Pacific Cove

“Pacific Cove”             Pastel               9” x 12”             $100         © Sharon Lewis
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            This summer, we spent some time along the Pacific Coast Highway (also known as Highway 1), especially near Monterey and Big Sur and it was absolutely gorgeous! In addition, every day was what I considered ideal hiking weather: sunny, breezy, and cool. Of course I wanted to paint everything I saw but there wasn’t enough time so I settled for mini paintings on location and larger ones once I got back to my studio. This painting is of a site that just entranced me because of the sinuous shape of the water as it flowed into this cove as well as all the gorgeous colors reflecting on the surface.
            Happy Almost Weekend!

The Promise of Blue Skies

“The Promise of Blue Skies”         Pastel                12” x 16”           $200              © Sharon Lewis
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            I find rocky shores and rock formations in the water endlessly fascinating. As a child growing up near an ocean with smooth sand and interesting shells but no rocks, I wanted a little more drama! My brothers and sisters and I had to content ourselves with playing on a giant banyan tree that had fallen into the water. That banyan tree was a fort, a pirate ship, a castle…..anything exciting and dangerous.
            I saw these rocks while on the coast this summer, and took lots of photos knowing even then that I would be painting them. As I got closer to them, I was amazed to see all of the different colors that from a distance looked only dark grey and brown.
            Hoping you see blue skies and have a happy weekend!

Keeping Vigil

“Keeping Vigil”                Pastel            12" x 16"            $200           © Sharon Lewis
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            This is the third of my recent lighthouse paintings. As you can tell, I really enjoyed this beautiful area as well as the historic lighthouse. Each time I looked up as we hiked around this area I saw a different but equally interesting view. In this painting I wanted to highlight the beautiful but possibly treacherous cove (if you were a ship lost in the fog), as well as the light hitting the soft, green grasses on the hill.
            Happy Almost Weekend!

Resilience

“Resilience”                  Pastel                9” x 12”               $100             © Sharon Lewis
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I love painting trees that you find along coasts! They have weathered strong winds and rains and still remain standing. They bend with the forces confronting them but often don’t break….something I’ve been thinking may be a good approach to life. Sometimes a small change of direction is all that’s necessary for us to thrive.

              Happy Almost Weekend!

Yaquina from Afar

Yaquina from Afar              Pastel                  18” x 24”                 $300               © Sharon Lewis

            Somehow I have ended up painting a lighthouse series without consciously deciding to do so. I don’t know if it’s just because I have a love of lighthouses (I do) or because I had decided a few weeks ago to paint on larger surfaces whenever I could and lighthouses seemed perfect for a larger format. Either way, this is the second of three lighthouse paintings I’ve done recently. I wanted to do this painting, which I based on some of my photos of the west coast, because I love the lighthouse silhouetted against this magnificent blue sky. It also shows how tiny the lighthouse and the living quarters appear compared to the size of the land it sits on. As small as it looks, this is Oregon’s tallest lighthouse and is made up of 370,000 bricks and has stood steadfast through winds and storms since 1872.

            Happy Almost Weekend!