Pacific Palisades – Original Watercolor

Last June, while enjoying the beautiful atmospheric views I took photographs on the Pacific Coast Highway as we followed our daughter to purchase a home there. I began painting Pacific Palisades then in Fargo and brought to my California studio to finish. Then the Palisades burned. My heart hurt for the people there. Looking at the painting spooked me.  Not knowing what to do, friends suggested I use it as a fundraiser.  Our daughter’s house and their two next-door neighbors survived the fire. Their daughter’s school did not. The fire fighters fought the relentless flames and are still today helping the many who were left homeless, so I am offering Pacific Palisades as a Giclée reproduction as a fundraiser for the LA Fire Department. The canvas is particularly spectacular!

Most of the cars, road and backdrop were in place. To finish the painting, I had to talk myself through it. ‘Use the process, Ellen,” I told myself, ‘Just paint the trees in the foreground for now, don’t worry or try to force anything…remember its beauty’.  The trees were massive. Rich toned-down greens in the foreground started forming and joined into trees. The paint floated into some nearly opaque lines that were unique and encouraging. Amazingly, it was working in, working out the problems placing larger trees in the middle hills that captured the mystery.

P.S. The Pacific Palisades original was in  Fallbrook Art Center’s 16^th Annual Signature Watercolor Exhibition, and is now at the Red River Watercolor Society National Juried Exhibition.