I began A View from Cannery Row, Monterey by sketching in the painting in subtle tones of blue and grey, and then added the bold colors of the wharf buildings. A chorus of gulls, and barking seals harmonized with the rolling surf as I worked; a brisk breeze brought me the tang of ocean air.

Plein-air painting is a total sensory experience that helps me capture the spirit of a place. Cannery Row, in Monterey, evokes the vibrant energy of the vigorous lifestyle celebrated in John Steinbeck's great novel. A View from Cannery Row, Monterey expresses all of that in a way only a painting can.