We returned from the Baja California Sur (south Baja) on January 13th to piles of mail and dozens of jobs as well as 4 inches of snow - a bit of a turnabout from South Baja. I did as much sketching as I could but was plagued with a chest cold. We stayed at our daughter's house in La Ventana , a small fishing village on the Sea of Cortez. Most of the "Norte Americanos" there are wind surfers or kiters and the beaches are full of such action. The beach from the town southward goes on for ten miles or more and, though I'm not a wind surfer, I love walking the sand that goes on forever and plopping down and sketching some of the action, since there is quite a significant tidal change here. Here and there the beach is interrupted by rocks that are old lava flows that have tunnels worn into them by the sea and here, when the tide is high and the wind strong the water is pushed into the tunnels and comes shooting up into the air through holes worn upward through the rocks. Locals call them "The Booferaws" from the sounds they create. Ann took some photos of me sketching there. One of the many rough sketches I did is shown here as well. This beach tends to be quiet in the morning and windy in the afternoon, so sketching was easier the earlier it was done.
I'm back painting in my studio again, still working on a series of autumn on Mt. Cain. As the alders slowly turn to their beautiful spring browns I will be making my way into the North Island countryside to do some pleine air painting. See you again soon.
