Painting Days!

We have been having cold strong winds and we are trying mightily NOT TO WHINE!  So...We are painting and planning a trip to the WINE country for the Sonoma Plein Air Festival in May!

Friday, we were up on the hill and we froze.  Today it was cold and windy at Coyote Hills.  I painted with the hill sheltering me and it wasn't bad - until it was time to leave the shelter and head for the car.  This is supposed to be California, for pete's sake.  Warm up!  Woops, enough whining.

Anyhow trying to get in as much painting we can before the Coyote Hills Paint-out on May 2.

It really makes a difference when you are consistent with your painting

The Shinn House

Today we painted at Shinn House.  It is very warm today, about 84 when we left but there is lots of shade at the Shinn House.  

We all feel the need to come back and work on the house again, somehow to get off the details but portray the character of the house.  There are lots of wonderful scenes to paint there, the gardens are beautiful and varied.

May 17, 2009:  MISSION PEAK HERITAGE FOUNDATION and FREMONT CULTURAL ARTS COUNCIL present Arts & Crafts in Shinn Park, 1251 Peralta Blvd., Fremont, CA this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Co-sponsors of the event are Dale Hardware and Fremont Art Association.  Local artists will display, demonstrate and sell their artwork.  There will be historic crafts people with their works for sale.  Entertainment will be offered throughout the day, including Square Dancers and belly dancers.  Hot dogs, popcorn, and other refreshments are available for sale.  The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum will show Silent Films in the Archive Room at the Shinn house, some of which were locally produced.  Docents will offer tours of the historic home.  Tours are $5.00 adults, $2.50 for children, age 5 – 12.  There is no admission charge to the grounds, and no booth charge to the Artists or Craftsmen.  Call Al Minard at 510.552.4839 for information

Mission Peak

After last week's cold strong winds, this week we are having temps in the 80's.  We painted at Mission Peak Friday.  So beautiful.  The greens are dulling out a bit and soon the hills will turn golden.  

Morning Marsh

A study in all the grays of the marshes and the atmospherics on a early spring morning.

A morning at Don Edward's -until the wind came up and we froze!

Wind, Wind, Go Away!

The wind has been blowing for several days, no plein air for us!  Time to do a little studio work.

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! 

Thinking of you, Italy

So sorry to hear that there was a large earthquake in the center of Itay.  Our thoughts are with them.  

We have contacted our friends that own the Vento di Rose B&B near Monterubbiano.  They are fine.  They are about 200 km away and all is well.  So glad to hear that. 

Intel Show is Hung

Today we ventured down to Intel with two cars loaded with paintings.  It took awhile to hang them all but it looked nice once we were done.  

This show is for Intel employees only.  Hope they enjoy!  They had some circuit boards of some of their projects nicely framed across from the art.  They are art pieces themselves.   

Throw Up Curve

Well, as much as I love horses, it has taken me a long time to try to paint one.  I think the first, and last time, was when I drew one as a kid from a picture in a magazine.  So threw caution to the wind and painted this from a photo I took while driving up to my daughter's ranch.  I guess the name pretty much says it.  This was the point we had to let the kids get some fresh air after all the curves!

View from the Grove

 

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!

In Memorium

Sorrily missed, Oakland Police Officers:

Sgt. Mark Dunakin

Officer John Hege

Sgt. Ervin Romans

Sgt Daniel Sakai

They served, they protected.

Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends.

Wednesday Morning Adventures

Today, we met at Coyote Regional Park to get a little painting in.  The weather was clear, blue skies and temps fine with a bit a cool breeze once and a while.  Robyn and Sheryl headed from the Paseo Padre parking lot down the path towards the park entrance, I decided I still need to paint the oak trees so I chose to paint from Paseo Padre looking towards the oak grove.

The fields around the grove are scheduled to turn into a gated community of houses.  Such a loss.  The flatland views are so restful for the eyes and soul and a watershed and buffer zone for the wildlife that lives in the park.  I assume the grove will be left standing but will probably be unavailable to the public in a wonderful setting like it is today.  So, to be one with the trees!

Today's adventures included noisy trucks working near Robyn and Sheryl and where I was a slight wiff every so often of a very, very long time dead skunk down the way.  

