Winter Beach Walk

By David Pearce

This painting is of a family walking on the beach in winter sunshine. They are fully clothed, there is no one else in sight, and the strong, pale light of early afternoon casts stark shadows. All year round, the light from the west, from the sea, in California can be blinding. I had the idea for this from my own walks by the sea in San Clemente. While the beaches in this popular area are never truly deserted, there are in fact times in winter when comparatively few people are about. In summer, of course, it is mobbed. Another feature of winter is the presence of clouds, which lends the skies more color, nuance and variety than those of summer. And whatever the time of year, I never tire of seeing the ubiquitous, tall, graceful California palms nodding and swaying in the onshore breeze.