Special Event - Santa Cruz Paintout, Thursday & Friday, September 25 - 26, 2014

The two day Special Event Paintout (this just keeps getting better year after year) organized by Karen Druker and hosted by Santa Cruz residents and Watercolor Society members Shirley Motmans and Jane Ferguson is always a hi-lite on the Paintsites calendar.

Day 1:   Oh-oh - woke to rain in the Valley Thursday morning but by the time we got to Santa Cruz the storm had passed and we had a wonderful morning and afternoon painting on the Boardwalk.   Shirley had arranged for the 100+ year old Carousel to be open for our exclusive use and a number of us took advantage of the opportunity to paint the antique horses.     Other popular venues were the old La Bahia Hotel and Natural Bridges State Park.      Then, after a full day's painting, Shirley hosted a reception and critique in her spectacular ocean-front home.   Uninvited (but most welcome) guests were the whales broaching a bit offshore and the porpoises inshore.   Still, the star attraction was the artwork and Karen's always insightful and "gentle" critique:

The Boardwalk:

Jenny

Karen

Sylvia

 Gargoyles on the Boardwalk:

Karen

Lavonne

Horses in the Carousel (check out the big teeth - pretty frightening!):

Lavonne

 

Painted from the Boardwalk:

Mitsi

Pat S.

 Natural Bridges State Park:

Jane K.

Marilyn

Marilyn

Day 1 Critique:

Everyone paying close attention to ....

Karen

Day 2:  Friday dawned fair and we had an lovely morning painting the Venetian Court from the Esplanade Beach.   The very interesting clouds over the hills to the north and east should have been a clue that things were going to get even more interesting.    And they certainly did with a sudden and fierce thunderstorm.   Getting to shelter from where we were painting on the beach was no problem.   Getting from the shelter to our cars, once it became obvious that the storm wasn't going to blow over quickly, was a different story.    So we showed up at Jane's beautiful house a bit wet but happy and ready to party.   So we did.

On the beach while the sun was shining:

 The Venetian Court:

Alison

Jeannie

Kaaren

Kay

Lavonne

Pat

Brad

Unfortunately, the Paintsites Blog staff photographer was too busy at the buffet table to note the artists of the following.    He also probably also missed any number of any other fine paintings completely.   Sorry.

Views from the Esplanade Beach:

Capitola:

The West Side - where it didn't rain

Sarah

Day 2 Critique:

 

Karen makes a point

Mt. View Main Library & Pioneer Memorial Park, Mt. View, Thursday, September 18, 2014

An amazing thing happened the day of this Paintsite.   It rained!    Not much but just enough to clean the air and freshen the foliage.  That was the good thing.    The attendant humidity was not so good.  But we had a great day painting whether it was "Toad's Book Club" behind the Library, Pioneer Memorial Park between the Library and City Hall, City Hall and the Performing Arts Center, a piece of the Berlin Wall, or the friendly library patrons or staff who made us all feel welcome.     And, talk about welcoming, we welcomed Jenny back from her summer in the Olde Country.


For more information about the Mt. View Main Library see:
http://mountainview.gov/depts/library/default.aspl
For additional information about the "Toad's Book Club" sculptures:
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8Z83_Toad_and_Badger_from_The_Wind_in_the_Willows_Mountain_View_CA
Couldn't find a good link for Pioneer Memorial Park so you'll have to visit in person.

Upcoming Paintsites and related events:

• Thursday, September 25, 2014:  Santa Cruz Paintout - Day 1 *
• Friday, September 26, 2014:  Santa Cruz Paintout - Day 2  *
• Thursday, October 2, 2014:  Moffett Historical Museum and Hangar One 
• Thursday, October 16, 2014:  Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont

* The deadline for signing up for the post-painting parties has passed but everyone is still welcome to join us for a day painting on Thursday, 9/25, or Friday, 9/26, or both days.   On Thursday we will be at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk where we've received special permission to paint the Carousel (which would normally be closed that day).    On Friday we'll be on the beach in Capitola.    
 
Check the Newsletter or website for complete details for all upcoming events. 
 
 "Toad's Book Club" was a very popular subject ...

Melanie & Liz

Melanie and Liz are Mt. View residents and are very familiar with the Library and Park.   It was Liz's recommendation that we select this as a Paintsite.    Thanks Liz.

Liz's "book Club" painting

Melanie's painting of same - note "Ratty" in the tree

Jenny

Jenny's "Book Club" painting

Nancy T.

Nancy's painting of Mr. Toad

Leslie

Leslie's sketch of Mr. Toad

Brad's Mr. Toad study

The Library grounds and adjacent Pioneer Memorial Park were also popular subjects ...

Lisha

Lisha's painting of the Library itself.   The "Book Club" meets under the leftmost tree.

Dick

Dick's painting of a wheeled contraption one suspects Mr. Toad would no doubt covet.

Susan  working on a "Book Club" painting

 

Yan painting flowers next to the Library

Meanwhile, others of us painted in Pioneer Memorial Park between the Library, City Hall and the Performing Arts Center...

Helen painting Leonard seated on a park bench ...

Helen's unfinished painting of Leonard in the distance ...

Leonard seated on a park bench.

So, while Helen painted Leonard, Leonard painted some of the big trees in the park ....

... and the Mt. View City Hall & Performing Arts Center

new member Anu

Anu's painting of a service truck and workers

Dan, who hadn't painted with us for some time, makes a triumphant return ...

Dan's painting of a park path and the historic Masonic Lodge in the background

Doug, a guest of Dan and an oil painter, gives watercolor a try.   Better than pretty good I'd say.

And while Dan painted the park grounds, Melanie painted Dan painting.

Plein air painters are one tough group - witness Karen, a day after her accident, battered and bruised, painting up a storm.

Mary found much joy is observing (then painting)  a group of well behaved young children who, perhaps for the first time ever, got to pop open their bright colored umbrellas.   (Even though it had stopped raining by this time.)

  There were other things to paint too if one looked closely ..... 

Broncha's painting of an enticing porch swing in an adjacent neighborhood home

 

Laurie's evocative painting of  a piece of the Berlin Wall, the installation of which on Library grounds was a big political fight.

Leslie's all-about-color painting of end-of-summer flowers along one of the park pathways

And Marilyn's painting of two hanging baskets exploding with color in the City Hall plaza.