Carmel Art Galleries | Gallery by the Sea Carmel

For some, collecting art is a passion, for others a way to enhance the aesthetics of your home and express yourself. Carmel offers roughly 60 galleries, and although we didn’t squeeze them all in, we spent Saturday morning visiting as many as we could. This is the first of a three part Carmel art galleries series, each with a special reason for being featured. Today’s featured artist is Michael Kent Lynberg.

Elizabeth Lynberg and Michael Kent Lynberg run Gallery by the Sea Carmel, located on San Carlos between 5th and 6th Avenue. This gallery immediately caught my eye as my girlfriend and I strolled through Carmel after our delicious breakfast at Village Corner.

The lighting even from the outside was captivating. Their featured piece was a painting of the 7th green overlooking the ocean at Pebble Beach. A warm welcome from Elizabeth, and we were hooked.

Apart from being a phenomenal painter, Michael is a class act, and a very nice guy. Something about the paintings struck me as different. I asked Michael about his process. He is a digital painter – he paints on a tablet, and uses illustrating programs on his computer to create his artwork. Michael’s process is compelling – he’s not using a traditional paint brush, but there is no shortage of talent or creativity in his painting, and that’s why we wanted to feature Gallery by the Sea Carmel in today’s post on Carmel art galleries. 

Elizabeth tells me we are on the brink of their September/October busy season. They are featuring a special exhibition of vintage car paintings for Car Week. I interviewed Elizabeth, and she was a delight. She told the story of how Mike bought a camera when they first moved here twenty years ago and began taking pictures of our incredible landscape in Carmel. From there, he discovered digital painting and began experimenting. He donated some of his pieces to a local charity auction where he met someone in the business who validated his talent. Mike and Elizabeth were inspired to open Gallery by the Sea Carmel, and they just celebrated their fourth anniversary. Mike’s digital painting is unique to the area – Elizabeth says his technique provides the best of both worlds in terms of painting and photography. You get the realism of the photo, and the ability to add drama by applying the brushstrokes.

Their mission is to make the beauty of this area accessible to someone who would like to bring a piece of it home with them. We can relate – there are many Carmel visitors, and it can be challenging to leave after spending time here. Being able to take a realistic painting of our stunning landscape is a real treasure for visitors and locals alike.

I asked Elizabeth about her favorite paintings of Mike’s. She loves this one because it makes her feel like she’s on the beach while the sun sets, possibly the best time of day to be there.

Elizabeth also likes Mike’s take on abstract art, like this one:

She loves how he uses the pastel brush to create movement and action, yet the painting ends up being very soft and gentle. This one, titled Rocky Point Cows, is one of their best sellers:

We hope you enjoy these photos of the art, but we encourage you to see them in person and say hello to Mike and Elizabeth next time you are exploring Carmel art galleries in downtown Carmel.