Blog
Gaviota Sundown
The Gaviota Hot Springs was my destination. I have wanted to paint there for a long time. It was a beautiful day so I decided to go on a drive. I got to Gaviota Hot Springs at midday. It was a bit of a hike up a steep muddy trail and I was winded by the time I got to the springs. (Note to self; get some exercise dude!) There were two gray-headed gentleman sitting in the pool when I arrived there who had already been there for a couple hours. After a short chat I joined them. The temp was not hot at all, in fact it was luke warm. Around 80 degrees. Bubbling up from volcanic activity was the distinct odor of sulfur. The minerals are said to heal. So, I stayed in and talked about Costa Rica, art, snakes and vanilla beans for about half an hour and noticed that the sun was about gone from the canyon. I wanted to get a painting in before I went home, so I hopped out and dried off. When I got dressed again, I headed back down the mountain. When I got to the trail-head by the parking lot, I looked back up the hill and this magnificent tree was waving goodbye to me and the sun as it went down.
I got in the car and headed south on Highway 101. While watching the sun go down, I knew it would soon be completely gone. I was compelled to do something about it before ASAP. I stopped the car and ran out to the top of the cliffs above Gaviota State Beach to capture the last of the sun before going behind the horizon. So, there I was painting… and the quick 20-minute study you see here was sold right off the easel from a guy that saw me painting from below. He approached me and wanted it so… SOLD! I guess timing is everything, right!? Anthony is here from Salt Lake City and visiting some friends along the coast. He told me that this painting would be a reminder of his dad whose final resting place is just about where the sun is setting there… near Prince Island in San Miguel island’s Cuyler Harbor.
I was happy to have sold this to someone so spontaneously, but the bummer was since it was dark when I finished it, I had no photo. Luckily, he was heading from Santa Barbara to Orange County so I had a chance to take the shot when he stopped by my studio this morning.
I will definitively be going back there soon to do another painting. The tree on the top-right of the picture has a HUGE collection of some large long-necked birds roosting there for the night. Cormorants perhaps? I want to do another painting with the tree as subject… soon
Keeping an eye out
(repost from ConejoArts.org)
A couple of years ago, I read the story about the violin virtuoso Joshua Bell. He donned street clothes and a baseball cap and played his 3.5 million dollar Stradivarius for a while in a busy Washington DC Metro terminal. It was an experiment to see how many people would take notice in the midst of their bustling day. After an hour, this man who regularly gets $1000 a minute for his playing, received about $35 in tips in his violin case. While thousands passed by on their way to their busy day, a few people stopped to watch for a couple moments, and only one person recognized him.
The point of this story is that “context matters.” So does awareness. It can take a lot of work to receive wonder and awe into our lives. We are too often “on task” to take notice to some of the most beautiful moments before us.
As the new year begins another annual cycle, consider keeping an eye out for a few simple pleasures in life. Watch for the rare coastal bloom of the coreopsis plants in February that appear to be dead most of the year. Visit a local gallery or museum and gaze a few paintings. If you see a street musician, pause and listen with your inner being. There is a never ending stream of beauty that encounters you each and every day.
Keep your eyes and heart open.
Peace,
Rich Brimer
ACCV President
Music, theatre and art help connect us to one other. Visit our website for upcoming events and let’s make some great connections this year. http://ConejoArts.org
To read the full Washington Post story about Joshua Bell, go to LINK
Pt Mugu Lagoon
Although I have lived in Southern California for nearly 50 years, I still find it odd that we can have an 85 degree day in mid-December. While friends in other parts of America are shoveling snow and stoking their pot-bellied stoves, I was out painting at the Pt Mugu Lagoon. I woke up that morning thinking to myself “What a great day to hit the beach.” So, with that, I loaded up my painting gear and a towel into the VW bus, and went off to the coast. I was planning to use my annual State Park pass to get into the parking lot at El Matador State Beach, but I only made it 8 miles from my home to Pt Mugu Lagoon, next to the Seabees shooting range. I parked the bus, lit a cigar and while listening to Robert Plant belt out a live version on “Whole Lotta Love” I gazed at the scene. Plovers poked into the muddy ground looking for lunch. The sun danced off of the wet shoreline of the lagoon below and the distant sea behind. I never made it past this scene to El Matador, and soon was setting up the my EasyL to capture this scene. Here is what I saw…
Mugu Lagoon "10 x 12" oil on Birch Board
Let it Snow
Let it Snow 4" x 4" Oil
Want to buy art for a gift this Christmas? This new miniature painting is now available for purchase on Ebay. Start your bidding… CLICK HERE
Green Ravine
Green Ravine 24" x 24" oil on Canvas
In ongoing inspiration from my Channel Islands excursion in September, I have another Rocks & Water painting to show. This is called “Green Ravine” which is based from the view from our boat onto Santa Cruz Island. There are never ending options in the vistas of these islands. Now I see why David Gallup has had a hard time pairing down his museum collection to just 70 paintings from his Channel Islands collection. He has a couple hundred!
