Harmony Headlands

I have painted along the California coast hundreds of times. This piece was created using various sketches of Harmony Headlands State Park. Designed dark-dominant, lighter tones account for only approximately 15% of the scene. This piece was created for an exhibition specifically designed for artists to paint in honor of an historic master. My piece hung alongside Edgar A. Payne's "Dana Point." Like Payne, I utilized complementary colors; juxtaposing warms and cools. While the hues and light direction selected for "Harmony Headlands" say mid morning, I maintained his overall value structure. This allowed me to create dramatic light and shadow. I used vertical and diagonal lines to convey vitality, and horizontal lines to evoke calm, creating contrast between the stable land and the ever-changing sea.