We arrived at dawn and set up to begin painting. It was a beautiful morning, a big contrast from where we were two days earlier in Zion National Park, where it was 20 degrees. I liked this scene at the beginning of the beach hike. The river was making a cut in the purple-colored sand as it flowed to the sea. Not thinking anything about it, I just painted what I saw. My wife talked with some beach walkers who told her that the manganese garnet trickles down from the nearby mountains when it rains and turns the beach and river purple. I had a good day painting this scene quickly with bold broken color strokes. I took my time with the rocks, wanting to see into the shadows where there was a warm glow from the reflective light. This painting is what I call 1 in 50, and they only happen once in a while, usually at a place like Big Sur, Pfeiffer Beach.
16″x 8″ Oil Painting, linen on board.