LANDSCAPE

The environment of Point Reyes, informed by the power of the Pacific Ocean, holds a rich diversity of habitats: dense forests, wild beaches, windswept cliffs, coastal dunes, marshland, and open pastures, all within close proximity. By observing color, I have developed a deeper appreciation for the ecology, the local plant life, and the windswept trees, along with the animal and bird life.

OCEAN/SKY

There is an exquisite quality to the afternoon light at Point Reyes, when the sun passes behind the clouds and shifts the colors in an instant. It’s a reminder to me that everything changes. As I walk the muddy trails and coastal paths with wet feet and cold hands, Point Reyes awakens my senses.

Sunsets can be spectacular here, with the orange sun sinking into the Pacific Ocean. At dusk the ocean produces a light show of violet purples that change subtly and rapidly to orange, then red, and all shades in between. Waves catch the light, sand dunes glow, and grasses are illuminated like amber.

The beauty of the wild, frothy ocean stops me in my tracks, the salt spray flying and the colors of the beach changing in front of me. At other times, the in-between places of Point Reyes, the places I experience on my way to something else, inspire me the most. While driving one spring day, I saw big, fluffy, violet clouds low on the horizon. Suddenly the clouds opened in front of me and the sun came through, illuminating emerald green fields and mustard yellow meadows.