Torrey Pines October 10 2025

To paint w open heart I have to abandon what I see and trust feelings emerged out of subconsciousness via Dadaist intentions of accidental mark making anchored by Cézanne pictorial planes while awareness of my breath leaving behind any remnants of conscious thoughts.

I swam w an open heart tonight literally. My smart googles gave me an insight to keep my power stroke stretched out a little longer so I could swim more perpendicular to the water and open my heart more to the sky. Intelligence being is intelligent for a reason but the insight gained from the Real is always our own 😉

Comet analysis

The blog post "Torrey Pines October 10 2025" explains your approach to painting at Torrey Pines by describing a process that emphasizes emotional openness and subconscious creativity. To paint with an open heart, you intentionally abandon direct observation and trust the feelings that surface from your subconscious. Your method draws inspiration from Dadaist principles—using accidental mark making—and grounds itself in Cézanne's concepts of pictorial planes. Throughout this, you maintain awareness of your breath, allowing yourself to let go of conscious thoughts and become fully immersed in the act of painting.

Here’s a deeper explanation of the post "Torrey Pines October 10 2025":

• Artistic Process: You describe that painting with an open heart means abandoning traditional observation—“what I see”—and instead, you trust emotions and impulses that rise from your subconscious.

• Creative Philosophy: In this approach, you blend Dadaist principles (embracing accident and chance via mark making) with Cézanne’s formal strategies (focusing on pictorial planes), creating a synthesis of intuition and structure.

• Mindfulness Practice: Throughout, you stay aware of your breath to dissolve any lingering conscious thoughts. This mindfulness not only supports your creative flow but helps you settle into a pure, meditative painting state.

• Results: This process results in work that is guided by feeling, accident, and underlying structure—not by literal depiction, but by what you sense below the surface.

Expanded explanation:

• You prioritize feelings over direct visual observation, connecting to your emotional and subconscious self.

• Dadaist intentions guide your mark making, meaning you embrace randomness, chance, and the unexpected instead of seeking precise control.

• Cézanne pictorial planes refers to using spatial structure and compositional layering, providing solid artistic foundation while letting intuition roam.

• Breath awareness acts as a mindful anchor, helping you set aside conscious analysis and fully immerse in creative flow.

This method allows you to create with spontaneity, emotion, and thoughtful structure—a blend that’s uniquely personal and expressive.

1. Dadaist Intentions & Accidental Mark Making

• Dadaism was an avant-garde art movement that embraced chaos, spontaneity, and accident—rejecting the logic and aesthetics of traditional art.

• In painting, accidental mark making means allowing random gestures, splashes, and mistakes to become part of the artwork's character. The artist intentionally surrenders control, inviting unpredictable outcomes.

• This approach often leads to expressive, raw images that feel emotionally honest, as they bypass deliberate planning.

2. Cézanne’s Pictorial Planes

• Paul Cézanne revolutionized painting by emphasizing structure and geometry—breaking complex scenes into overlapping planes of color and shape.

• Pictorial planes provide depth and stability, letting the eye travel through the painting and sense the underlying framework.

• For you, anchoring accidental marks with Cézanne-like structure creates balance—chaos is countered by compositional order, giving your painting both spontaneity and coherence.

3. Breath Awareness & Mindfulness in Art

• Remaining aware of your breath is a mindfulness technique in both art and meditation. It calms the mind and tunes attention to the present.

• By focusing on the breath, you allow subconscious feelings to surface, while conscious thoughts and judgments recede.

• This supports a state of flow—where intuition, emotion, and creativity can fully direct the act of painting.

Summary – Your Artistic Approach

• You create from feeling, accident, and intuition, but always with an underlying compositional framework.

• Mindful breathing helps you shed self-consciousness, letting you paint with openness and emotional presence.

Here are practical ways to apply these artistic concepts in your own painting practice:

Dadaist Mark Making – How to Try It

• Begin a painting session by making spontaneous, random marks—use unexpected brushes, flick water, or let paint drip freely.

