San Pedro

For the past few years we've enjoyed some very pleasurable visits to San Pedro.  It's an active waterfront area, the Port of Los Angeles.  There is a beautiful, updated marina which is a treat to walk around.  It's also the home of the National Watercolor Society headquarters.  The gallery shows there require a visit.  Averill Park is on a hilltop and features a winding block-long stream and duck pond.  I take a lot of photos in San Pedro, hopefully for future paintings.  Of course better than painting from my photos is plein air painting on the spot.

The plein air group I go out with on Thursdays has met in San Pedro twice this summer and my two paintings are below.  Last week we met at the Point Fermin Lighthouse.  Since I had been there before, I had in mind to paint a view from the point looking north along the coastline of the beautiful ocean and cliffs topped with structures and trees.  Standing to paint that view was just too windy and cold that morning.  So, I changed my plans and painted a view of the lighthouse with two friends, Nancy and Phyllis, from under a big tree.  The lighthouse was built in 1874 and not lit since the blackout along the coast after Pearl Harbor.  It is now restored and open to the public for tours.

The piece below was painted in June when the plein air group met at Ports O' Call in San Pedro.  This area of the waterfront features a tourist spot along a busy channel with all kinds of boats passing by - cruise ships, fire boats, tug boats, etc.  My painting friends were mostly situated along a side channel which was where a lot of maintenance work was being done.  I finally found a little shade next to a huge dumpster and set up there.  It was a beautiful day and my first experience painting at the coast.  I hope to paint there many more times.