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The Boat Shack at Nick's Cove in Marshall, CA on Tomales Bay has long been a fascination of mine. It's such an iconic spot and has been my muse for many paintings.  What moves me about it so much?....the open door to maritime treasures inside, the crooked piers leading to the shack,  the turquoise roof, the golden shingles in the sun, Hog Island and the Point Reyes peninsula in the distance, the changing sky, the incoming fog, the Bay, the changing light reflecting on the water, the people eating oysters, the smell of the salt water, the steep stairs down to the platform, and the tides of course...oh the tides. I keep my book of the tide charts for Tomales Bay so I know when the perfect lighting coincides with the outgoing tides....when the world is revealed "Below the Brine."

On January 7, 2024, the boat shack succumbed to an unfortunate fire.  So sad and shocking.  What is a painter to do when his subject is gone?  I am hopeful that the proprietors of this iconic spot will rebuild in due time.  In the meantime, I will be back painting plein air in the sand amongst the kelp washed ashore from the last tide.  Because this scene is as much about those other elements that move me as it is about a small wood structure, and they are all still there waiting for me....but I do look forward to the day when the last nail is hammered, and the shack has rejoined the scene. 

For your viewing pleasure, I've moved all the Boat Shack paintings into their own collection on the Works page.  Enjoy.

Google Maps location:    https://maps.app.goo.gl/5h5s6uYLUoUJL6ty5

In May 2023, I participated in my first Carmel Art Festival, as I was lucky enough to be juried in to the event.

From the top was the Frank Lloyd Wright house on Carmel beach, followed by two paintings from Point Lobos.  Then Pescadero Point on 17 mile drive.  Finally, the Pride of Madeira at Carmel Beach (near 11th Street) was my quick draw effort. 

It was a rewarding experience...which I hope to participate again.

This is late in coming…but better late than never.  We’ve been back now for about eight weeks…but a good time to reflect back.  Here are some random thoughts and epilogue of the trip.

Art – In total, I completed 60, 4x6 gouache painting studies on the trip.  40 of these have been posted in Instagram and on the website.  As one painter recently told me…”well there is your education”.  Painting plein air was so much more satisfying than taking a selfie.  All of those 60 sites are imprinted in my mind.  At the time of this writing, I have been able to return to the studies to repaint in Oil (see Moinhos on the Works page).  The gouache kit was convenient, small and easy to set up and clean up….but boy…does it dry fast.  I’m happy to return to the oils which allow the look I’m aiming for.

Portugal – During our four trips to mainland Portugal, we have now covered a good part of the Country, north to south and east to west.  There is so much more to Portugal than just Lisbon and Porto.  Small undiscovered places, a little rough around the edges, but authentic and stuck in time.  Portugal reminds me of California in the 1960’s…old roads still serving transportation needs, proud of their new freeways, but not yet impacted by their development.  We tried to stay off the freeways as much as possible to see the towns, small villages and various historical and archaeological sites.  Everybody we encountered in Portugal was extremely friendly and accommodating.

Spain – It’s a Country that has such a variety of terrain, cultures and language dialects.  From the Basques in the north to the Andalusians in the south, it is an interesting mosaic.  English is not spoken as much in Spain compared to Portugal as they have both Castilian and their local dialects to master.  Their train system is top notch.  Such good food and wine to sample (see below). 

Food – Yes..we ate very well.  We are adventuresome eaters, so were able to sample a wide variety of culinary treats.  In comparison to our last visits, Portugal seems to be learning how to upgrade their salads and even include some vegetables.  Maybe the government health department had a discussion with the restaurant community.  Spain does offer more food variety than Portugal.  My barber in Segovia and I agreed….Spain has more variety and the more inventive food…but Portugal does have the best fish.

Best Art Experiences – Almu Cros’ tour in the Prado (https://www.acrossmadrid.com/en/), Sorolla’s house and museum in Madrid, the Guggenheim in Bilbao (inside & out), and a private showing of Spanish Masters at sherry bodega in Jerez.

