Neil Brooks conveys the essence of North County in his vibrant large-scale paintings. Starting with quick sketches on-site, he then develops ideas on large canvases stretched over his studio wall. He holds off on finishing his paintings for as long as possible while making marks and laying on color, so there are always “little doors” to sneak through. Exploring the layout and design in the studio leads to experimental and imaginative places on the canvas—although never completely abandoning the original inspiration of figures or a particular scene from the Southern California coast.