Shakespeare Festival

The Shakespeare Festival was loads of fun today. They all seemed to love Ardenwood and are looking forward to coming back next year. The public certainly seemed to love it.

And the Jousters actually survived!

4th of July at Ardenwood!

A most beautiful day to celebrate our country's birthday!  

It is always so nice to be painting while surrounded by the sounds of families enjoying each other and having fun.  I took my travel watercolor set in my picnic basket.  After checking out the activities in the farmyard, the spinning of wool, outdoor kitchen, music on the grainery porch and the various animals, I found a nice old stump, pulled out the paints and painted.  I haven't really used my watercolors for the past two years so it was nice to use them again.  I had a lovely view of the Fremont hills across the Ardenwood fields.  I did take pictures and will post them.

As lunch time approached I left to go to the gazebo area.  The band was warming up as I choose a nice dry, shady spot on the lawn (I was in Victorian dress, remember).  The lawn area was quite populated with happy picnics.  My husband arrived as the band started to play and we pulled out the fried chicken, potato salad and apple crisp from the hamper and enjoyed our picnic to the music of the gay 90's.

I took some photos to use as studies for future paintings in the "rainy times".  

As always it was so nice to enjoy the 4th with all the friends we came across.  The flow-thru tours of the Patterson House were busy as always and it was fun to have the magic show so popular on the lawn right in front of the house.  I heard the watermelon seed spitting contest and the water bragade were very popular,  I heard them!

Another wonderful Victorian 4th!

Spring! And the lambs are playing!

Spring is so fun.  All the baby animals are so cute!  Ardenwood had 4 pairs of twin lambs born a couple weeks ago.  We have calves due this month.   And the pasture by the train station has about 250 goats of all sizes and ages mowing the weeds! 

Morning at the Farm

After this last week and especially yesterday, the Bay Area needs to regain its equalibrium and start anew.  Hopeful some good will come from the bad.

I am going to breakfast at Ardenwood and check out layouts for painting the new baby lambs and the colorful chickens.  And the peacocks are so sassy now with their new spring outfits!

The chickens especially are a challenge to paint plein air since they can not seem to hold a pose for more than 30 seconds.  The idea for close-ups is to sketch them in an interesting pose and fill in later.  The light hitting their feathers is so beautiful!  Hope to get the effect.

My grandson, Ben, is having his 8th birthday party today, so no time to paint.  Happy Birthday, Ben!