This original miniature painting was inspired by Partington Cove in Big Sur. This spot was a happy little discovery that my friend Heather helped me make. We stopped for the 9,466th time along Highway 1 to gaze at the beauty. She spotted the trail, so of course we had to explore where it went. It turned out to be one of the most magical places I’ve experienced, with a lovely little creek, gorgeous trees, and then a mysterious tunnel through the rock that led to this delightful spot, bathed in afternoon light, where we were the only visitors. Perfection!

Of course, I had to look up the story behind this place, because it clearly had one. It turns out that in the late 1800’s, John Partington had a business here transporting tanbark to build ships. He built the 100-foot-long tunnel through a rock promontory from the ocean and up a 280 ft. incline. Mules hauled wagons down the canyon and through the tunnel to the cove. During prohibition, it is rumored that the cove was a landing point for smuggling liquor. It also served as an equipment drop during the construction of Highway 1.

This painting was created with gouache paint on 140 lb. Legion hot pressed Stonehenge Black watercolor paper. It measures 2×3" and comes in a signed mat and frame that brings the overall size of the piece to 3.75×4.75”. It ships free.

Colors of original painting may be slightly different than what you see on your monitor screen. Artist signature, year of creation, and artwork title are included on back of painting. Copyrights remain with artist.