This area is called Allied Gardens, one of San Diego’s postwar suburbs. It has curving residential streets and culdesacs that branch off a busy road lined with strip malls. There are suburbs like this all over the country, places that once offered an idea of safety and a particular way of life and to some extent still do.
I have grown interested in this type of area recently. They really say a lot about American culture.
A hot day in January in La Jolla. Finished painting, put back on my shirt, went up the stairs, met a porn star.
Painted at Black’s Beach on a chilly day. Stiff wind off the water. It’s a nude beach but I was glad to have my down jacket with me. I frequently do prefer to strip down while painting here. In part because why not and in part because wearing clothes in this area often results in a weird vibe. I’m a weather wimp, that’s what brought me to San Diego in the first place, so too bad.
I am happy with this little painting, done as fast as possible. The trash guys dumped the tree out of the trash can into the street. I loved the passive aggressiveness of that.
Painted on location last week in Mission Trails Park.
When I was working on this one, a worker from the fumigation company came over and asked if I was “that guy from Instagram who paints the tents.”
I’m working on a series of pictures of this spot. It’s a hike from anywhere you can park. They’ve recently installed a 3 way stop here, which has had the weird effect of making the spot seem much busier than when it was just a stretch of 50 MPH road. It alternately smells like exhaust and like growing things.
When I painted this one, the wildflowers were in full bloom. I went back today to do another piece as the landscape dries out and becomes the brown, gold, and tan of California summer. Both those plein air paintings are preparatory studies for larger pieces.
Even successfully gave directions to a woman tangled in the maze of dead end streets while painting this.
I’d wanted to paint an enormous twisty old oak (or whatever) but it didn’t go right. I liked the stop sign.
