Moss Landing, revisited

Moss Landing
36"x48"
Oil on canvas
©2011 Giselle Gautreau

I love Moss Landing. Driving down Highway 1 toward Monterey, my eye is always drawn to the salt marshes & bright orange moss that is visible from the road. With the ever-present Pacific marine layer, the fog just makes this orange color glow. I started this canvas well over a year ago, and because it's a lot bigger than I normally work, it was very slow going. I'd put it away for a while, put it back on the easel, and continued to breathe life into it until I really captured that feeling... of that light-illuminated fog, the reflection of the water, and the glow of the orange moss. In this, I wanted the air to feel as palpable as the land.

Taking It Outside


It's been crazy busy the last few weeks. Life has gotten hectic with both planned events and the unexpected curveballs that usually come flying out of nowhere when one is already feeling maxed out. Things are looking up though, and I'm anticipating some much needed studio time coming up. I love this time of year, before the rush of the holidays start displacing studio time.

I did have the opportunity to dust off my little French easel and take it out on site. A friend and I packed a lunch and headed out to a favorite spot of mine. It was gorgeous and we vowed to come back as soon as we could. It got me back into the practice of painting outdoors again, which I really love. There's something about the immediacy of Plein Air painting that resonates with me, and it was nice to reconnect with that.




Moss Landing- salt marshes



Moss Landing- salt marshes
Oil on Panel 2008
5 3/4" x 6" 

$125 (includes shipping)

(note on the painting:  about 40 minutes south of us is Moss Landing.  It's a quiet spot along Highway 1, between Santa Cruz & Monterey.  It's marked by salt marshes, grasses that are an amazing burnt sienna color, fishing boats, and a large power plant.  There are also a couple of excellent restaurants here, making it all worth an excursion.  I find this area quite beautiful, and look forward to making more paintings based on my explorations here.)