By BONNIE OWEN

Drawing and painting have always been a part of watercolor artist Gabriel Stockton’s California life. Colorful jars of paint were within arm’s reach at his mother’s ceramic studio, a.k.a. “The Garage.” While on his educational journey, Stockton worked in mixed media but eventually focused on watercolor.

Stockton resides in sunny San Diego with his family and his art captures outdoor scenes of San Diego, such as historic areas, boats and beaches, in beautiful watercolor paintings in the “en plein air” style, where artists paint the outdoors in the outdoors rather than in a studio. Stockton is often seen out in the community with his hand-made wooden easel with a display of recent paintings.

Being approachable, Stockton enjoys sharing his knowledge, thoughts and feelings about painting outside in workshops, classrooms and paint-outs. With confident brush strokes, bright colors and eye-catching watercolor paintings, it’s no wonder why people want to be a part of this artist’s journey and purchase an original art piece. You can see his artworks in various galleries, libraries and art districts throughout the region.

— Bonnie Owen is editor of Footnotes, the monthly newsletter of the Foothills Art Association