San Juan Capistrano

Several years ago I was fortunate enough to get to visit San Juan Capistrano, south of Los Angeles, late in the afternoon.  I will never forget it because it was so beautiful with the late afternoon light that I think the images will always stay with me.  Painting a subject brings back to me many of the thoughts and feelings I experienced while I was there.  The flowers were amazing, and the bougainvillea was fabulous.  Here in Texas it grows in flower pots and while beautiful it doesn't get very large.  In California it grows as large as trees in many beautiful colors.  The archways were especially impressive to me especially with the shadows falling across them.  I added my beautiful daughter-in-law, Rachelle, to the scene picking up some flowers off the mission floor.