• Allow mistakes and surprises to happen. Don’t correct them immediately.

• Embrace the beauty of imperfection. Notice how these “accidents” often reveal emotional truths or interesting new directions for your work.

Cézanne’s Pictorial Planes – How to Structure Chaos

• As you continue, look for underlying shapes/planes (triangles, rectangles, curves) in your painting.

• Organize composition by grouping marks and colors into blocks that move the eye across the canvas.

• Use overlapping areas and contrasting color values to build depth, just like Cézanne divided landscapes into colored planes.

Mindful Breath – Enhancing Creative Flow

• Before painting, spend a few minutes watching your breath. Let it become slow and steady.

• When you feel stuck or tense, pause and return focus to your breath, letting conscious thought drop away.

• Paint as if each mark flows out naturally with an exhale, loosening your grip on outcome and expectation.

Historical Example

• Joan Miró and Wassily Kandinsky both mixed Dadaist spontaneity with geometric structure—resulting in vibrant, expressive works.

• Miró said he would “kill painting” with accident, but always found order in color and placement. Kandinsky sought spiritual meaning in spontaneous gesture anchored to compositional theory.

Tips for Your Own Watercolors

• Try working fast for the first layer, then slow and deliberate for successive layers—alternating between accident and structure.

• Use masking tape or geometric sketches for underlying planes; then let random marks cross over and interact.

• Document your emotional state in a journal before and after painting—see how subconscious feelings affect your process.

Here are actionable workflow suggestions tailored to painting outdoors at Torrey Pines:

Outdoor Painting Workflow – Torrey Pines Approach

• Settle & Observe: Arrive early and spend 5–10 minutes simply taking in the scene. Notice the colors, sounds, movement, and how you feel emotionally in the space.

• Quick Gesture Marks: Start with random, loose marks—perhaps using a large brush or even directly splattering paint. Let the environment guide your choice of motion and color. These marks capture your first, raw impression.

• Pause & Breathe: After your initial layer, pause, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Feel the wind, sun, and rhythm of your breath sync with the landscape.

• Establish Pictorial Planes: As you open your eyes, find large shapes in the scenery—cliffs, trees, water zones. Block these out with bold, simplified color planes, echoing Cézanne’s method of organizing space.

• Layer Spontaneity: Allow drips, splashes, and accidental blends to remain; they mimic nature’s chaos and movement. If a gust of wind disrupts your stroke, embrace it as part of the process.

• Mindful Detailing: For final touches, only add details if they “feel right” with each breath. Let your intuition guide the selection and placement, instead of aiming for perfect representation.

Pro Tips for Torrey Pines:

• Bring a limited palette chosen by instinct—what colors resonate with you in the moment.

• Use a sketchbook page to jot down emotions, reactions, or immediate visual impressions. Sometimes a word or phrase can focus your artistic intention.

• Paint standing up or even barefoot if the terrain allows—it helps connect physically to the environment and supports spontaneous movement.

Summary:Let chance, breath, and emotion lead the start of your painting. Find grounding in large, structured planes. Throughout, return often to breath and feeling, allowing the unique beauty and unpredictability of Torrey Pines to shape your watercolor.

Here are specific technical tips and recommended materials for plein-air abstract watercolor at Torrey Pines:

Technical Tips:

• Use Large Brushes First: Begin with 1–2 inch flat or mop brushes to lay down spontaneous washes and sweeping gestures. This helps anchor your painting in movement and feeling.

• Limited Water/Brush Loads: Load your brush lightly; splatter and flick water or pigment for accidental marks—these capture the unpredictable spirit of outdoor painting.

• Work Wet into Wet: Coat the paper with water and let colors mingle freely. The landscape’s humidity and shifting light will naturally affect drying, often in beautiful, unplanned ways.

• Tilt & Rotate: Move your paper to let gravity create runs and blends. Don’t fight the wind—if your board tilts, embrace the effect.

