Like many of the California Impressionists preceding him, Jim Lamb for years has been allured to the Central California coast to capture mother nature’s unique beauty, character and color. The numerous rock outcroppings in Big Sur provide the perfect vantage points for painting majestic views of the ocean and cliffs. “Early Morning on Big Sur” is a plein air painting executed in a palette primarily of earth tones and grays and depicts the cliffs in Big Sur on a cold, bright morning. We see the rock cliffs creating a frame of the ocean and can make out the shapes of the mountains in the distance. The brushstrokes are built up in almost geometric form, giving the picture a strength and richness.