A Little Time Alone Is Golden

I am a big dreamer. I always dream quite vivid and colorful dreams. I am told that such is rare since most people dream in black and white and few have vivid dreams. I am not supposed to remember my dreams except if I by accident wake up for something before I finished my REM (Rapid Eye Movement) dreaming period, which happens more often than I like.

Sometimes though the dream fragment I wake up for is beautiful and I stay awake and continue where I wish the dream to go–sort of day dream but at night. This painting came out of such a dreaming. My friend sent me a link to a video where they showed the horses and their treatment that the British Royalty uses. the video was awesome. You could see the horses run free, trot in the water with a rider, etc.

On this picture there is no rider…

An unbridled horse walking along the golden sunrise of the beach.

Here in my dream the horse was in the very shallow water taking a morning stroll on the golden sunrise, which still has a bit of grayness to it as I saw it on the video, which would be typical for England I suppose; definitely not for California.

But this stroll along the beach alone has more meaning to it than the beauty of the colors. It represents the importance of freedom, of rest, of relaxation, of reflecting on one’s own past, present and thinking about the future. It is a happy scene but I feel there is some caution in there somewhere. Enjoy the present!

This picture can be purchased in print by clicking on the link here and as digital download by clicking on the link here.

Enjoy!

The Other Side

Montery Bay, Carmel, and many areas around–like Pebble Beach–are well known. Most people visit Point Lobos National park but end up visiting only one side. That side is huge by any standards. The rocks in the water are mini mountains; the waves are giants, and the water is crashing so loud you can barely speak. Marine life is abound. But there is another side! It is totally calm; the water is covered by a foamy layer of algae floating. In fact, if you look close enough at the shoreline, it is really a line of caves! I have never seen anything like this before.

You can purchase a print of this photo by clicking here or a digital download and other items by clicking here.

The trip to the “other  side” is a hike of various roads turning left and right with no name so in following the map of the park it is still a great puzzle where you may end up. The hike is not a hard one in terms of steepness but the terrain is rough from the rocks and the many branches that have fallen and its unevenness. Not very easy to find your footing and the place is full of poison oak.. something to definitely avoid touching by accident as you try to grab anything in site for your balance.

So when we finally got a first look of the “other side” I felt a huge relief, thinking “well, we are already there”.. no.. another 15-20 minutes… but the view was definitely worth it.

The other side at Point Lobos National Park

The view here shows you the water and what appears to be a “rounded” shoreline.. those are all caves; hundreds of them. A most amazing sight! Since we went at the time of the year when the June Gloom was expected, that is what you see being lifted for about 15 minutes mid-day. The trees here are covered with lichen and everything is very soft and cushiony; probably years of accumulated lichen and pine tree leaves several feet high that create a carpet that one can barely stand on without falling over. A most amazing place. It also put nature in perspective for me. Nature is huge and we are so tiny yet we have such a huge impact on it. It is an eye opened to go there!

Dawn — because I never see them.. maybe you do!

An iPad Painting using all my skills (not from photograph) and the app Inspire Pro.

Dawn is a time of the day that a night owl like me never sees. Plus I live on the West Coast behind a mountain range that separates me from ever seeing a sunrise like this. I am used to seeing sunsets–albeit in Southern California sunsets are usually quite plain; we rarely if ever get “clouds” other than ocean layer type clouds, which turn things gloomy and dark rather than allow for nice colors to come through. It does, but very seldom.

The sunrise you see here is purely from my imagination. People often tell me that iPad or iPhone or other digital touchscreen artists paint over photos.. well.. no… I don’t and while many I ma sure do, those who actually know how to paint, need not do that.

Another common observation I get from those interested in purchasing art is that “well.. it is just digital.. it will look totally flat and horrible printed”. My answer is pretty simple: actually no! First of all, if you purchase a print online of an oil paint, you are purchasing a print from a photo of an oil paint! The photo takes all definition and depth out of oil and acrylic paintings and their textures since they were not optimized for printing on canvas but for painting on canvas.

Digital art, by contrast, is created specifically for print so whatever texture I put there (and on iPad art that will not be possible but on my computer art it is strongly visible) will be there when it is printed.

To purchase this art, you have three options:

1) Purchase a print from http://angela-stanton.artistwebsites.com/featured/dawn-angela-a-stanton.html

2) Purchase a print or a digital download from http://www.stantonphotostudios.com/paintings/h60d01de4#h60d01de4

3) contact me by email at angela@stantonphotostudios.com if you would like an odd size or gel atop the print.

Thank you and see you soon!