Channel Islands Plein Air

Above you can see the entire catalog of paintings from my trip. I have to say, I have never had quite an experience as I had going with 20 artists aboard “Conception” for an amazing five-day painting excursion. From the first night on board the ship in Santa Barbara Harbor we had wonderful vistas to see and paint and experience. Both David Gallup and Stephen Mirich were on board to share their experience with us. Since both are known for their nocturnal paintings, many of us watched them paint, as well as doing a few of our own. In fact my first painting of the trip was done late at night in Santa Barbara harbor before even departing for the islands. (See The Night Boat)

After getting to bed at 1:30am, I fell sound asleep. I was woken at 4am by the roars of the diesel engines as we floated away to the horizon, but quickly was lulled back to sleep. Man-Oh-Man!!! When I woke up at 6:30 the sun was rising over the water and the colors were pure and gentle. The smooth glass like surface of the ocean allowed for a mirroring of the sky in chunk-like ripples. (See photo) Being due south of Point Conception, the northerly winds are normally whipping past San Miguel island. However, we soon arrived in absolutely unprecedented PERFECT weather. A no-wind with totally warm sunny skies. After some amazing close-up views of some rock formations, we went into San Miguel’s Cuyler Harbor. With “anchors-away”, we were there for the rest of the day and following two nights. Within an hour, we were off  to get started with our first paintings. Some stayed on the boat, and others went ashore to capture vistas, sea loins, the white sandy shoreline.

My first painting at the islands was a sea rock study above. Getting my feet wet with new colors was interesting. The water color is enchanting in the Channel Islands. Nothing like these colors are on the mainland. So, with a tad bit too much phthalo in my water colors caused a brighter than actual colorshift that Dave was quick to point out. In fact this was a reoccurring theme, until I finally took phthalo off of my palate all together. I was out for quite a while now  time to return for lunch. I walked back to the beach and waited for the zodiac to come back to pick us up and return to the Conception.. I left my painting gear on shore, anticipating a shoreline return which didn’t happen. I watched some painting demos and took a nap. zzzzzz. I finally had someone gather my gear from the shore right before dinner time.

It is amazing to be out on the water after such a nice day and have an amazing crew prepare such great food. The meals were SOOO good. I eventually gained about 8 lbs in those 5 days. I came home a bit bloated.

The first evening, our on-board masseuse, Lynn, wanted to test the waters for giving an open air massage on the top deck of the boat. So, there we were, in a fairly calm harbor with the sun down beyond the horizon. The stars of the Milky Way overhead were bright enough to see the silhouette of the nearby hills of San Miguel island. There was a slight breeze on the air when we set up the table. Lynn wanted to use me as her Guinea pig  to see if an outdoor method would work… and, knowing that she had never worked on a ship, there was some getting used to the swells. Deep pressure was going to be an issue, but I told her I could take it — so with that, I stripped down and got on the table which was warm with her full length heated blanket. On the deck below, I could see artists getting ready for doing some night painting. The full moon was beginning to light the sky DIRECTLY behind Prince Island which is situated in the middle of the harbor’s edge. We could not have been in a more perfect location. It was a perfect non-storm situation. With painters below and the stars and moon above, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled as Lynn began to work out the knots in my back. Ahhhhhh! It actually got a little gusty on a few occasions and the temperature dropped a few degrees before we were done, but it was totally worth it all. The hour passed quickly and I got re-dressed  to help tear down the table. By now the wind was going pretty good and she gave up all hope of giving a second massage that night.

The next morning was all planned out. A trip up a big sand dune, then up a trail above the cliffs and past Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s memorial marker, to the ranger station. Total trip: 1 hour. The plan was to get to the Caliche forest. What-in-the-heck-is-that? you might ask. I did! Its a small forest of petrified tree stumps. Dave says that he has wanted to paint them for his Channel Island painting series, so he was compelled to go. I, on the other-hand, had gotten thoroughly wiped out just making it to the ranger station. (I must get lighter painting gear for trips like this… I’m thinking Open Box M) So, after the interesting lecture on the reintroduction of foxes on the island, a foxy looking ranger (she actually looks like a fox), I went back down the mountain and found a nice place of solitude to have the rest of my lunch. There are some caves along the shore that do not look like much from the outside, but once inside the open up to these large cavernous size. My entire house could fit in one of them. The entrance was only 3 foot by 3 foot and the water got deeper as I entered. I finally was up to my armpits… alone in the darkness waiting for my eyes to adjust. They did adjust after a couple minutes and the colors inside were very unnatural. Colored by minerals and growths of moss and “stuff” they were a multicolor wonder. I finally pulled out my flashlight and explored a bit more by looking around. The salt water was a bit stagnant, and I had seen enough. So, with that I went out and gathered my painting gear and set up near some tidepools to do another painting. (See below) I stayed out until the sun was low, and it was a good day. Getting back to the boat, I had such a great feeling of wonder.  We were all in another world. What would be our next point of amazement?

