I was one of 90 painters from the US and Canada invited to paint in the 2005 Carmel Plein Air Competition. I found a peaceful nursery hidden in the back roads and painted quietly most of the day. I’m not into speed or quantity when it comes to painting. Usually a plein air competition allows several days to paint any number of scenes you chose. But with the Carmel Festival, it’s all about your performance in one big day. I was fortunate that I had a good day and found a bit of paradise in this old nursery while I was wandering the back roads of Carmel Valley. I love painting old sheds and confusing messed up scenes. This nursery touched my heart.