Top 5 Posts in 2012

 Of the 42 posts published here in 2012 these are the most searched, visited, and read:

5. Back to Go A painting inspired by El Matador State Beach in Malibu and about the potential California State Park closures that we managed to avert - yay!

4. Creation is Subtraction “Creation is not capricious or random addition; it is intelligent and selective subtraction.” The God Theory: Universes, Zero-Point Fields, and What's Behind It All, Bernard Haisch

3. Can Artwork Make You Cry?  The answer is yes. It can also make you feel angry, seasick, energized, elated, and more.

2. Thinking About the Third Thing D.H. Lawrence's non rhyming quote. What is the 'Third Thing'? I'm still wondering....

1. Art.sy Experience A browsing session on Artsy's enormous art genome website. Have you visited yet?

El Matador: Silhouette, Shadow, Reflection

 El Matador: Silhouette, Shadow, Reflection  ©2011 Katherine Kean

oil on linen 8 x 10"

I worked hard to keep this simple, if that makes any sense. What I mean is it would have been easy for me to become obsessed with defining the many fascinating intricacies of the craggy boulder and overlapping wave forms. However, I resisted, instead mostly allowing the main silhouettes and shadow shapes and the strong blood orange color to carry the mood. Could I go further with the simplification? Probably, yes. Next time.

Now, as August and the summer heat arrives,  would be an excellent time to visit this beach. 

El Matador State Beach, Malibu California

El Matador 22 x 30" watercolor
© 1994 Katherine Kean

I thought I'd keep a beach theme going this week - my way of acknowledging that we're moving into summer, with another post on inspiring locations to paint. California is loaded with dramatic natural beauty. There are 70 miles of coastline in Southern California, some of it wonderfully rugged. One of the most beautiful spots is El Matador State Beach. The combination of rock formations and ocean is a sure lure for landscape painters. You can find a few pictures of this stunning location here.

I have only visited this beach early in the day when it’s easier to find a place to park. If I’m carrying a lot of painting gear I try to get as close to my painting location as possible. However I suspect it may be even more striking near the end of the day and I plan to go at that time one day soon.

To get to the beach you have to descend a steep stairway, but there are also some great views looking down on the beach from above. One trick to this location is that once on the beach when the tide is out it is easy to walk north up the beach, but if the tide comes in you might have to dash between the waves and the cliff on the return trip to get back to the stairs.

El Matador State Beach
32215 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265

New Work, Monterey Cypress Trees

Point Lobos Path With Steps © 2012 Katherine Kean
oil on linen  18 x 14 in.

This is a new oil in a series inspired by the coastal path through Monterey Cypress Trees at Point Lobos, California. Some earlier studies that this developed from can be found here.