Big Sur California

Big Sur was painted in tribute to my Aunt Molly who was a War Bride marrying an American Airman and raising eight children in America.

“The classic drive through Big Sur, along twisting Highway 1, offers plenty of pullovers at places like seen-it-in-a-million-car-commercials Bixby Bridge. Stop at parks along the coastline and look up to see endangered California condors, North America’s largest birds, or look down to scan the swells for migrating whales or sea otters floating among dense beds of kelp, California’s signature seaweed. Campgrounds abound, like Big Sur Campground, Fernwood Resort, Riverside Campground, and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The region’s beauty also makes it a magnet for exclusive, splurge-worthy hotels like the cliff-hugging Post Ranch Inn, or luxurious Ventana.

“Big Sur is more a state of mind than a place to pinpoint on a map, and when the sun goes down, the moon and the stars are the area's natural streetlights. (That's if summer’s fog hasn’t extinguished them.) Raw beauty and an intense maritime energy characterize this land shoehorned between the Santa Lucia Range and the Pacific Ocean, and a first glimpse of the craggy, unspoiled coastline is a special moment”.

As are all my paintings Big Sur was a pleasure to paint taking approximately four weeks to paint. It was painted from my photos on our magnificent trip down the California Coast Line.

Unframed this is a large painting 120x 70cm painted on Specially Prepared Board.

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Kit McNeill is an Australia’s landscape artists, recognised for her evocative paintings of the Australian landscape and her ability to capture the distinctive light, colour and atmosphere of the places she paints.

McNeil’s artistic journey has been shaped by a lifelong appreciation of the Australian environment and a commitment to developing her own distinctive visual language. An important influence on her development as an artist was her time studying under renowned Australian Artist John Wilson, whose guidance and tutelage provided McNeill with valuable foundations in observation, technique and the discipline of landscape painting.

Through her work, McNeil seeks to communicate more than a literal representation of scenery. Her paintings capture the mood and character of the landscape—the changing light across the land, the atmosphere of the sky, the colours of the Australian bush and the timeless beauty of the coast and countryside.

Australia’s diverse natural environment remains McNeil’s greatest source of inspiration. From sweeping coastal vistas and golden beaches to native bushland and expansive horizons, she finds endless opportunities to explore the relationship between light, colour and atmosphere.

Her paintings are characterised by a strong sense of place and an appreciation for the fleeting moments that can transform an ordinary landscape into something extraordinary. McNeil’s approach reflects both careful observation and an emotional response to her surroundings, allowing her works to retain a sense of authenticity while expressing his individual artistic vision.

The influence of John Wilson remains an important part of McNeil’s artistic story, while her continued practice has allowed her to develop a style and identity distinctly her own. Her work demonstrates a deep respect for the Australian landscape and a desire to share its beauty with a wider audience. Sadly freind and tutor John Wilson passed away March 2025 R.I.P my freind.

Today, Kit McNeil continues to paint and explore the Australian landscape, building on years of experience, observation and artistic development. Her work stands as a celebration of Australia’s natural beauty and of the enduring relationship between artist, landscape and place.