This piece was painted during the Laguna Plein Air Invitational in October 2010 and was sold during the event. This scene is along Laguna Canyon Road on the way into Laguna Beach, California. I first saw it on my way into Laguna Beach from the airport. The light and atmosphere were so beautiful in the canyon...and the colors were amazing. The hillside and the tops of the trees just glowed! I prayed that the light conditions would be similar at least one day during the event so that I could paint this and thankfully my prayers were answered! Here it the photo of the actual scene...

When you compare this photo to the painting, you can see the differences in color and lighting. This is why I love painting "en plein air" (outdoors, on location). You lose so much of the color in a photograph that is actually there in nature. The shadows are much darker in a photo. In life, they are lighter and full of color.