ROCKY CREEK

Coast Pine Tangle, oil 9 x 12

Every year at the Oregon Coast, Erik Sandgren coordinates a group of painters for two weeks, painting together each day at a different location.  This year, I join the group during the second week at Rocky Creek.  I have driven from 90 degree heat in the Willamette Valley, and it is something of a shock when I climb out of the car and am hit by a blast of cold air.  I almost climb back in, but I have come to paint with these other painters, so the least I can do is to see what they are up to.  After a half-hour of visiting with friends and acquaintances, I have adjusted to the temperature and a tangle of pine trees snags my attention.  I settle on to the grass a few feet from my car and paint.