Crystal Pier is an iconic San Diego landmark and very occasionally a quiet location. This Wednesday winter morning was one of those quiet times. The tide was out, the surf was gentle, the fog had not lifted, and the weather was chilly. I arrived at the beach planning to paint exuberantly, as I had yesterday, but serenity, not exuberance, was the mood of the morning.

My eye was drawn to the greens and purples in the sky and sea. I was indecisive about including the pier, since it is so visually dominating, but went with it because of the delightful wedge it made against the sea and fog bank. I added the suggestion of figures in the lower right to add some balancing weight to the composition.

This is a 16 X 12-inch gouache painting.