Although Gibson has devoted much of his painting career to creating dramatic vistas of California, Near the Point is an intimate scene. Gibson stepped close to the fishermen on the beach yet was able to retain a sense of the largeness and drama of the rocky shore. To convey the ruggedness of the area, a dry brush was applied over thin washes of color. The actual locale is just south of Malibu, in an area now largely developed.
Gibson works on location and allows the mood of the day to dictate the character of the scene. Describing the cool palette and wetness of this watercolor, Gibson commented, "It was a rather cold day, as the warmly clothed fishermen would indicate, and the tonal quality of the painting was pretty much influenced by the weather conditions ... hence the violet-grays and blues."
Gibson drew on the verso an uncompleted pencil sketch for another coastal landscape.
