Daily Inspiration
It is the urge to know more about ourselves and others that creates empathy.
- Azar Nafisi
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Point Lobos State Reserve Adventures
Point Lobos State Reserve Adventures
To Preserve Point Lobos State Reserve for future generations is dear to my heart. This beautiful California park is a precious jewel of the central coast, and one of my all time favorite places to paint. Countless artists before me have stood at these awesome vistas. Landscape artist Francis McComas called this wildly beautiful sanctuary “The greatest meeting of land and water in the world.”
Point Lobos is gorgeous any time of day, yet late afternoon light… read my Point Lobos Quest stories
Pinnacles National Monument ~ El Condor Pasa
Video of Condors at Pinnacles National Monument
Took a fabulous hike up Pinnacles National Monument with my husband last week-end. We went up the High Ridge trail in the afternoon, the temperature was perfect. And the wildflowers are happening ~ while not as abundant as previous years, there is a wide variety of flowers.
We had seen Condors fly by at the top of this trail a few years ago, and my husband joked that they would make an appearance today, 5pm! We sat down on the bench, on the very top of the trail, where the winds were blowing ferouciously. But, all bundled up, we were ok, waiting for the show. Right at five o’clock, swallows whizzed by. Then, a couple crows. I remarked this was kind of like the scene in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, where folks were gathered at the top of the hill, waiting for the “mothership.” If you remember back that far…first, a small glowing object sped by…then another..and then the big event!
Well, same here, on top of Pinnacles… a few minutes past five, two HUGE condors flew so close over our heads that we could hear their wings soar! My camera misfunctioned, but my husband had the wearwithall to turn on the video camera ~ check it out! Condors at Pinnacles National Monument My husband Daniel also took the fabulous picture of the condor flying over the moon…quite a magical moment!
With all the hiking and Condor sighting I didn’t have time to paint, but a studio painting is sure to follow…
Tagged california state park funding, california state parks
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Garrapata State Park Painting Adventures
Garrapata State Park Painting Adventures
Garrapata State Park is a wildly beautiful piece of land along Highway One, 6.7m past RIo Road, Carmel. Trails take you along dramatic ocean headlands out to Soberanes Point, or a huffing puffing steep climb up the coastal mountains, with heart stopping views.
Having painted at this gorgeous and demanding location numerous times, I have a few tales…check out Garrapata Quest stories
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Plein-Air in Tuileries Gardens
Painting in Tuileries Gardens
Dear friends ~ back from travelling in Europe and visiting family,I wanted to share a bit of the journey with you. Only got to paint a couple times, but enjoyed it sooo much!
My husband and I spent a few days in Paris, and we both fell in love with the city of lights, so full of Art, life and charm. I hadn’t been there in over 20 years, and never as an impressionist painter ~ what a treat to finally visit the gorgeous Musee D’Orsay , I went there twice! Then, standing inside Musee De L’Orangerie with Monet’s huge Water Lily paintings felt like the holy chapel of Impressionism, and visiting breathtaking Giverny was a pilgrimage to the Mecca of Monet.
Tuileries Gardens, o/c, 8x10
Awash in color and paintings, I snuck in my own humble attempt, a quick plein air pleasure at delightful Tuileries Gardes, in front of the Louvre.
And while this is not the great wild outdoors, the beautiful parks of Paris offer precious green sanctuary amidst busy city bustle. Like all city parks, they deserve to be painted, appreciated and protected.
Now back in the USA, I am looking forward to paint many of our glorious parks ~ hope to see you out there!:-)
Cheers, Karin
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Painting in Yosemite Valley
"Valley Glow,"o/c, 11x14, KHL
In August, four of us artists were fortunate to paint in “nature’s cathedral” speak Yosemite Valley. On a warm summer afternoon we picked out a perfect spot across from the wedding chapel. 
As we approached our location, we noticed a small group of children pointing at … a brown bear!!! They were just a few feet away from the tagged bear, who was casually nashing on vegetation. One of the kids innocently asked “is it a pet?,” refering to the wild animal’s collar…our hearts must have skipped a beat, until thankfully “Ranger Rick” stepped in to usher the kids to safe distance. The bear ran off, with camera toting tourists following.
And then we peacefully painted in ths sacred place. I still vividly remember the golden glow of the meadow and the purple majesty of (I believe..?) Cathedral Rocks. Can’t wait to return to this place of bliss!
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Paint the Parks Quest
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