• Masking/Resist: Use masking tape or masking fluid for Cézanne-inspired geometric blocks. Remove it later to reveal crisp planes beneath chaos.

• Layer with Intention: After the spontaneous first layers, glaze over with more deliberate washes. Choose which “accidents” to emphasize—and which to let fade.

Materials for Plein-Air Abstraction:

• Watercolor Block: A block or heavyweight cold press paper (9x12 or 11x14). Cold press for texture.

• Limited Color Palette: Pick 4–6 colors by instinct—perhaps Quinacridone Gold, Cerulean Blue, Indigo, Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, and Sap Green.

• Large & Small Brushes: 1–2 large flat or mop brushes; 2–3 round and detail brushes.

• Spray Bottle: To quickly rewet the paper and create blooms or mist effects.

• Masking Tape or Fluid: For reserving pictorial planes.

• Portable Easel or Lightweight Board: To support bold gesture painting and easy rotation.

• Journal or Notepad: For recording feelings, words, and intentions before you start.

• Compact Water Container & Rag: Quick cleanup and control.

Extra Tips:

• Try painting to music using wireless earbuds—jazz or ambient sounds often support intuitive mark making.

• Embrace interruptions—bird calls, hikers passing, breezes—as part of the scene. Let them shape your gestures.

Here is a step-by-step workflow for plein-air abstract watercolor at Torrey Pines, blending intuition, structure, and mindfulness:

Step-by-Step Abstract Watercolor Workflow

1. Arrive & Observe (5 minutes)

   • Stand quietly. Tune into sounds, light, and your body’s response to the landscape. Jot down a word describing your feeling.

2. Prepare Materials

   • Set up your watercolor block (cold press recommended) and limited palette.

   • Ready large and small brushes, masking tape/fluid, spray bottle, water container, and journal.

3. Gesture & Accidental Mark Making (5–10 minutes)

   • Begin with large brush strokes, working wet-into-wet.

   • Flick, splatter, and rotate your board to encourage accidents.

   • Embrace the wind or sun’s influence—let these conditions create unique marks.

4. Pause & Breathe (2 minutes)

   • Close your eyes. Feel your breath match the rhythm of waves or wind.

   • Let go of conscious thought—settle into a state of flow.

5. Anchor with Pictorial Planes (10–15 minutes)

   • Use masking tape/fluid to block key shapes you sense (cliffs, trees, sky zones).

   • Apply bold washes and color planes. Structure the painting without explicit details.

   • Allow overlapping shapes and color shifts to guide composition—refer to Cézanne’s method.

6. Refine with Intuitive Detailing (10–15 minutes)

   • Unmask reserved areas; add detail only where it feels needed—guided by each breath.

   • Use smaller brushes to emphasize certain accidents; let others fade.

7. Final Reflection (5 minutes)

   • Pause, breathe deeply. Review the painting and journal briefly about your process, noting feelings or discoveries.

Optional Enhancements

• Listen to music (wireless earbuds) to enhance intuition.

• Work in short bursts; if you start feeling blocked, step away and return after a mindful break.

SummaryThis workflow combines spontaneous mark making, Cézanne-inspired planes, and ongoing mindfulness—allowing both accident and structure to shape your art.

Here are recommended Torrey Pines landscape features to focus on in your abstract plein-air watercolor:

Torrey Pines Elements for Abstract Watercolor

• Cliffs and Bluffs:

  • Notice the warm ochres, russet reds, and rugged textures.

  • Abstract as overlapping planes; use bold washes and dry brush marks for erosion and edge.

• Torrey Pine Trees:

  • Their angular, twisted forms are ideal for expressive linework.

  • Capture with spontaneous brushstrokes or masking shapes, not literal tree details.

• Coastal Sky:

  • Often dramatic with changing blues, fog banks, or sunset hues.

  • Paint large gradients for sky planes; let water and chance blend colors naturally.

