Crystal Cove vacation

We (just my husband & I) stayed at Crystal Cove for three days from November 7-10 in a small room in one of the lodges. I didn't mind the small room for I wasn't going to spend much time in it. I did sleep, but not very well, the sound of the waves crashing hard the first night was very loud. I was excited to greet the dawn of light early the next morning. To be at Crystal Cove around the clock for three days was causing my spirit to fly pretty high and be restless. On Saturday I watched Kevin Short do a Demo for the Crystal Cove Alliance. He works so fast, I met some of his collectors and we all had great conversation. I later met with a good friend/artist, Veronica Kortz, whom I invited to come down to paint with me. I think it was too great of a beautiful day as several hundred beach goers came to enjoy the day also. I tried to paint, but the noise and people were too distracting. I thought it was better to enjoy the day on the coast and throw in the towel. So, on Sunday, learning from that lesson, I stayed on my deck of the lodge and set up a canvas. I was high up from the waters edge and the view was fantastic up the coast with the row of un-restored cottages scattered up ahead. The winds were blowing 20 knots and the canvas had to be bungie corded to the rail. I almost needed to be tied down also. But I stayed committed to the scene off the north side of the Cove and pulled off a great painting. The title is "Crystal Cove Relics", 16X12, oil on linen.
Just as I finished a crowd of people checked in one of the other rooms. It was supposed to be two people checking in, but they asked a dozen more to come and party with them. My painting was hung in the large kitchen up high so I wouldn't have to breath the oil paint during the night. I was also worried about people touching it. Sure enough, the party of folks made a big to-do about the painting at the start of their dinner in the kitchen. Everyone wanted to adopt it or show it in their home or walk away with it. Several people said they would be my gallery host. Anyway, they became very excited and vocalized it over that painting, I guess it impressed them! I was honored by the compliments and opened my wine bottle to enjoy the rest of the evening with my husband seeing that they had their fair share of wine already. We had a night walk along the cottages and it really was nice and mysterious, I could feel and hear the spirits of old Crystal Cove in some of those cottages.
On Monday, I tried to paint on the tide pool reefs as the tide was out. I got along pretty well into the painting and my husband showed up with a sandwich. Well, so did a hundred seagulls and one snowy white egret. I took time to photograph them and visit, it broke my concentration along with the tide coming in. I decided one painting in three days was good enough reluctantly. At least I took 500 digitals with my Olympus SLR, it is a fine camera. We enjoyed the sunset and packed up to go home. It was sad leaving there, I could only imagine how the former permanent residents felt when they had to move from there. The good thing is I can do day trips there anytime since we live 20 minutes away. I have fallen in love with this place and will continue to explore it, paint it and photograph it.
Funny thing is, a few days later, I sold a Crystal Cove painting I produced earlier this year on eBay to a former summer resident. She stayed there from the time she was born to her college years, from the early 1950's on. She shared stories with me and I was so delighted to hear them. She also was the niece of Roger Kuntz, a well-known early CA impressionist. The likelyhood of this was uncanny, I feel highly honored that she owns her uncle's art and now one of mine. To your right is Crystal Cove Vintage Cottages, now sold.