Amazing Indoor Spots – the Mesquita in Cordoba, Cathedral in Toledo, the Prado, the “drum” at the Convento de Christo in Tomar.

Amazing Outdoor Spots – How can you choose?...well here are the most memorable highlights: 

• the most southern of the southern Atlantic coast of Portugal (where the cliffs are higher)
• the plaza around the Temple of Diana in Evora
• the panoramic view from our veranda atop Marvao
• Almoral Castle on the small island on the Tagus River
• the vast plaza in Fatima
• the hillside schist villages
• our Douro riverside view in Porto
• the medieval bridge in Ponte de Lima
• the steep graded vineyards in the Douro Valley
• La Concha Bay in San Sebastian from any of the high overlooks
• the streets of Albarracin
• the mindboggling terrain of the hillside town of Alcala del Jucar
• the Segovia aqueduct
• our dining view of the Alhambra at sunset
• the gorge in Ronda at the new bridge
• the rocky coastline of the Algarve

Memorable Scenes –

• meeting the Ukrainian refugee and her dog in a plaza of Vila Nova de Milfontes
• the first sight of stork nests on the Portugal coast.
• painting a windmill from inside another windmill
• the opera singer performing in the portal to Obidos,
• the winning futbol team jumping into the fountain in Ponte de Lima
• our five-mile trek with our adopted dog for the afternoon (QP Cao)
• painting the ancient Temple of Diana at sunset in Evora
• painting the standing stones at Cromleque de Vale Maria do Melo with the only interruption by a local fisherman hopping the fence with his black bass
• walking the vacant medieval streets of Albarracin at night
• watching swifts at the Segovia aqueduct at sunset
• painting the Consuegra windmills at sunset with major winds
• kids playing soccer is Plaza de Espanas across all of Spain
• watching Ana Moura in concert in Lagoa next to the 85-year-old guy and in front of the teenagers
• the lifeguards saving the swimmer from drifting into the rocks at Carvoeiro beach in the Algarve
• walking amongst the Spanish Harley club riders and their convention in Alcala del Jucar
• my afternoon naps on the deck at Carvoeiro beach
• the view of the Alhambra at night from our lodging’s adjoining sitting room
• sun rising onto the New Bridge while painting in the river canyon in Ronda
• locals eating ice cream at 6:00 before dinner all through Spain and Portugal
• the view from Miradouro da Boca do Inferno on San Miguel
• listening to the Warriors win the NBA title from the lodging office at Aldea du Cuada on Isle de Flores in the middle of the night
• walking in the ash storm at Capilinous on Faial
• opening our windows and seeing Pico Mountain illuminated in the morning light
• …and then there was the ventricular clouds forming on peak the next day while we were at the base of the mountain
• visiting Algar do Covao in the rain on Terceira
• running into cousins (twice) on the main plaza in Angra do Heroismo, Terceira
• sharing wine and cheese with locals at the Imperio Caridade founded by my great great grandfather
• fireworks over the Bay of Angra on our last night of the trip

Good Fortune – We had very good fortune throughout the trip.  I dropped and broke the broke the earpiece off my glasses in Evora.  The local optometrist fixed it in two hours and there was no charge.  One of my crowns came out while eating interesting local faire in Ronda.  Our guesthouse hosts called ahead to Jerez and made me an appointment at a dentist.  They reinstalled the crown and, believe it or not, there was no charge.  Finally, I left my journal on the floor of the rental car while returning it in the Lisbon Airport.  We went back two hours later and the two young men who receive the vehicles searched for 20 minutes until they located it.  Thanks Europcar!

Walking - We estimated that we walked more than 900 miles….I have retired my shoes.  There were three different village to village hikes on the trip including the Rota Vicentina on the southern Portugal Coast https://rotavicentina.com/en/ from Sagres to Santiago do Cacem, in the schist villages from Talasnal to Gondramaz and back, and the Douro river loop starting and ending in Pinao.

It’s a small world – We met people from over 30 countries led by Portugal, Spain, USA, Germany, Canada and Brazil.  A special shoutout to our hiking buddies from Germany, Christian and Martina.  (And thanks to our other travel companions who came in and out of our travel lives...Ali, Miriam & Bleys, Andy & Christa from Vienna, and especially our dear friends Cathy & Pete who ran a strong anchor leg).

