The first day of our Channel Islands odyssey we left the diveboat "Concepcion" in an inflatable raft. All of us were fully loaded up with our packs of artist gear. We hiked up the cliff then down the trail and up, up, up the hill to the beautiful Torrey Pine forest. I will admit that of our group I was the slow-poke. But just like the proverbial tortoise, I was slow and steady and made it to the top. On the way down, the views were breathtaking.
I didn't paint this painting en plein air, but really wanted to capture my version of this view as soon as possible. David Gallup often paints from memory. I know he uses references to help him with elements of a painting but he doesn't paint from photos per se'. I haven't been able to do that. I snapped many photos on the way down and this view was one of my favorites.
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| Looking over the top
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| | The trail through the pines
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Close up of painting
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David Gallup's California Channel Islands Exhibit delighted viewers at the Weisman Museum for the entire summer. As part of that exhibition, he published a book which includes most of the paintings from the show and lots of wonderful information about the islands. Here is an excerpt about the Torrey Pine forest from his book: "Over 10,000 years old, they are among the rarest pine species in the world. They favor dry sandy soil and a harsh foggy climate -- which helps them thrive in this one-square mile patch on Santa Rosa Island; but nowhere else except for San Diego County where these endangered trees are revered as icons." If you are interested in seeing his work and reading about the islands, his book is available by contacting
David through his website. You would LOVE seeing the paintings of this same area that David did. They are fabulous!
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