Dinner. That was amazing – the gals that were making our meals had put this wonderful rub of fresh garlic, diced sun-dried tomatoes and herbs on about 7 or 8 huge tri-tip roasts. They were being slow-grilled on a BBQ that came out of no-where… actually from the side of the main deck center console, but I never expected it. To go along with these tasty steaks were the BEST dang potatoes au gratin I have ever had in my life. That, along with grilled asparagus we were all set.  Another beautiful sunset and the evening was underway. Dave’s brother Steve got out his guitar and we had a big-o-sing-along.

More to follow…

Wonderment

Here is the text from my speech today at the annual Arts Council of the Conejo Valley board installation…

———-

The Arts – That is what we are a council of. The Arts Council of the Conejo Valley. We are “The VOICE of the Arts”. All forms of “the arts”. The Arts has a very important place in developing, defining and supporting culture — OUR culture. The cultural values each of us hold may be slightly or extremely different from each other, but they are profoundly important to each of us. Each of our stories are unique. We each see things differently… we EXPERIENCE things differently — and that is OK.

An artist friend, Johanna Spinks, recently posted a new painting on her Facebook profile. It’s a wonderfully delicate painting of a young boy, around the age of 4 or 5. He is gazing upwards with a look of AWE in his eyes — his mouth is slightly open. She has titled it “WONDERMENT” and I responded… “Wonderment is right. Makes me wonder myself about what he is wondering about. A puppy? Chocolate cake? a new BB gun? He has bright eyes for sure…” She replied back “Rich, I leave the wondering “decision” up to you…” NICE! — well, I’m still wondering.

So, we all have decisions to make every moment. Decisions about WHAT we see and how to respond to it. Every person that looks at a flower or face … friend or foe … or looks at a painting, or watches a dramatic theater production, listens to a string orchestra, walks around a beautifully sculpted garden or experiences or creates any other form of artwork, makes decisions about their responses.

I have sometimes challenged others to pause for a short moment in their daily grind, and take notice of something that they do not normally see. Perhaps to look at a small “flower” that is among the weeds… Maybe a lone leaf that falls from a winter Aspen tree, maybe the way a mother lovingly holds the hand of her 2 year-old running beside her at the mall. Creativity is to discover what you would not otherwise see.

I remember something that happened to me at the mall a long time ago. I even wrote about it on my personal blog… It was about a day that I received a gift from somewhere beyond me. The gift was a heightened sense of awareness. I was eager to experience it before it faded away — Like an enhanced sense of touch; it seemed to bring everything closer. I sat on a bench and watched a mother walking by holding an infant and could feel the thick love that the child had for her mother. I walked into a kid’s toy store and went through the too-small-for-grown-ups door like I was Alice chasing the rabbit into Wonderland. The simplest of toys brought such amusement to me, it was like being 5 years old again, filled with wonderment. In this short wrinkle of time, the folds of the universe had come closer for me to observe. I departed the toy store and continued my journey of sights and sound that rippled with life unaware.

All around the Conejo Valley, there are these ripples of life that touch every corner. You all are part of what is making these ripples in our community… and sometimes, even waves. We continue being the “Voice of the Arts”, so our emerging leaders – our poets, prophets, painters and performers – have their own “Aha!” moments of wonderment. With our example, leadership and support, they are the change our community and our world needs.

Peace,
Rich Brimer
ACCV President

1980 Schwinn Typhoon Beach Cruiser

Well, I finally finished a small project that I have been wanting to do for a long while. Back around 1980 Dad bought a couple of beach cruisers and brought them home. I am not exactly sure why, but there they were and they were so cool to have around. When I went to college in 1984, I took one to school with me to ride around campus. It got ripped when I left it “locked” up in the choir room for the weekend while I was out on tour with 40 others. MANY years went by and the other one that was left with my parents began to deteriorate while being stored on the side of the many houses they lived in ever since. The wheels got all rotted out and rust began to do its work on the chrome. There it sat…for years… just waiting to be cleaned up.

Forward to the end of 2009. After Dad had passed, I went to Mom’s house to help clean out the garage and get rid of a bunch of “crap”. At the end of the day, a full construction sized dumpster was full to the brim. However, the old Schwinn ended up in the back of my truck. I brought it home to sit on the side of MY house for another 9 months. Not that I needed another “project” but I did need to resurrect this bike, as it represented to me some physical connection to Dad. It was one of the only significant items that I have that he ever gave us. His love was broad and deep. He was generous to everyone that knew him. I have some coins, as many people do… a few small items that I have gotten from him over the years, even a small very used old pocket knife that was left in his jeans on the morning of his passing… but this bike – I felt compelled to restore it and to enjoy it with my family in his memory. So, here’s to you Pop.

