"Palms"

Watercolor - 10 x 16" - $450

This wave isn't Windansea, or Simmons. Is the wave in between those called Middles? If it is, then this is middles. It doesn't breat that often, but it made the painting of these palm trees look better. I wanted to paint these palms for a while now, and now I did.

 

"Chinamans Hat 2"

Watercolor - 6 x 22" - $450

I may be able to paint Chinamans Hat for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. It has such an interesting shape, like maybe. . .I don't know, but it is sure appealing.

"Blacks"

Watercolor - 12 x 16" - $550

The summer just ended when I did this painting in 2006, and this was the view I had while working as a lifeguard there. We rotated through two hours on the cliff each day, watching over three miles of water, making sure everyone was okay. It was a great summer, over one of the best beaches San Diego offers.

"Reflecting Sumner Canyon"

Watercolor - 10 x 16" sold

The wave at Blacks is kind of a challenge to ride when it is this big. It usually doesn't throw top to bottom, and there is a big flat spot in the middle, that really slows a rider down compared to how fast the wave moves. So even when it looks perfect, there are some difficulties. Thats not every day, but you can see the flat spot on this wave right where Sumner canyon is reflected in the water.

"Goat Island'

Watercolor - 12 x 22" - $650

My favorite wave of all time. Not everyone likes this wave, but when it is on, I'd rather surf there more than anywhere. If you can see whitewater from the shore, its a guaranteed good time.

 

"Flowers"

Watercolor - 11 x 15" - $425

With all the rains we have had this year, the whole county was green and the flowers were blooming everywhere. For a while, the hills of Sunset Cliffs were almost pure yellow when looking at them from the water. They've since dried up, but it was beautiful for a while.

"La Jolla Afternoon"

Watercolor - 12 x 22" - $550

I work in La Jolla as a lifeguard and an artist, and sometimes I just have to look in awe at how beautiful it is. I wish I could paint how beautiful it really is. I will keep trying

"Coaster"

Watercolor - 8 x 12" sold

I am surprised when people see this painting. They often don't know where it is. It is the bridge at Torrey Pines, but people ask if it is Trestles or Cardiff, or some other spot. It just goes to show there are still some secret spots left. Sometimes there is a really good wave on this beach. Then again, since you have to pay to park there now, maybe people go there less.

San Diego skyline, boats, water. All the ingrediants for a nice painting

"Emerald Cove"

Watercolor - 8 x 12" sold

Emerald Cove is right inside the Clam. One of the rescues I had in the summer of 2006 was going from the Shores to the Cove on the wave runner to help some stranded and wounded kayakers. It felt good to be able to help out, and I love riding the wave runner all over the place. San Diego lifeguards are the only ones who get to play around in the surf on the wave runners without getting a ticket for it.

"Oceanside Pier Sunset 2 "

Watercolor - 11 x 18" - sold

Right when the sun went down the sky and clouds cooled off, and the night was cold. I like both paintings, but painting the pier is really difficult for me. All those pilings are tricky.

"The Clam"

Watercolor - 8 x 12" - $225

I remember jumping off the clam when I was a kid. Now, jumping off will get you a big ticket. It is still the same beautiful place.

"New Chinaman's Hat Painting"

Watercolor - 10 x 13" - sold

I am running out of names for my paintings of Chinaman's Hat. I am not running out of different ways to paint it though.

"Windansea Splash"

Watercolor - 11 x 18" - $425

Perry Farrell sings that he has seen the ocean break on the shore with no harm done. Cool.

"Windansea Shorebreak"

Watercolor - 15 x 22" - $550

Some times there is harm done to people or surfboards or real estate when the ocean breaks on the shore, but it is a small price to pay for all that the shoreline offers.

"Lifeguard Parking"

Watercolor - 14 x 16" - $425

The City of San Diego should take a lesson from what is happening at Sunset Beach in Hawaii. Here, we are so lucky to if we find a place to park by the beach during the summer. And I don't know how the guards do it in Pacific Beach, because there isn't any parking there even during the winter. Being a lifeguard, I have some issues.

This shot was in the same sequence from the night of the two sunset scenes. What a nice sunset it was that night.

