Surfs Up

Surfs Up
4 x 12
Acrylic on Canvas
Brush and Palette Knife

As a self-taught artist one of the ways I continue to progress and improve is by going to various workshops across the country.  I try to pick one per year that would really make an
impact on my work and development as an artist. 
In doing this, researching the right artist and location that would benefit you the best is essential.
This past year in June 2010 I chose national award winning pastelist Sally Strand.
She was fabulous teacher, everything you could ever want and expect out of a few days of intensive training!It was inspirational, motivational and I walked away feeling like I really got something out the experience.
Even if I don't figure out how to apply all I learned till next year, it was completely worth it!
One of the best parts of the trip was the quaint picturesque town of San Clemente...
and of course, having my sister come along for support and fun times!
While I learned diligently in the studio,
she went for walks, took in the local sights,
and researched the best places in  town for good eats!
One of coolest parts of  San Clemente is the local surfers looking to catch the next wave of the day!
Trying to take home a piece of our trip, she snapped a photo of a local surfer at the beach heading down to the water for what was I'm sure his favorite part of the day.  We were amazed at the amount of surfers around town and it seemed like every age from small children to senior citizens would find time
to 'catch a wave'! What a life!
I found the photo last night and  thought I would try and
see if I could get it to work on a canvas size I have never attempted!  After all, it's all about trying new things!
The original photo was a landscape of the beach, so cropping it to work in the focal point of the surfer in a narrow horizontal shape was a bit challenging, but fun and I'm pretty pleased with the end result!
There will be other paintings to come inspired by our trip last year!!!
Thanks for your visit...
hope today you find your inner spirit of creativity in ways you never thought of!