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 Point Lobos provide the perfect vantage points for painting majestic views of the ocean and cliffs. “Archway at Gibson Beach” is a plein air painting executed in a palette primarily of earth tones and grays and depicts the cliffs in Point Lobos on a cold, overcast day. We see the rock archway, creating a frame of the ocean and can make out the shapes of the cypress trees beside it. The brushstrokes are built up in almost geometric form, giving the picture a strength and richness.