• Pacific Ocean:

  • Use sweeping, horizontal strokes for water layers.

  • Allow “accidents” like blooms and drips to mimic waves, reflections, and motion.

• Salt Marshes & Trails:

  • Organic lines, soft greens, and golden grass provide contrast.

  • Abstract with loose gestures and color blocks; try flicking brush for grass effects.

• Wildlife/Movement:

  • Birds, hikers, surfers—suggest motion with quick marks or ghostly silhouettes.

Tips:

• Don’t try to include everything. Pick 2–3 elements that resonate and let abstraction guide you.

• Let colors blend and marks overlap to reflect nature’s energy and rhythm.

• Write a single word or phrase about the scene’s mood as anchor for your painting.

Here’s advice on blending Torrey Pines landscape elements with your emotional state for a truly expressive abstract watercolor:

How to Connect Landscape Elements with Emotion:

• Identify Your Feeling:

  • Before painting, note your emotional state (calm, energized, nostalgic, restless).

  • Choose a word—“serenity,” “tension,” “joy,” etc.—and let it guide your color and movement choices.

• Let Each Element Reflect Feeling:

  • Cliffs: If you feel strong or grounded, emphasize cliffs with bold planes and heavy textures.

  • Trees: If you’re tense or restless, paint Torrey pine branches as sharp, angular lines or erratic gestures.

  • Sky: For tranquility or openness, use wide, soft gradients and gentle wet-into-wet washes.

  • Ocean: For energy and movement, create dynamic horizontal strokes, overlapping blues, and splashes.

  • Wildlife: Suggest fleeting birds with quick marks if you feel ephemeral or contemplative.

• Change As You Go:

  • Let your mood shift during the session. Notice if you become more relaxed, focused, or pensive, and adjust your gestures, shapes, and colors to reflect that.

• Embrace Accidents:

  • When a drip runs or a mark surprises you, ask if it reflects your evolving emotional state—work it into the composition rather than “fixing” it.

• Journal Reflection:

  • After painting, write down how your emotions changed. Which landscape features best mirrored your feelings? What surprised you?

Summary:Let your artistic choices—color, gesture, layering, structure—be in fluid dialogue with both your interior experience and the natural terrain. This approach creates deeply personal abstract work that’s not just about place, but also about mood and meaning.

Emotional Landscape Painting Checklist

1. Arrival & Awareness

• Observe: Take 1–2 minutes to tune into the environment.

• Feel: Note your emotional state (e.g., calm, energized, nostalgic).

2. Intent & Element Selection

• Choose 2–3 landscape features that resonate today (cliffs, trees, ocean, sky, marshes, wildlife).

• Write down a guiding emotion or word (“serenity,” “movement,” “tension,” etc.).

3. Materials Ready

• Watercolor block (cold press)

• Limited palette (pick colors that match your emotion)

• Large & small brushes, masking tape/fluid, spray bottle, rag, notepad/journal

4. Spontaneous Mark Making

• Start with large gesture marks, embracing accidents and environmental interruptions.

5. Establish Pictorial Planes

• Use geometric shapes and blocking for composition.

• Let structure emerge from feeling and scene.

6. Breath Pause

• Close your eyes, breathe deeply for 1–2 minutes.

• Let go of conscious expectations.

7. Layer & Adjust

• Alternate between intuitive/spontaneous and structured/color plane techniques.

• Adjust gestures and color to reflect evolving emotion and changing light.

8. Embrace Accidents & Change

• Work with unexpected marks and let your mood influence further abstraction.

9. Reflection & Journaling

• After finishing, journal briefly:

  • What feelings dominated your painting?

  • Which marks or elements best expressed those emotions?

  • Any surprises or shifts in mood?

10. Title Your Painting

• Use your emotion or a descriptive phrase inspired by your session.

Print this card to keep in your plein-air kit or journal—use it as a gentle guide for expressive, emotionally attuned landscape abstraction at Torrey Pines or anywhere you paint outdoors.