The Moment
The Moment, 36” x 48” acrylic on canvas
Like millions of people in the world, the Yosemite area of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, with its granite intensity, waterways, and stunning beauty, has a special place in my heart. It’s also the place that has made me the most me.
In 1935, my great grandpa “Wilbow” was able to lease land and establish a family heritage cabin just outside the Yosemite National Park border. It is my happy place. My parents found my name close by, eating breakfast after a fly fish backpacking trip. They heard, “Hey Tessa, two eggs over easy” and finally agreed after days of debating names like Fern and Buck. I grew up at home in the wilderness hiking, backpacking, fishing, swimming with my family. We slept outside, not once in a tent, always under the sky. It was on the cabin deck, laying on old fashioned cots under Ponderosa Pines, Cedars and Black Oaks with the stars beyond where and when I experienced my first sense of wonder.
As a wee one, I was also intrigued by the dramatically shifting daytime skies, sunny and clear one moment, clouds thunder lightning rain the next. Time lapse to decades later…
My love affair with the Yosemite area and Sierra Nevada range has only intensified with time. My backpacking adventures and art that came from them began to make me a living. I wanted to paint a large Yosemite Valley scape inspired by a singular moment. I told my mom, Suzy, this who at the time was the volunteer manager for the Yosemite Conservancy. She gave me some insights on where to find some unique painting inspirations.
One fall morning, I went into the valley early and found the site she mentioned. To my astonishment and delight, standing in front of the Merced River with Half Dome refectling, and morning light glowing on the granite walls and Black Oak leaves shimmering gold, I found the moment I was hoping for. I sat down, drew feverishly, and made a list of what to include in the painting. Within a few minutes the light changed, clouds took over, and the moment passed. I shook my head in wonder that I was granted the experience I came looking for, however fleeting.
I came home to Bonny Doon and painted the 4’ by 3’ canvas outside under Ponderosa pines and out came The Moment. To date, it is one of my most popular paintings.
Big Sur Four Directions Series
Earlier this year, 2026, I felt compelled to complete a four direction, four seasons series of large paintings inspired by Big Sur adventures. The first painting, South, 48” x 28,” was painted in 2016. A south facing view with summer colors of orange, turquoise, blues, blacks and creams, showing the dynamic juxtaposition of steep mountains dropping down into the Pacific ocean. The sun, unseen in the image, hits the water reflecting a sea of diamonds. Poppies glow orange and yellow in the foreground. The shore line is translucent teal.
This painting was inspired by days with my beekeeping teacher, Anthony Tomasso of Aptos Apiaries. He was like an uncle, along with a coach and teacher to me. I’d chauffeur him in the honey truck from Santa Cruz to Big Sur. We’d pass through the seven gates as he called them, winding our way down the coast in the early morning. Breakfast at Deetjen’s was always the first order of business. Then we’d ascend up 1,000 feet on an old dirt road in 4 wheel drive and tend to the honey bees. A good place to be a bee, for sure. On the way back, we’d stop and sage each other off and honor the four directions. The site of the first painting, South, was where we’d have our little ceremonies.
Recently a patron and friend had been asking if I had large original Big Sur paintings available. I grew tired of hearing myself respond, “not right now.” I got the inkling to paint sister paintings to compliment the one I’d painted 10 years ago. My painting style is largely inspired by the Japanese woodblock prints from the Edo period of 17th - 19th centuries. I dove deep into the process of painting North, East, and West, same size as South, 48” x 28,” acrylic on panel outside under the big trees at my home studio in Bonny Doon.
North was up first. I chose a limited palette of orangey reds, creams, aquas, and browns and mauves. A big moon hangs in the northwest sky, winter solstice, when the moon sets most to the north. The moon reflects on the water vertically down the painting. A red orange sky fades into the ocean that is teal and jade. Waves break and sea foam magic fizzes to the shore. Tall mountains aim down to sea level. Jade and rounded stones wash up on the shore.
East came next, inspired by a springtime outing with friends and my travel drawing book sketch. It’s dawn, so I chose a cool palette for this painting. A sky fade shows a few stars up high in the sky. Green mountains dotted with sage and oaks drop down into redwoods and cypress, Monterey pines. A waterfall edges out of the grey granite cliff and drops into beach sand. The ocean is calm and inviting with teals and turquoises. Morning glories and pines stand in the foreground.
West is a sky high perspective recalling the vantage point from a backpacking trip through the forested valley up up up to high in the grassy, yucca studded mountains. Deep blue bowl of ocean below and in front of the sunset sky. Condors fly far below and small dark clouds with shadows are under them. I selected peaches, oranges, ochres, creams, purple, blues, and greens for this Fall west facing painting.
My friend and patron was the same person who bought South years ago. This year, right after I finished the series, she purchased North and West. I gave her East as a 60th birthday present. The four direction series lives with her and her family in Idaho.