Dusty Fingers: Laguna Recap Day 3

Third day into the event and Monday morning rolled around, and I was not up to getting out of bed. Since I first arrived, I had not been sleeping well with my spinning, busy brain and icky tummy. With just about 2 hours total to paint with, I was really beginning to feel it. So, I took it really easy... for awhile. I set out to paint the familiar Huntington Beach lifeguard by the pier. I took my time, trying to understand how life is for the locals. You see, I am not a nosy person, but when I am quiet and painting, every one of my senses is alert and I can hear everything. I heard bits of conversations from people walking just below the railing where I was perched; conversations about the film industry, family issues, interesting surfer slang, and the sound of sunbathers washing off the sand at the showers.

All done on the easel. This piece measured 12x24"

"Out for the Day" 12x24" Pastel ©Brenda Boylan

Once I had this Lifeguard piece under my belt, I returned to Pacific Coast Hwy to complete my urban piece. The late afternoon light was what I was after in this scene, so the orange underpainting I had started with really played an important part of the mood.

"Intersection on 1" 16x16" Pastel ©Brenda Boylan (sold)

All done! What a relief to have this piece done as I begin to feel more comfortable with my production..so far. It seems like all is downhill from here. I packed it all up and headed back to my host's home to get a quick shower then over to the Forest and Ocean Gallery for a discussion panel of artists.

As planned, LPAPA organizes a fun evening of 5 artists in a discussion panel moderated by gallery owner Ludo Leideritz. Invitational artists Cindy Baron, Lori Putnam, Michael Obermeyer, Bill Davidson and myself were selected to share our experiences and thoughts on plein air painting. We all had a great time answering the questions with humor peppered with a little bit of seriousness. It was an informative evening for the collectors and curious admirers