Anacapa Island

The Channel Islands off the coast of California are amazing to visit. Only recently (don’t remember when) they became a national park, to protect both the islands and their flora and fauna, as well as to protect the waters surrounding them. Anacapa is a very distinctive island. It has an arch on one end, and zig-zags, snakelike, as it emerges from the water. I have visited this island, both on the land, and in a boat sailing around. It’s a truly lovely place, one worth visiting, painting, exploring, and photographing.

Here, I finished up using the available paints on my muddy palette. The final painting with that mess! As with yesterday’s painting, I have added white to the palette for colors, but for the most part, these are colors salvaged from the mess on the palette.

Truth be told, I really did not expect this painting to turn out at all. My colors were just such a mess. I simplified everything as much as I could. I managed to get some sense of depth, which also surprised me!

Edge of Night

Not a good image in color, but it works in B&W!

Roost

There is something quite fascinating about sailing past cliffs rising straight up from the sea and watching the birds circling, diving, nesting, and perching on the stones. In the middle of a whale-watching crowd, the sense of loneliness and isolation is found here.

Tip

This is the furthest tip of Anacapa Island, one rock beyond Arch Rock. It marks a boundary between the Santa Barbara Channel and the great blue Pacific! To me, it is amazing to think that the next continent is Asia, thousands and thousands of miles away across the sea. I don’t think I would want to have to sail there from here, much less swim.

Lighthouse

I believe this lighthouse, located on the tip of Anacapa Island closest to Arch Rock, was the last one built in California. When I lived at the beach, I could see it winking across the Santa Barbara Channel, a friendly light on a dark night.