It sounds like the May 2 paint out is going to be very fun with LOTS of artists.

By the way, the public gets to choose the best artists at the end of the day!

Today's painting is too wet to photograph, so here is another painting at Coyote Hills.

The Little Shop on the Corner

The little Victorian shop on the corner is currently a "paint your own ceramics" shop.  It was catching the sunbeams from a break in the clouds on a day that couldn't decide whether to rain or shine.  I felt a horse and buggy should be where the car is... wouldn't that be fun!

Painting in a busy setting

This painting was done right near a outdoor cafe on a exceptionally warm day in February. Everyone seemed to be eating right near where we were painting.  A little intimidating.

Paint-Out, May 2, 2009!

There will be a one-day paint-out 9:30-3:30 at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, CA on May 2, 2009.

This is a beautiful park next to the San Francisco Bay.  It has scenes of the bay, wetlands, hills.  There is lots of wildlife, being on a flyway for birds.  There are walkways over the marshes.  

Artist Registration is required.  Entry Fee for Alameda and Contra Costa County residents $15, all other, $17.  Registration starts on April 7, 2009.

For more information contact:

Coyote Hills Regional Park

8000 Patterson Ranch Road

Fremont, CA

1-888-327-2757

www.ebparks.org

This Paint-Out is hosted by East Bay Regional Park District and the Fremont Art Association.

Green, Green, Green!

This morning - painting at Mission Peak Park.  Very Cloudy and threat of showers...so what!  We can do it!

But it is "green" time.  It doesn't last long in California because as the rainy season ends the hills start turning our lovely gold.  We are all a bit overwhelmed with green at this time though - how many shades of green can we create and still keep it interesting!  Another one of those problem solving situation.....  Keeps life interesting!

Ardenwood Spring!

Friday, we met out at Ardenwood for a morning of painting.  It started out with heavy overcast but soon it burned off and it became quite sunny!   Had fun with the scene.

Observations on the art of painting

Creating a pleasing, meaningful painting is a work of problem solving.  When an artist begin to paint there are so many questions to answer.  And it really takes concentration.  As an artist gets more experienced, the some questions are answered subconsciously, but need to be answered none the less.  

The first problem starts with the painting subject itself.  The composition, the layout (if the canvas should be horizontal or vertical), focal point, depth of view, sharp and soft edges, contrast, perspective, movement, dimension, the contrast ...and on and on.  Plein air painting also includes catching the light at a certain moment, unlike working in the studio with a photo. This problem solving continues throughout the creation of the painting to the end.

Someone watching an artist painting may not appreciate all the mental work the artist is going through because it looks so simple as choosing colors and applying paint to canvas.  Actually there is a lot of concentration going on.  And a plein air painter must also deal with the elements as well; temperature, wind, quality of light, bugs, and near by facilities to name a few.  Some times these elements can break concentration.  

Then there is always the attraction factor.  Most artists love to have people admire their works, but it can be intimidating to have someone looking over your shoulder when you are working out problem solving.  

 If observers are very quiet and stand back to watch, most artists can still work and not be bothered.  If the artist decides to take a painting break, she can then acknowledge those watching and answer questions.  I just mention this because the public can be so interested and many do not realize the artist is actually "at work" and may seem rude when not talking right then. 

Plein Air - What is it!

"Plein Air" is used to describe the act of painting outside rather than in a studio and it also is used to describe the actual picture created outside.  The term comes from the French phrase "en plein air" meaning "in the open or fresh air". 

 Artists used to have to actually grind up minerals, soils, etc. and mix them to a binding medium to make it into paint.  Sometimes it didn't turn out just right.  An example of a failed experiment in a new way of mixing paint is Leonardo di Vinci's Last Supper.  The paint did not adhere to the wall and has flaked off in large areas.

During the early impressionist period paint tubes were invented and railroads had been built. These two things made it easy for artists to get out in the country for a day of painting.  From this activity came the French easel, a box on legs to hold paint tubes, brushes and a mast to hold a canvas.   The artists could now escape the smoky, dirty air and smells and sounds of a time of "horsepower" in the city and literally paint in the fresh air of the country!

Now, a resurgence of "plein air" artists are enjoying painting in the "open air" with the bird sounds and beautiful views.  Keep your eyes open for them and you will probably find some!