“Where the Birds Are” is one of several paintings by Catherine Fasciato that will be on display at Plein Air Gallery beginning April 5 for her featured exhibition “Seascapes.” (Painting by Catherine Fasciato)

As the weather heats up, being by the water is likely on the minds of many Benicia residents. This makes it as good a time as any for Concord artist Catherine Fasciato to showcase her exhibition “Seascapes”— a favorite subject of the painter— at Plein Air Gallery, where she is this month’s featured artist.

“I love painting the ocean,” she said. “I love painting the motion. Being at the ocean makes me feel good. It releases tensions, and I just love the way the water flows.”

Fasciato was born in Hong Kong back when it was a British colony and lived there until she was 9 when her family moved to Yorkshire, England. She moved back to Hong Kong when she was 17 and then moved to California in 1976. When she was 13, her brother gave her a set of oil paints, and she has been an artist ever since.

“It’s a way of me communicating what I want to say,” she said of painting. “I just love to do it. It’s hard to explain why, it’s something that’s me. It’s what I do.”

Fasciation began plein air painting in 2000 under the direction of Mary Lou Correia. Both were among the founding members of Benicia Plein Air Gallery, where they have remained ever since.

Among Fasciato’s favorite things to paint are natural elements, including oceans. She discovered she liked painting oceans only a few years ago but has enjoyed the experience of being by seascapes her entire life. Growing up, she and her family would frequently travel around the world but never on planes since her mother disliked flying. Instead, they would travel by boat, which gave Fasciato a deeper love of the sea.

“Being at the ocean makes me feel good,” she said. “I just stare at the ocean and try to capture the way the water’s moving. I find painting water and sky and the elements is better than painting houses and bridges, even though I do like painting those things as well.”

Fasciato has done both studio and plein air paintings of the sea, capturing everything from rocks to coastlines to waves to animals. She has captured the seaside scenery of such places as San Francisco, Monterey and Mendocino with her brush. She has exhibited work at the Carmel Art Festival, where she visits frequently and goes to the beach to paint.

“When I’m doing plein air, I basically just do rocks and waves and sky,” she said. “It’s lovely just being out there. Sometimes you see otters, sometimes you see whales. It’s lovely spending the day at the ocean painting.”

Fasciato also spends a lot of time in Pacifica at Mussel Rock Park. One thing Fasciato likes about painting the ocean is the variety of elements she can capture.

“It changes so quickly,” she said. “One minute you see full sunshine, and the next minute you see fog on the horizon.”

Fasciato hopes viewers will feel the experience she feels of being at the ocean when they see her paintings.

“I’d like them to feel the beauty of the place (and) the majesty of the cliffs,” she said. “I want them to see and feel the beauty of the place that I saw. I try to capture it.”

“We live in a beautiful place, and I want people to appreciate it as much as I do and help preserve it,” she added.

“Seascapes” opens on Thursday, April 5 and runs through April 29 at Plein Air Gallery, located at 307 First St. A reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 7. The gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. For more information, visit beniciapleinairgallery.com.

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