Here the late afternoon sun hits the rocks at Windansea, making them look redder. I know the shack was only moved like 20 feet up the rocks recently, but it really throws off the compositions of a lot of paintings I have wanted to do. People in the lineup had to get used to the shack in a different spot, and I guess all the artists and photographers had to as well.

This picture was taken by my good friend Bruce Jamieson - another San Diego lifeguard - on a day when horseshoes looks like Pipe. It is a great shot, and I hope the painting looks good too. Bruce will soon be launching his own website - circa78.com - of his travel and landscape and seascape photos. So keep an eye out for it.

This shot was another one taken by my friend Bruce . It was from those big days in 2005. I love the shadows and the haze on the water, and I hope the painting is close to how great the photo was. Bruce's shots are great, and I know everyone is waiting for his website to be launched. It'll be great.

"Tower 25"

Watercolor 10 x 15" - $475

Another shot of the famous tower at Sunset Beach - on a calm day. I did this painting to go on the cover of the Cuyamaca College Summer Preview class schedule. I think it'll look good even with words all over it.

This is the second time I painted a lifeguard call box this year. I didn't even realize it until I was posting this painting on the website. This is of course at Boomers - the no board zone in La Jolla. It is a cool phone box there - an art project all on its own. The painting should really be in the surf section of the website, but the two surfers are very small in the shot, and they don't have boards.

"Children's Pool"

Watercolor - 15 x 22" - $650

A nice little stretch of beach in La Jolla. The seals have taken over in the last few years. It draws more tourists than ever now.

"Big Lefts"

Watercolor - 11 x 22" - $550

When Waimeas big, people hardly ever watch the huge lefts that roll in on the other side of the bay, unless they close out the whole place. Too bad they're not rideable, because they are always there.

 

"La Jolla Sunset"

Oil - 9 x 12" - $575

I have had this scene for a few years, but couldn't see how to do it with watercolor, but it almost painted itself in front of me with oil. This was from a really warm day in February, and I spent the whole day at the beach with my boys. We walked the whole stretch of the beach - to Dyke Rock - and back, and just enjoyed everything along the way. And the sunset was great.

"The Cove"

Oil - 11 x 14" - $625

Another shot of the million dollar view in San Diego. The cove has probably been painted more than any other spot in all of California. And the paintings are always fun to look at - and so is the Cove itself.

"Bathtub Rock"

Oil - 11 x 14" - $575

Everyone calls this rock Flatrock But the lifeguards already have a landmark called Flatrock just north of the break at Windansea where a lot of rescues take place. So we call this spot Bathtub Rock. Whatever the name is, it as a beautiful place, and I love when the sun reflects off the cliffs.

"The Clam"

Oil - 11 x 14

Another beautiful day at the cove, and I'm working with my oils.

These cliffs are so beautiful and interesting. As the day progresses, they change colors as the sun hits them differently. They make me want to know more about geology, and how they were formed.

I really like howthese rocks turned out. I took hours selecting rocks and posing them for the shot I used for this painting. I usually try to find cool things to paint instead of creating them, but it was fun to feel creative while working on it.

I'll probably get tired of painting the cove when people get tired of looking at it. The spot is beautiful, and the contrasting colors and mix of cliff and water make for an easy and beautiful painting. Some paintings are a lot of work to make look good, but the cove just lends itself to good paintings.

"Pipes"

Watercolor - 14 x 20"

Pipes is the same way. The spot is great, and with Swamis in the background, the scene is beautiful.

"More Casa"

Watercolor - 8 x 12" - $225

Another beautiful day in San Diego.

I know this looks like I set the scene up, but I was at Little Point one day, and saw this seaweed. And I thought it looked cool. So I paintid it.

This shot was similar. But I waited until a wave rolled in to touch the shell before I took the shot.

"Waimea Shorebreak"

Watercolor - 10 x 16"

I was playing around in the shorebreak at Waimea (it was a fun size - not a scary size) with my camera, and got a few shots. Mostly I got pounded. I looked back at the shots I took, and for every picture there was, I got worked getting it. The worst part is only like 2 out of the 75 were any good. I did like this one though.

"La Jolla Shadows"

Watercolor - 10 x 16"

This is another beautiful shot from a beautiful area.