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