Strands Beach, tucked below the Dana Point Headlands, has quietly become one of my favorite places. I grew up boogie boarding at nearby Salt Creek on warm summer weekends with my family, but Strands became my regular spot later, once I started surfing more seriously.
I painted this piece plein air while recovering from an ankle injury. I couldn’t be in the water, so I’d sit on the bluff or down on the sand, just watching. Being close to the waves but unable to join them was frustrating, but it also gave me a different way to connect.
This painting is about that connection: the steep headlands, the shifting light, the purposeful movement of the ocean. Every brushstroke carries the memory of mornings in the lineup, missed waves, and moments of calm.
Even when I’m not surfing, I still feel part of this place. The ocean has a way of teaching patience, and painting helps me listen.