What I tried to accomplish in this painting was the movement of water. There are these surges against the rocks and in past paintings I have simply painted horizontal waterlines, as if I were at a lake. This is the OCEAN. Thanks to some work I saw of Stephen Mirich and his spectacular seascapes, I realized that movement is so important in capturing the reality of the sea. So, expect to see some more shoreline paintings in the near future as I work this out.
The Tip Jar
OK. a simple post… So I have added a new feature to the website… a tip jar. I have posted some pretty high resolution images that have been downloaded by many people for free.
If you wish to use any image for personal use you are welcome to do so. If you actually want to pay for it, the tip jar on the sidebar is there for you to help a guy out. Simply click it and fill in the blanks to send a tip via Paypal. Who’s first?
Thanks,
The Management 
Up and Coming Art
Well, I have not posted for a while because there has been SO many things going on. First off, here are some upcoming events to be aware of…
Artist Showcase at NoHo Performing Arts Center
Artist Reception, Saturday, Nov 13, 2010 ~ The November “Artist Showcase” at NoHo Performing Arts Center will feature “Face to Face“, Rich Brimer’s solo art show of figurative and landscape oil paintings in the main gallery along with musicians Jodi King and Jack Diaz, C3 Dancers and Monkey Butler improv. The evening will be hosted by the talented comedian Shaun Roberts. It’s FREE!!! NoHo Performing Arts Center ~ 11020 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601
SCIART Open Studio Tour and Holiday Market. Join the Artists in Residence on Saturday, December 4th, 9 am to 5 pm, as we celebrate this festive time of year and welcome the community into our studios. SCIART is very pleased to have the Holiday Market in our new studios location in downtown Old Town Camarillo. Holiday Market events will include demonstrations, refreshments and strolling singers. Artist in Residence (AIRs) Studios 2222 Ventura Blvd, Camarillo, CA 93012
Golden State Treasures ~ A California Art Club Exhibition at the Historic Blinn House
Artists’ Reception: Saturday, December 4, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Includes the opening of “Golden State Treasures” along with the “Magnificent Miniatures” sale
December 4 – April 14, 2010 Featuring biannual exhibitions by Associate Artist members of the California Art Club
Women’s City Club, 160 North Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Map and Directions to the Women’s City Club
Teaching
I have also been teaching a few art classes. I had a couple of home school students taking a beginning Drawing class. Also, I had a long running series of evening figure-drawing workshops. Also, in Cabrillo Village, Ventura, I have a book making class that has 4th and 5th grade students. I am working with them to write a biography of one of the significant community members, Juan Gomez. Señior Gomez was foundational in helping to develop and maintain Cabrillo Village since the beginning over 25 years ago. In addition to writing his story, each student is creating a block print to be used as an illustration for the part of the biography that they are writing. Its a thrill to see such excitement and accomplishment with the kids as they collaborate on this project together. I will post some photos soon.
New classes have been added to http://blueskyartcenter.org. Feel free to contact me directly if you are interested in individual or group classes.
Painting
In addition to all of this I have been doing a lot of painting. The painting on the left here is a work-in-progress. I still have a lot of things to work out, but you can see the direction I am going with it. It is from my trip to the Channel Islands in September. This is a tide-pool on San Miguel Island in Cuyler Harbor. The painting on the right is the sketch I did on-site.
This trip brought a wealth of subject matter. I am so glad I did the field sketches that I did, but the next time I go back, I will do them with more intention, knowing how useful they can be for working up studio paintings. These sketches along with the photo references allow for some really dynamic work.