I changed out the old wheels and tires for these awesome white walls. The rear wheel is fitted with a Shimano 3-speed gear box. I replaced the missing seat with a new cruiser seat I got from Mr. Candish. The paint is 3 coats from a single can of Rust-o-leum Metalflake Blue. Water decals supplied by Ebay seller bicyclebones, and over the top of everything, Cal Customs in Camarillo shot a dense coat of clear to seal the deal. Everything is original, including the rust-orange chain, but I think that will have to go soon.

Beach run

The other day my son and I changed the shocks on the bus. I drove to the coast for a test drive and a cigar. OMG… what a difference! She corners soooo much better. As I was passing the strawberry and cabbage fields in Camarillo I was thinking… It makes me happy to live 10 minutes away from the ocean

I have a few trips planned this summer. The first is mid-June to camp out at San Onofre and paint in the “Paint San Clemente” festival for a week. Then the first week of July, to Huntington Lake in the High sierra’s. Camping on the lakeside with a friend and our three boys. He has a sail boat so we’ll do some sailing and fishing. Of course I’ll be painting too.

Central Coastal Colors

So, I had a very nice week to paint in and around San Luis Obispo with a few artists from the California Art Club. The weather was nice, but scattered showers caused the fair weather artists to stay indoors. I did a total of 5 plein air studies and a still life. I stayed with Mom for the week. When I called her a few weeks ago to see if she was going to be around during this week, she asked me if I could come up there because she had a one week vacation scheduled. Perfect timing. I love it when that happens… synchronicity. So, I got some painting in, did some chores around the house for her, and visited with family. All in all, it was a very wonderfully relaxing week for me. I pushed off a lot of business until this coming week, so I will be working full-bore to catch up, but it was def worth it.

So, what I got here now, is the still life I did for my sister. She has been asking to paint her a “flower painting” for many years. Well, I don’t do flowers, but her birthday is next week, and outdoor painting was rainy, so… I did this for her. I added a cup and saucer that was painted by great-grandma Dee around 1900. Click HERE for a large close-up of the tea cup.

I think I might be on to something new for me. Still life paintings from heirlooms. I brought home some trinkets from around Mom’s house that I will be painting in the weeks and months ahead. I have not done many still lifes. This intrigues me. So, since I did a lot of duck hunting with my Dad growing up, I have some things that will do nicely as a memento to this; A set of duck calls, shot gun shells, his favorite hunting hat which still has some tail feathers from a drake mallard, and a wooden duck decoy. I also from my mom, I have an old candy dish from her grandmother, a small metal metal bank in the shape of an elephant and some old marbles. Then there is an old deep-sea fishing reel, some old fishing lures and a fillet knife. Some great raw-material for summer studies in the studio.

Fishing on “the other side”

Here is a repost of a painting called “The other side” that. I started it in 2004. It took until 2007 to get it all finished up.  I only have this video, but it is pretty nice to see it up close. If you have a current version of QuickTime on your computer (and you are NOT using Firefox on a PC) you can press the link below and watch it. This 24″ x 48″ oil painting is the biblical scene when Peter comes to shore after fishing all night long with nothing to show for his efforts. When he gets close to shore, a man standing on the shore tells him to give it another try, but on the far side of the boat. Peter is tired and has been at this all night long, but gives in and does what he knows will not yield anything. He is surprised to see that he was wrong about it and then recognizes that it is his friend Jesus that has told him this.

Some days, we just do what you are trained to do.  Sometimes we are told to do differently. Against their better judgment, Peter did do what Jesus asked of him, but I am sure that they had a discussion beforehand that went something like “Well, we are the fishermen here, but if we need to toss our net over the edge of the boat again to get you to shut your mouth…” and with a “ugggh” and a toss, the net was in the water. What would YOU have done? When do you feel that God is asking you to go or do something against your better judgment?

This painting shows the provision of the provider when we think we have nothing to gain in giving it an extra go… even when Spirit compels us to keep going. Press on! I was commissioned to create this painting to show that sometimes the provision of God is just below the surface and also that he always knows where it will come from before we are nudged to act upon his Call. Peter had done everything right – all night long – and he was tired form doing the right thing with NO result. Jesus came to them to say “Keep it up”. Sometimes it seems absurd to do what you think is the “right thing”, but I have found that to keep pressing in is often the thing that is needed… that which needs to be done in order to get to the tipping point, to cause the equilibrium to go your way, to cause status quo to be not good enough. Life is hard work if we want to accomplish much or even SEE much in this world. It is always easier to “go with the flow” and just sit on a raft and float to the end of the river. I am never satisfied with this for very long. Rest and solitude is good and important for us, but real LIFE is hard work… and rewarding.