeking a subject at Pescadero Beach. As I finished an afternoon painting of the colorful ice plant and beach beyond, I watched the sun setting to the west. As it sat low on the horizon, my eye was drawn to the the rim of the cliffs, lit up by the low light. That special light shimmered off the ocean and sand, a sharp effect which set off the fog graying the distant headlands. The rock in shadow became a solid form with the edges lit by the setting sun.
Coastal Spring
oil on canvas, 24x36 plus black walnut frame. Looking south from Pigeon Point during the spring mustard bloom, I was attracted to paint the colors of the fields. I completed a smaller painting on site (plein air.) Several weeks later, I began painting this larger painting in my Soquel studio. There I was able to focus on the elements I found most important in the image, including how the lavender undersides of the clouds complement the yellow mustard. Clouds after the rains often add important form to the sky. And while a small part of the canvas, the distant hills becoming more blue as they recede is also of great value.
La Honda Ranch
oil on canvas. 9x12 plus frame. There is a new access to the lower end of La Honda Creek Preserve. The entrance is off highway 84, which comes down the mountains to the sea from Skyline Boulevard, arriving on highway 1 a bit north of Pescadero road. My friend (and fellow artist) Sue and I explored the area and discovered a view of this pastoral scene. The hills were just turning from green to gold, and the cattle were grazing in the meadow near the barns. While we painted, several hikers came, watched us quietly for a bit, and then walked off to the trails nearby. It was well worth the long drive from my Soquel studio to enjoy and paint this scene.
Paintbrush Spring
oil on canvas, 11x14 plus frame. Every spring, for the last 10 years, I’ve gone on a week-long retreat with 8 to 10 other artists to paint in Big Sur. The coast there affords an artist many opportunities. Along the Garrapata State Park area, one can see several headlands jutting out into the sea and becoming more blue in the distance. This year, with all the rain, the Indian Paintbrush plants decorated the dunes with their bright red and magenta flowers. They add sparkle while complementing all the new green growth on the cliffs and hills.
Pinnacles Lupine
oil on canvas, 11x14 plus frame. I recently took a trip with my husband to the Pinnacles National Park in the Salinas Valley. I found there that the spring produced Bush Lupine in wonderful shades of lavender. The new growth on the valley oaks in their bright greens were lit up against the blue distant mountains. All afternoon, Rich read his book while I painted the scene.
Wildflower Summer
oil on canvas, 24x18 plus frame. Traveling Highway 1 from Santa Cruz to San Francisco last summer, we came upon fields of wildflowers just north of Pescadero Beach. I was taken by the expanse of wildflowers, all arrayed in their broad spectrum of colors.
I returned the next week with a painter friend to create a plein air painting and to photograph the expanse of wildflowers. We found a location out of the wind and with a grand view of the beach beyond, looking north. From the study I did that day and the photos taken, I created a series of six paintings. Wildflower Summer is the largest vertical format in the series – portraying the depth of view offered at this locale.
Luna Sea Gallery and Gift Shop is located at 290 Stage Rd, in Pescadero, California. Pescadero is a historic small California town on the coast between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, a bit south of Half Moon Bay. It is a fascinating day visit easily accessible from anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area.