Extreme Plein Air
Art Boat ©2010 Stephen Mirich
The photo above gives an impression of the boat deck that was host to 20 artists and a crew. Our boat The Conception is actually outfitted for 20 or more scuba divers, so having a bunch of artists on board was quite a shift for captain and crew. They helped us with some minor easel repair, getting kayaks prepared to launch, and when we could go to shore, they shuttled us back and forth on the zodiac. Mostly we painted on the deck of the boat. One time in Pelican Bay, I launched a kayak with my easel on my lap to do the painting “Kayak View”.
Kayak Painter ©2010 Marian Fortunati
It was a bit of a challenge to do paint from the kayak, but I was up for it. With no umbrella, the painting is pretty dark. This happens with direct sunlight because your eyes see it lit with such bright light. This is why it is a good idea to paint under an umbrella, or some sort of shade, allowing the natural light of the sun to be diffused. I am thinking of doing a studio piece from this one… but brightening it up a bit.
Kayak View - 8" x 10" oil on board
That evening after the sun was down, we could see the glow of the moon beginning to shift the color of the horizon. I quickly got out my paint box and a new panel to finally capture a moon rise. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness as I was looking across the calm water, I could see the lights of Santa Barbara and Carpenteria beginning to show. The sky was turning a dull orange/red and I could finally tell where the moon was going to pop up at. To my surprise, the moon was amber and gently lit the sky. Here is the painting.
Moon Over Carpentaria, 10"x12" oil on Birch board - $550
The Watery Cave
The Watery Cave 24" x 24" Oil on Canvas Board $1950
On the third morning of our Channel Islands Plein Air Painting excursion, we attempted to anchor at Santa Rosa island. Captain Jerry said that the winds and swells were not going to allow for a good safe harbor, so after a brief bit of motoring around the island, we were off to Santa Cruz Island. First stop, Painted Cave. Dave Gallup was inspired to do a rendering of Painted Cave which won him California Art Club’s prestigious Gold Medal earlier this year. His painting was also featured in the current issue of American Artist Magazine. Knowing all of this, I was very much looking forward to seeing this wonder. And, a wonder it is! It is the WORLD’s largest sea cave. The Captain turned into the small nook that was hard to see if you were simply cruising past the cliffs of the island. Then we slowed down and the walls were closing in on us. He slowed down further and actually took us into the cave. All aboard were floored by his wonderful management of this vessel in some pretty tight quarters. WOW! it was beautiful. The rock walls were so many colors. We all could see why they called it “painted cave”. He went even further forward until the boat was nearly all under the outer lip of the cave. We paused there before slowly backing away. We all snapped away at the scene with our cameras, but nothing compares with actually being in front of this.
The Watery Cave Study 10" x 10" Oil on Canvas Board $550
Once we left Painted cave, we went into a few more spots where we could see more beautiful spots. Then to Pelican Harbor, where we came to the spot where I did a 10″ study for The Watery Cave (see left). It was a great day, and I decided at that time that I would be working this study into a larger studio painting.
Well, here it is above, The Watery Cave.
My friend Christine asked me this morning; “Rich, what is the significance of this painting?”
I paused at that.
I told her that I had not actually thought of it except that I felt compelled to paint it, but then I said,
“First, it is a painted memory of a wonderful morning I spent learning about myself, simply enjoying the moment…
… secondly it is a watery cave, which is not unlike a watery grave. But not a place of death, but a place of birth for me. Although I could not see into the cave, I was drawn to its opening. I wanted to enter and explore the possibilities of it. It might be 10 feet deep, or it might be 1,000 feet deep…
dangerous and yet compelling. Being somewhat of a risk taker, I wanted to get on a kayak, enter it and look around, but I first had to paint it, which I did… then anchors away, and before I could get into a kayak, we were off to the next spot… Potato Cove and some extreme kayak plein air painting…
The Flower Farm
Last Saturday, the Studio Channel Islands Art Center gang descended on a flower farm in Somis, CA. On what was a beautiful morning with some billowy clouds above, many of us wondered around looking down rows of flowers to find inspiration for a morning painting. I was struck by a simple scene of a lone woman picking an armful of purple status flowers. I got the VW bus situated and put some Pink Floyd on the stereo and set up. In a short time I was done with this little 5″ x 7″ sketch called “Status Worker”. (Click for larger view)
Status Worker - 5" x 7" Oil on Birch Board $150