Illumination

An uncharacteristic (for Laguna Beach) lightning storm was my inspiration for this plein air painting created in the early evening hours during the Laguna Plein Air Invitational. For speed, I created an under-painting in acrylic as the clouds moved overhead and the sun set. As the night set in, I hooked up my Doug Woodman nocturne lamp to my easel, and laid out my oil palette. Deep rumbles from beyond the horizon forecast the coming lightning, but I was fortunate--it didn't rain. As the sky lit up intermittently, I scraped in a lightning bolt with the tip of a razor blade.