The Bluffs - a plein air Southern California Landscape Painting by Marian Fortunati

The Bluffs © Marian Fortunati 9" x 12" Oil on RayMar Panel

Last Monday David Gallup took his class back to Carpenteria Bluffs.   It was another lovely day, but unlike the previous Monday, I decided to stay up on the Bluffs and be less distanced from the class.   I wanted to try to paint the grasses and flowers that were so beautiful on the top of the Bluffs .... 

I kept thinking about how amazing Clyde Aspevig's "Land Snorkeling" painting series were.   I knew I could not achieve anything close to those wonderful scenes, but I wanted to explore how I might do it.   However, as I was facing a sea of grasses, I really was baffled about the approach,  so I asked David to do a demo which he happily did.  (Any excuse to paint and he's happy!)  He toned a little 5x7 with a pinkish purple and just created a beautiful little loose painting before my eyes.

David Gallup

Unhappily, despite watching it take shape before my eyes, I just couldn't get myself to let go enough to emulate David's little gem.  He was able to create a gorgeous little path for the eye by just leaving the undertone unpainted.   His grasses were created by dragging his paint brush through piles of colors (all present in the grasses) of similar values.  He created the tangled and lost edges of the far trees by twisting his brush through the greens and light blues of the sky.   It all worked!!

I know that being too literal usually creates stagnate and dullish paintings...  There's nothing for the viewer to delight over.  But wow, is it tough to find just that right place between a total mess and a delightfully loose painting.   Maybe someday I'll get there.

This little 9"x12" study is a step along a very, very long road toward "letting go". 

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