Sawyer Camp Trail County Park, San Mateo. Thursday, September 8, 2016

When we visited this site in May (prior to the Filoli "Artist Access Day" paintout), it was very, very windy and quite cold.  This time it was only windy so for future Sawyer Camp Trail paintouts (and there will be more since it's such a fine site with views up and down and across the lake) it's safe to say: prepare to be blown away -- by both the wind and our wonderful paintings!


The official website, which has links to the park map, is:
 http://parks.smcgov.org/sawyer-camp-segment

Upcoming Paintsites:

• Thursday, September 15, 2016:   Murphy Ave. & Caltrain Station, Sunnyvale

• Saturday, September 17, 2016:  Luna Park Chalk Art Festival,  San Jose

• Thursday, September 22 - Friday, September 23, 2016:   Annual Santa Cruz Paintout.

  See the September Newsletter for details including registration instructions.

  (Registration required for post paintout receptions at member's homes.)
  

• Thursday, September 29, 2016:  Loma Prieta Winery, Summit Rd., Los Gatos

Details can be found on the SCVWS website and in the September Newsletter.

Ongoing activities of interest involving Paintsites regulars: 

• Karen Druker has been accepted into the The 8th Annual 50/50 Exhibition at the Sachez Art Center in Pacifica.  (1220-B Linda Mar Blvd.)    Gallery hours are Fri. - Sun. 1:oo - 5:0o PM.  The show runs until Sunday, September 18th.
• Candy Yu is currently showing 18 watercolor pet portraits at the VCA Crocker Animal Hospital, 475 N. Jackson Ave., San Jose.  Most of her artwork is in the reception area and hallways and can viewed by the public.    The Hospital is open Mon. - Fri. 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM; Sat. & Sun. 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.    The exhibit runs thru the end of October.
• SCVWS  members Annie Haines, Mary Raftery, and Uma Kelkar were accepted into Fioli's "The Valley of Heart’s Delight: A Multiple–media Exhibit"  which runs thru October 23rd in the Visitor & Education Center.   Admission is normally required but you may be able to talk them into letting you see just the show.     There is a 'Closing Reception' on Thursday, October 20th from 5:00 - 7:00 PM.    The 'Closing Reception' is free but reservations are required by October 14th and can be obtained at:  http://www.filoli.org/art-exhibits/  or 650-364-8300, x 508.     Note: October 20th is Filoli's final Artist Access Day for 2016.    For details, see:   http://www.filoli.org/art-exhibits/#artistaccess.    Go paint, then stay for the Closing Reception.
• Jane Ferguson and Nancy Calhoun are currently presenting 'Line & Shape' (mixed water media & encaustic) at Viewpoints Gallery, 315 State St. in Los Altos (http://www.viewpointsgallery.com/ .  Hours are Mon. - Sat. 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Sun. 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM.   The show runs thru October 1st.  
• Jane Ferguson is participating in the Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour on Saturday  & Sunday, October 1 -2 with an encore weekend on October 15 - 16.   Hours are 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM.   Jane is Artist #86 -  3540 Marilyn St., Santa Cruz (www.janeferguson.com) 

 On the Trail:   This was billed as either a 'Hike & Sketch' or a 'Sit & Paint' site but, with the nicely paved trail nearly level for the entire 3+ miles of currently open trail, it turned out to be a bit of both as some chose to sit and work on one painting and then just walk the trail and admire the views. 

This was the first stopping spot for many of us.    Some stayed here to paint, some wandered on to the end of the trail making an occasional sketch.

Susan

Elaine

Nora and Wayne.  (Wayne hikes and takes photos while Nora paints.)

Nora's painted a small gully draining toward the lake.

Broncha .

Broncha looked south for her painting of the trail and the lake.

John

John's preliminary sketch looking in much the same direction as Broncha.

John's finished painting.

left to right - Joy, Mike and Sharon

At the last few paintouts Joy has applied her impressive Chinese Brush painting skills to a Western landscape with wonderful results.    This is another noteworthy example.

Leslie

Leslie looked west, across the lake, for this painting

Trail-side big tree and its little neighbor painted by Leslie.

Lisha (standing) and Helen.

Lisha's first painting looking down the lake.

Helen also looked down the lake for her first painting.

Helen's second painting was looking across the lake at the far shore (which actually wasn't that far).

Marilyn (SCVWS Thursday Paintsites co-coordinator).   Marilyn shared a journal she'd done while sightseeing on the Olympic Peninsula.   Be sure to look for it at the Annual Holiday Party in January.

Marilyn's painting looking down lake.   

Mary R.

Ji-eun

Ji-eun's painting looked down an inlet and on across the lake.  (It appeared the water was shallower in the inlet and hence a different color.)

New SCVWS member Paula at her first Thursday Paintsite.   She was busy sketching at this first outing.

Brad had walked to near the end of the trail where Lisha, Helen and Salinda caught up with him.  (photo by Salinda).

Salinda, Brad and Helen.  (photo by Lisha).

Salinda at work.

There was lots of bright red/orange poison oak along the trail here which begged to be painted as a counterpoint to the multi-green hued shoreline and mountains.   How often do we get natural, native reds & greens in such close juxtaposition?    Not often.    Helen included a boat for interest in her painting.

Lisha also let the strong complementary reds & greens dominate her painting ...

... as did Salinda ...

... and Brad.

Joe made it to the far end of the trail before he started painting.  If the best spot is in the sun, serious plein air artists don't hesitate - they improvise (witness Joe's hat) and get down to work.

This was actually Joe's 2nd painting but the red / green motif caught his eye too.

Joe's 1st painting looking across the lake.

Lunch and Critique:

 

While waiting for lunch to get organized, this little yellow wildflower called to Marilyn: "Paint me!"  So Marilyn did.

Lunch at a wide spot on the trail.

 

Since there was no suitable trail-side place to set-up our paintings for a critique, we lined up and took turns walking our artwork, to much applause, along the line.   Here Brad photographs Lisha's painting.