I've been thinking about the use of a focal point or center of interest in a painting.  Much has been said about the necessity of a focal point in order to create interest in a work. I feel that as long as there is something to pull your eye into the painting, and then a way to keep your eye moving throughout the painting, you don't necessarily need a focal point. For example in this painting "Morning Light on the Pacific Coast" the bright light on the bushes will draw you into the painting, the coastline will move you back into the painting, the light on the hills will bring your eye up to view the foliage on the top of the hill and the contrasting color of the background hill keep your eye moving back. After pausing on the misty yellow in the sky, the coastline surf brings you back to the foreground bushes.
In painting this, I didn't want any particular feature to capture the viewer's attention, but hope that they experience the overall beauty of standing on the Pacific Coast in the soft light of the morning.
Do you think a stronger "focal point" would add to the painting or is the painting complete with a general theme? Is a focal point necessary?