Sunnyvale Baylands Park. Thursday, January 29, 2015

A new site, discovered and scouted by Marilyn.     With only a one mile perimeter trail we did less Hiking and more Sketching than the Hike & Sketch norm.   Instead of a 20 minute hike, a 20 minute sketch, another 20 minute hike, another 20 minute sketch and so on; we walked for 5 minutes and then sketched for 30 - 35 minutes, walked for 5 minutes, sketched for 30 - 35 minutes, .... .   Which gave us ample time to turn sketches into completed paintings.    The site offered a wide variety of subjects, two of which were particularly popular:  rows of Eucalypti with their wide range of colors and a tree "tunnel" or alee of dormant hardwoods.

For more information about the Sunnyvale Baylands Park, check out:
http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Departments/CommunityServices/Parks/BaylandsPark.aspx    

Upcoming Paintsites:

• Thursday, February 5, 2015:   Winchester Mystery House, San Jose
• Thursday, February 19, 2015:  NEW - Maryknoll Seminary, Los Altos

For complete details see the Watercolor Society website or the February Newsletter.

(Additional finished paintings from 2014 and earlier 2015 Paintsites arrive weekly so check past postings every so often for recent additions.)
 

On the trail.

We paint the saltwater and man-made freshwater marshes ... 

At the next stop, some keep at it with the marsh and waterfowl, others turn their attention to the eucalypti ...

While Laurie, Lisha and Iris ventured onto the Observation Ramp to get up close and personal with the wildlife.

And Rich finds the best seat in the park no matter which way he looks.

Then it's lunch by the Bay (note the eucalypti in the background and the entrance to the tree "tunnel" on the right).

Lunch over, Iris, Lisha, Yan and Helen compare the day's work so far.

We were so happy to have Elaine back with the group.

Jane's 1st painting:  a marsh and eucalypti.

Jane's 2nd painting:  a marsh, trail, and the tree "tunnel" in the distance which drew her on to ...

Jane's 3rd painting:  looking down the tree "tunnel" and ...

Jane's 4th painting: the tree "tunnel" with fellow artists Jenny & Sylvia in the middle-ground.

Jenny's 1st painting:   one of the marshes and distant lines of eucalypti.

Jenny's final painting:  half way down the tree "tunnel".

We seldom do plein air portraits but Lisha's wonderful sketch of Pat merits recognition.

Pat's 1st sketch

Pat's 2nd painting:  the Observation Ramp over a marsh

Pat's 3rd painting: Eucalypti and marsh

Pat's 4th painting: the tree "tunnel" from the opposite end.

Rich's 1st painting:  eucalypti & cattails (?)

Rich's 2nd painting: Observation Ramp and East Bay hills.

Rich's 3rd painting: deep in a eucalypti grove.

Sylvia's take on the tree "tunnel" looking toward the sculpture near the park entrance.

Sylvia experimented with watercolor pencil at the first few stops.

Brad's painting of marsh and Santa Clara tech industries with the 49er's Levi's Stadium in right background - but you recognized that anyway didn't you?

Brad's sketch of back-lit eucalypti

 I hope many more wonderful sketches and paintings will be added in the coming week so be sure to visit this posting again!