Paint Without Fear: Page 1 of 8
Article by Allison M. Malafronte
This past April, four women stood on a rocky outcropping in idyllic Point Lobos, California, overlooking a scene that most people see only in their dreams: A clear azure sky sprawled limitlessly above a vast ocean of blue, green, and aquamarine while white waves crashed softly against cliff edges. The sun shone brightly overhead, gently reflecting through the rippling water; and the weather was so ideal, it seemed that at any moment someone might pinch them and the scene would be gone. But these women weren’t gathered to simply gawk at the site deemed “the greatest meeting of land and sea in the world,” they were there to paint it. And Cyndra Bradford—a plein air artist adept at quickly capturing the picturesque imagery of the Monterey Peninsula—was ready to show them how. Growing up in Partington Ridge, Big Sur, approximately 45 miles north of Point Lobos, Bradford has been carrying her easel from hillside to shoreline since the age of 18, developing a loose, impressionistic style that has helped her interpret the beauty of her surroundings. Her fearless approach to painting and cheerful palette of bright, bold colors have earned her the title of “the color master” in the artist community of Carmel by the Sea—where she runs Galerie Plein Aire and is a member of the Carmel Art Association—and have been attracting students to her workshop for several years. Although Bradford enjoys sharing her theories and techniques with artists, she stresses individual expression over emulation. “I encourage students to express their own style,” the artist says. “I show how I set up the tools and approach the subject, but I expect each artist to interpret it in his or her own way.” If the students had any trepidation about interpreting the grandeur of the seascape before them, it was immediately dispelled upon hearing the first line of Bradford’s confident instruction. “Paint without fear,” the artist said with a smile as she set up her supplies. “The main thing is to have fun. Just try your best, and at the end of the day, even if your painting isn’t perfect, at least you’ve enjoyed yourself.”
One of the many scenic landscapes the artists painted
was China Cove at the Point
Lobos State Reserve Park, in Point Lobos, California.
Photos: Tom O’Neal, Carmel Valley, California (www.tgophoto.com)
