"Goleta Painters"

These here are two palms, I have painted before. However, this time I had the chance to paint  with out the thick of the fog. In this visit, The sun allowed me to truly enjoy their vulnerable yet whimsical appearance, which most likely goes unnoticed by hikers and locals in the neighborhood. Whom would other wise pass them by, much like one does, when passing a stranger in the street. This is why the job of the landscape artist is not only to copy the natural world or the all ready beautiful tree, but rather give the objects which one has become desensitized too, a chance to be captured ,so too  give it new meaning and a reason to be looked at and acknowledged. May that reason be that it is ugly,beautiful or deformed.

-Michael R. Leon

Plein-air of tree (overcast), Palos Verdes

I came upon this tree after I got lost in palos verdes trying to find an area to paint. It was located between large estates on a small bluff, I was attracted to it because of ts placement in the neighborhood. It made me wonder, if any one took into consideration the pathetic yet noble tree holding on for dear life  on the  edge of the cliff, being overshadowed by Spanish tiles and a cement wall. The only people taking advantage of it were the young smokers, paranoid, and looking over their shoulders wondering what on earth the guy with the weird paint covered box was doing painting the tree.

Plein-air of tree, Palos Verdes

 I Made the first painting (plein-air of tree) on the oddest of days, the weather patterns were not very steady so I had to paint quick and continuously wait for the overcast weather to either go away or stay.  At the end of the session it finally stayed clear for about 30 min,which gave me enough time to put the color in into the drawing.  As for the above piece (overcast) the day stayed relatively overcast, which helped keep the light consistent without a relative amount of change.

Study of Joaqiun Sorolla’s -La Virgen Maria

Study of Diego Velasquez’s- Man with Goat-tee

These are a couple of master studies I did after some of my favorite artists, I enjoy drawing these because they are like artifacts and lessons which allow me to learn and understands skills in art that have been relatively lost since the 19th century.  Sorry to revert away from landscapes but Master studies and drawing are an intricate process in creating paintings and it is why I am sharing this with you all.

Living and painting in long beach can be difficult, for it is hard to find a landscape that has not been manicured. I guess not all cities can have more then one park dedcated to preserving a natural habit indeginous to their surrounding. Maybe this is a issue the people of long beach dont ever question? 

 Any how, this painting was done at the Nature center, it is 8×10 and I worked on it for 2days for a total of 2 hours. I try not to work more then a hour during a painting session becuase of the possibility of over working it and of course the natural elements of light which in nature will change either by cloud or time it self.

This 5×7 painting  was done with a cigar box pochade in about an hour. I really wanted to try get the intensity of the summer light against the landscapes vibrant  yellow ochers found in the dried grass and the greens in the oak trees. I overall wanted to capture the feel of a summers day in the goleta country side.

-Michael R. Leon

This was done at portuguese bend before going to work . Its located in the Palos Verdes coastal area .

Douglas Preserve

I do not have much to say, other then these are some, of the many paintings I will be sharing with you.

Enjoy,

Michael Leon

Arroyo Burro

I’m a Goletian, born and raised in the orchard by the sea. I have moved around California continuing my studies in art and aesthetics, in hopes of educating myself in an art that has proven to out last centuries of dogmatic philosophy. However, I ‘m not here to preach, but rather share my experiences in my struggle to master the beauty that is art and its never ending mysteries.

Sincerely,

Michael R. Leon