Paintsites Blog: Annual Santa Cruz Paintout, Thursday, September 26

When we got to Santa Cruz for the Annual PaintOut, there was quite a buzz amongst the locals. We thought it was for us but turns out it was for the many recent whale sightings close in-shore and just off the Capitola wharf. Other than that, the 2013 Santa Cruz PaintOut was an absolute success! The weather couldn't have been better, the variety of subject matter couldn't have been more diverse, or the camaraderie more convivial.

Much thanks to Watercolor Society members Shirley Motmans and Jane Ferguson who hosted afternoon parties and critiques in their lovely Santa Cruz homes; to Karen Druker who organized the event and conducted the critiques; and to Sylvia Waddell, co-chair of the Paintsites group, who coordinated with Karen and kept everybody on the same page.

Shirley & Jane

Karen

Sylvia

Day 1, Thursday, we met at Moran Lake Park which offered a choice of painting the lake proper or crossing E. Cliff Drive to Moran Beach and painting the beach & surf. For more information about Moran Lake Park, see: http://www.scparks.com/moranlake.html

After a morning's painting, it was lunch followed by an afternoon painting session. Then, late afternoon, we broke up and headed to Shirley & Augie Motmans' spectacular bluff top home for a wine & cheese reception and "gentle" critique by Karen Druker.


Shirley & Augie - our gracious hosts

"Gentle" Karen's critique was, but also insightful and entertainingly animated:

"Thumbs up" - the unanimous verdict

A yellow sky? Yes! - What else could it be?

Thank you, I'm pretty happy with it too

This little gem speaks to me

After the critique, some of us headed to The Crow's Nest for dinner.

Day 2, Friday, the group met in the West Harbor parking lot where boats (lots of boats, too many boats); a breakwater with fisherman and a lighthouse; paddleboarders, and the breaking surf all offered wonderful subjects. See http://www.santacruzharbor.org/index.html for information about the Harbor.

Again, after a long day's painting we met at Jane Ferguson's beautiful new home for yet more wine & cheese, fancy little pastries (which Jane baked that morning), and another "gentle" critique led by Karen.

It's not the size of the canvas that matters

Looks like a home run!

After the critique, those who weren't exhausted by the already long day headed to the Pearl of the Ocean restaurant.

Day 3, Saturday, the group, which included a number of Santa Cruz Watercolor Society members, met at Lighthouse Point at the Surfing Museum on West Cliff Drive. Check out
http://www.santacruzsurfingmuseum.org/ for info about this very popular and scenic location.

Here are some snapshots taken during the Day 1 critique (photo quality is poor, the paintings actually much superior):