A big kiss to my travel partner and wife, Janet, who was patient and accommodating with my painting excursions….could not have done it without her.  After seven years in the making, Ibericorama 2022 is complete.  Was it worth it…. absolutely yes…would we do a three-month trip again…possibly not, but there are more adventures to come and more and evolving painting to come.   Now I’m back and diving into my new schedule…still working the engineering job…but much less, which means more brush miles.  Hope you have time to view my work as it progresses.

Days 85-90 Ilha da Terceira

Our final five days allowed in the Schengen zone were spent on the island of Terceira.  It is the second most populated island after Saõ Miguel and arguably has the most historical interest.  Many ships during the Age of Discovery came through here and Vasco da Gama stopped by when his brother was ill and died on Terceira.  Angra do Heroismo is the main City and historically has had the main port.  For me, this was chosen as our last stop because the island represents half of my ancestral heritage.  My maternal grandparents were born here, married and left for California in the late 1920's.   Terceira and the Açores are a story about immigration to search for work and more opportunities,  Practically everybody here either has cousins or knows somebody who lives in the US, Canada, Brazil or mainland Europe.  I have cousins here  who we visit, all offspring of my grandmother's sister…the only sister who stayed.

We generally visit during Sanjoaninas (feast of St. John), 10 days of parades, music, food and partying.  After a two year absence, the crowds were hungry for a party. 

Also on the island is the Algar do Cavão is an ancient volcanic vent in the center of the island which you can enter.  One of my cousin's  partner was one of the first ‘Montanheiros' to repel down into the chimney in the early 60's before the access tunnel was built.

There are too many sites of interest to discuss, many personally important due to my family connections, but I will note the Imperios   on the island which are small neighborhood chapels.  All are interestingly decorated and are centers for village gatherings and festivals.   Imperio da Caridade in the Conceição neighborhood was founded by my great great grandfather, Manuel Vieira Cardozo,  I did have the opportunity to share some wine and cheese with some folks at the Imperio and had a spiritual painting experience there which I will discuss on the final painting blog post.

Two painting studies are featured on the Works page and on Instagram,…one of the Cruzinhas on Mount Brazil and the other of the Imperio.

Ibericorama has come to a close.  Que triste.  I'll sum it up on a three part blog coming up in the next few days.  Hope you take a look.

From Flores, we traveled to the island of Faial and then Pico.  With São Jorge, they form an area commonly known as the triangle which are connected by frequent ferry service. The landscape features an eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  Visually, Pico mountain is the common thread and it's appearance changes by the minute with some wild cloud formations.

Ibericorama Days 79-80

Flores Island, Açores, Portugal

I read somewhere that the human eye can see 10 million shades of green… and Ilha da Flores has them all.  It also has the distinction of being the westernmost point of the European Union from its position in the Atlantic lying on the North American tectonic plate.

The island provides much painting inspiration which I took advantage of completing three painting studies during our two day visit.  These included:

• Cascata da Ribeira do Ferreiro - after hiking about a half mile up a rocky path, you are rewarded with a piece of paradise…a series of waterfalls, a natural lake, bird watching and well… 10 million shades of green.
  
  
• Cascata do Poço do Bacalhau - from the village of Fajã Grande, there is a formal walking path to a majestic waterfall and swimming hole.  Along the way there are a series of old mill houses and the ever present wild hydrangeas.
  
  
• Aldeia da Cuada - this village was abandoned by the 1960s due to immigration, but is now a lodge.  There are a number of unusual old wheels lying around.  A red one was a nice focal point of our lodging, José Maria.   (Note:  it is here that I listened to the NBA finals with my Warriors winning the championship.)

All can be found on the Works page and Instagram

Also of note was the whaling museum on the east side of the island in Santa Cruz Das Flores near the airport.  (Everything in Santa Cruz is near the airport… just take a look at a map… makes for an interesting landing.)