Harris-Lass House Museum, Santa Clara. Thursday, August 18, 2016.

     It's a wonderful feeling to be enthusiastically welcome at a Paintsite --- which was exactly the case at the Harris-Lass House Museum when we were greeted by the Historic Preservation Society of Santa Clara (HPSSC) President Bob Byrd and "Art On The Lawn" Chair Joan Cabral, our hosts for the day.    HPSSC is a group of hard working and enthusiastic volunteers (sounds like the SCVWS leadership doesn't it?) who maintain the Museum for the city of Santa Clara.  It was also our good fortune that they are very interested in promoting the arts and supporting artists (that's us) in the community.
     Even better is when that welcome is at a particularly interesting site - which was again the case at Harris-Lass:   the Museum includes the  original 1865 farmhouse (which was extensively remodeled in the 1890s), a tank house, a summer kitchen, an old barn, a small orchard, several formal gardens (roses and dahlias currently in bloom), farm machinery, tools, a bicycle, ...   Lots to paint.   Too much for just one visit.  

Speaking of visits, the official Harris-Lass website http://www.harrislass.org/
has visiting hours, directions, etc. info.

 Upcoming Paintsites:

• Thursday, August 25, 2016:   San Mateo County beach (registration 'closed')
• Thursday, September 1, 2016:   Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, Fremont
• Thursday, September 8, 2016:   Sawyer Camp Trail, San Mateo
• Thursday, September 15, 2016:   Murphy Ave. & Sunnyvale Caltrain Station

Details can be found on the SCVWS website and in the August & September Newsletters.

Ongoing activities of interest involving Paintsites regulars:

• John Ediger will be gallery-sitting at the AZ Gallery (1213 Lincoln Ave., Suite #106, San Jose) on Sunday, August 28th, from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM and on Tuesday, August 30th, from 11:00 - 4:00 PM.   Come by and say "Hello".
• Mary Raftery and Laurie Barna are in the Haggin Art Museum's 59th Annual Juried National Exhibition.   Located in Stockton, the Haggin is famous for its outstanding fine art collection.   The show runs July 7  - September 11, 2016.  
• The SCVWS Summer Palette exhibit continues its run (thru August 26th) at the Hobee's restaurant at  680 River Oaks Parkway in San Jose.     Hours of operation are:  Mon. - Fri. 7:00 AM - 2:30 PM; Sat. 8:00 AM - 2:30 PM; Sun. 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM.   (This Hobee's serves breakfast & lunch only.)
• Karen Druker has been accepted into the The 8th Annual 50/50 Exhibition at the Sachez Art Center in Pacifica.  (1220-B Linda Mar Blvd.)    There will be a Preview Fundraiser on August 26th from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.   Tickets can be purchased thru the link on the Sanchez website:   http://www.sanchezartcenter.org/calendar.htm .    A  free Public Opening Reception follows from 8:00 - 9:30 PM.       Gallery hours are Fri. - Sun. 1:oo - 5:0o PM.  The show runs until Sunday, September 18th.
• Candy Yu is currently showing 18 watercolor pet portraits at the VCA Crocker Animal Hospital, 475 N. Jackson Ave., San Jose.  Most of her artwork is in the reception area and hallways and can viewed by the public.    The Hospital is open Mon. - Fri. 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM; Sat. & Sun. 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.    The exhibit runs thru the end of October.

'The Eureka!' moment experienced by plein air painters is when they've found that perfect subject: 

Thursday Paintsites Co-coordinator Marilyn experiences her Eureka! moment here (photo by Liz).    Scroll down to see the happy outcome.

 Painting the farmhouse:
 

Joy set-up in a rose arbor for her view of the rear of the house.

Joy's painting of the rear and screened porch side of the house.

Lisha set-up in the Heritage Orchard for a view of the front of the house.

The asymmetrical 1890's remodeling of the farmhouse can clearly be seen in Lisha's fine painting.

Lois

Lois' painting of the front entrance

Marilyn

Marilyn's Journal sketch of a corner of the front porch entrance.

Nora set-up at the far end of the front yard ....

 

... in order to paint the entire (asymmetric) front of the farmhouse. 

Candy's painting of the rear of the house.

 

Helen set-up in the shade of an old fig tree.

Helen's painting of the formal front entry garden.

 Painting the Tank House:
 

Carol

Carol's painting of the tank house from the far side of the formal rear garden.

Anna (left) and Elizabeth

Elizabeth's painting of the tank house.

Leslie's first painting was of the tank house.

Grace set-up near the rear entrance steps.

Grace's painting of the tank house and the roof mounted windmill which powered the pump.

John eschewed rusty farm implements to paint .... 

... a rusty old bicycle leaning against the tank house.

Lois' painting of a corner of the tank house.

Anna C. sketching the water tower.

 Painting the Old Barn:

 

Broncha

Broncha's painting of the old barn looking thru the large formal garden from the rear of the farmhouse. 

Katherine

Katherine's painting of the old barn.

New SCVWS member Shirley L's painting of the old barn from the side of the back garden opposite from where Katherine set-up.    A wonderful first Paintsites painting!

In the old barn, Annie (left) and Candy painted old tools and "stuff".

Annie's painting of some old barn treasures:  a saw and an antique tennis or badminton racquet.

Candy's Tombow sketch of miscellaneous old "things" hanging in the barn.

Leslie set-up outside the barn and found a subject which triggered wild flights of fancy:   the sawhorse transformed into a real horse and galloping off.

Leslie's painting of a saddle displayed in the barn.

Caroline's painting of the buggy in the barn.

Brad's sketch of a very rusty old tractor with some sort of spraying apparatus and wood tank on the back.

Kaaren

Kaaren's plein air still life (is such a thing possible?) of a display of old jars and bottles as seen thru a window of the summer kitchen.

Liz isn't looking heavenward for inspiration ... she's working on the "Mission Fig" entry in her "Fruit Tree Journal".

 

Liz's painting of succulent looking figs on the old fig tree in the front lawn of the Harris-Lass House.

Let's see, we painted the farmhouse, the old barn, the old water tower, a corner of the summer kitchen --- what's left to paint?

Melanie (seated) and Toni.

Why, the 'floating' dog house of course - painted by Melanie.   

Nancy M. back with the group after some time away.

Joe found a small formal garden opposite from where most of set-up to paint ....  

Joe's painting of the intimate side garden.

New SCVWS member Ina joined us for her first Paintsite paintout.

Lunch, our 'critique', and a video about the history of the Harris-Lass House:
  

Lunch in the "Boardroom / Classroom" in the old barn.   HPSSC President Bob Byrd gave us a brief overview and then we watched an interesting PBS documentary, "The Final Harvest", on the Harris-Lass House.     Followed by our 'critique' and, for those that wished to, a tour of the period-furnished farmhouse.