Garrapata and Carmel Mission...

Went out to Garrapata State Park this morning. Got there around 8:00 am. It was so windy I decided to hunker down and paint on the ground. Good for getting out of the wind, bad for getting dust and sand in the paint, and on my painting. John and Mark turned up around 9:00 am or so. Late-risers . . .

By the time John showed up I was an hour into a northward painting and he prefers looking south into the sun. I wasn't happy with my start so it wasn't a problem to stop, go over back over the ridge and set up looking south. Felt good to scrape the first hour off. Wasn't crazy about it. Wasn't ever going to be a good painting so might as well be rid of it. Gave me a chance to wipe off all the dirt and crap too.

Here is the painting. Not the best photo but you get the idea. It is a little over exposed so I will reshoot it when I get home:

Garrapata means "tick" in Spanish, by the way. Perfect place for them. And for Poison Oak as well. Makes you want to stay on the trail, not to mention back from the edges . . .

Later John and I decided to paint the Old Mission in Carmel. What a fantastic structure. While we painted there were four or five weddings. Not sure. because I lost count. The first one was so Italian there was little English to be heard. pretty much only spoken to us, the painters in the background. Felt like we were in a Godfather movie. Here's something that felt appropriate:

Don Corleone: "Someday - and that day may never come - I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as gift on my daughter's wedding day."

I believe that scene from the Godfather ended badly. Good thing my painting fared better Here it is: 

John threw down two paintings to my one. Have I mentioned he is fast? His didn't like his first one until he put the people in from the Italian wedding party. Gobs of them, I might add. John was supposed to be home by 3:30 pm but his wife called and said the kids were down for their nap so he decided he had time to do another. Less than an hour. Even nicer painting.

Every time I think I am fast John shows me I am not.

Here is John Burton and Mark Farina out painting at Garrapata this morning:

That's my easel to John's right. His is the light-weight Open-M I think I'll get to replace my French Julian.

Mark Farina, also with an Open M easel. Seems to be the tool of choice for these guys as those easels are bomb-proof. John lost one to the wind over the cliffs in this photo. Took him a while to climb down to retrieve it, but when he did, it was fine. All three of us kept grabbing our easels. This is the reason you never attach an umbrella what is holding up your painting.

Me, painting the Carmel Mission, amongst the flowers.

And me again, painting with good posture. Hey!

Good night all. Time to crawl into the sleeping bag.

Thomas