Rancho San Antonio, Thursday June 7th 2012

We are so blessed with wonderful parks to visit in the bay area and this day was perfect weatherwise.

Leslie Grimm

A few weeks ago we had a plein aire lesson on drawing correct perspective, and were given a special plexiglass tool as an aid.  I tried it on this old barn and it worked!  But it took so long to sketch that I had to finish coloring it at home.  But I was quite pleased that the perspective looked reasonably close to the real thing! Leslie

Leslie Grimm - Rancho Tree

I was walking on the trail to the farm when I saw this wonderful tree, which survives despite being so hollowed out.  I sketched it with an ink pen and colored it in with "value" markers. Leslie

Herching Ku

 My first painting with paintsites at Rancho San Antonio. I had a great time with scvws friends. Herching

Caroline Garborino

A breakthrough! I finally finished a painting in one session! Could the secret be getting there on time?With a little computer magic, my deer photos came out great. Thanks again for a wonderful adventure. Caroline

Brad Santos

Another perfect paint-out day had the group strung out from the model airplane hilltop, thru the meadow , along the trail and thru the woods, onto the old farmstead, and beyond. A number of the many hikers asked if the park had been 'invaded' by artists since there seemed to be so many of us.    Having painted the barn and some of the smaller buildings in a prior paint out, I chose the old tractor with the spiked, positively medieval looking drive wheels. Brad

Dick Zunkel

Laurie Barna

Sorry I missed all of you --I got there late, and decided to paint Mary Knoll Seminary because it looked so beautiful from my little concrete platform next to the road. Laurie

Marilyn Perry

Bedwell Bayfront Park, Menlo Park, May 31st 2012

Laurie Barna

Wonderful weather and interesting salt ponds.  We saw a lot of swallowtail butterflies, which (per Brad) were attracted to all the fennel plants growing around there.  Dick Zunkel told us that the tower belongs to AT& T.  Laurie

Anne Foster

Leslie Grimm

There were so many views to paint at this site!  David chose a view of trees to my right, while I included him in the view in front of me.  I liked all the bands of color in this view -- sky, distant hills, nearer hills, water, salt flats, grasslands, trees, and the golden field of grass we sat in.  This is a good site to come back to as there are so many views to paint. Leslie

Kaaren Marquez

Keiko O'Leary

Brad Santos

Bayfront Park in Menlo Park provided very similar views to those we've painted, looking east, from the Palo Alto Baylands --- the same gold East Bay hills, the Dumbarton Bridge, power transmission lines, tidal flats and the Bay itself --- but from an elevated viewpoint (maybe 50' elevation) that made it look a little different.    Additionally, looking north there were some still active (pinkish) salt evaporation ponds.    The park contained some interesting flora & fauna:   I painted under a tree (we speculated that it was perhaps a eucalyptus) that was covered with striped snails - which I was fine with as long as they stayed in the tree; and lots of  beautiful butterflies.  Brad

Dick Zunkel