My Family Plein Air vacation

[Carolyn Karch]

This is my first blog ever.... I hope it's not too long winded.  I am entering this a while past the event, but just wanted to write about a wonderful week I had on vacation with family in January 2011. My Mother, sister, daughter, and brother all painted plein air together for a whole week. My mother got on Amtrak in Denver, then my daughter and I jumped on board to join her when it pulled through Reno.  We spent the night in downtown Sacremento, where I was able to spend a few hours in the Crocker Art Musuem, and strolled around the riverfront taking great pics.  We spent the next day on rails and debarked in LA.  We spent all week painting en plein air along the beaches.  On one day we went to Santa Barbara and visited the Clyde Aspevig Exhibit at SB Historical Museum, then we took photographs  at Our Lady of Mount Carmel (a beautiful  Catholic Church in Montecita).  We spent the "pink hour" PA painting at the Santa Barbara Harbor Beach.  Another spot where we set up our easels to paint was at a eucalyptus grove behind the St Francis Church. At  Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center I was able to include a light house in my painting, and while there we were able to watch whales coming in for a night feed,  Another day found us painting the cliffs at Miramar Park where we watched dolphins playing in the breaking waves.  Another day painting in another eucalyptus grove, and another day doing another coastal painting. One evening we spent life drawing at Angeles Gate.

My mom is 88 years young, and she kept up with us really well. Of course we rented a wheel chair so she wouldn't have to walk too far, and it served us very well hauling all he PA equipment (:.  She is the reason we love creating.  She spent two years studying at the Chicago Art Institute, and then two years painting as a pauper in Mexico where she met up with the likes of Rivera and Kahlo.

My sister invented and sells the BestBrella.  A plein air tool I just can not do without.

Me.....I'm just a recreational plein air adventurist.  Painting is my "Calgon" moment.   "Take me away Calgon"!

 

What made this trip so memorable and so terrific is that were weren't just sitting around yacking... but we were doing something tangible with our time.  My brother even came up from San Diego to spend a couple of days painting plein air with us.

Here are my results.....  HAPPY PAINTING   -   CarolPoint Vincente Intrepetive CenterThe Coast at Miramar ParkCoastal view off the road....? Catalina Island in the BG

Grove of eucalyptus behind St Francis Church

Santa Barbara Harbor Beach during the "Pink Hour"