~ Jim McVicker ~
“I remember painting both of these works. “Heisler Park Sunlight” was painted during the first time I was invited to the invitational. I had been painting plein air landscapes since 1973 and Laguna Beach was the very first location I ever painted outdoors. So to be invited to such an important plein air event and to win the award was very special. I also love the Main Beach area and the park-like setting next to the beach along with a great boardwalk. Two years later I decided to set up on
the grass in the early morning to paint the backlit scene. It was quite the experience with some rather boisterous folks sitting on the benches behind me. All things that make painting outdoors challenging and interesting beyond the quickly changing light. One never gets that working on a studio landscape. My approach and thought processes have changed over the years. I have always approached the canvas in a direct and somewhat aggressive manner. In the past I stayed pretty true to the scene. Now I make more adjustments to what I'm seeing, like eliminating something that doesn't work, and color choices. I often think of a jazz musician playing the melody and then with a solo, improvising over the structure of the tune, never playing it the same way twice. That's what I hope I achieve in my work as a painter.”
2014 Invitational Best In Show “Heisler Park Sunlight”
2016 Invitational Best In Show “Morning at Main Beach”
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