Stanford University Quad. Thursday, December 22, 2016

After an unprecedented two December rainouts we felt we deserved a good day for painting and did we ever get it:  Early in the week daytime temperatures were on the cold side and the Friday after the paintout Winter came back with a vengeance.  But on Thursday it was almost balmy: clear  and sunny - in fact almost a perfect day for painting plein air.   And with one of the shortest days of the year the sun never got overhead so we had nice crisp shadows all day long.

Paintsites regulars Dick and Salinda had to miss the paintout as Dick is recovering from surgery.    But nothing that will stop him from working on his cartoon blog - check it out.

Upcoming Paintsites:

• Thursday, December 29, 2016:    Bonus Paintout in Los Altos to make up for two December rainouts!    Watch for e-notification for details
• Thursday, January 5, 2017:  Wildwood Park, Saratoga 
• Sunday, January 8, 2017:  Deadline to register for SCVWS Annual Holiday Party.  See website for details and instructions about registering on the Members Only webpage.
• Thursday, January 12, 2017:  Historic Santa Clara Site to be Determined.
• Saturday, January 14, 2017:  SCVWS Annual Holiday Party - 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM.  See link on the SCVWS website home page for details
• Thursday, January 19, 2017:  Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San Jose
• Thursday, January 26, 2017:  Santa Cruz Arboretum, UCSC.

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

Ongoing activities of interest involving Paintsites regulars:

• The 'Vino Locale Show' continues its run thru February 6, 2017.   The restaurant is located at 431 Kipling St., Palo Alto.   Hours are:  Lunch:  Tue. - Sun.:  11:30 AM - 2:30 PM.   Dinner:  daily:  5:00 - 9:00 PM.    Do yourself a favor:  Go eat, drink, buy some fine artwork -- give your favorite artist a painting he/she will treasure.   The  Vino Locale website is: http://www.vinolocale.com/about-us/
  

• Candy Yu's show at the Foothill Presbyterian Church, 5301 McKee Rd., San Jose runs thru the end of December.   This is a busy time of year for churches so call (408) 258-8133, before visiting to make sure the exhibit will be accessible.

•  John Ediger will be gallery-sitting at the Az Gallery (1213 Lincoln Ave., San Jose) on Thursday, January 19, 2017 from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM.    Drop in and say 'hello'.

• Cathy Belleville is exhibiting 18 of her Palo Alto Baylands paintings at the Sequoias of Portola Valley (340 Willowbrook Dr. just off 501 Portola Rd.) from January 3rd - 30th.    An Opening Reception will be held on Sunday, January 8th from 2:30 - 4:30 PM.    Please RSVP to Cathy at cwbelleville@earthlink.net  if you'd like to attend.
 

As many times as we've painted at Stanford, the imposing Hoover Tower was seldom a popular subject.   Not so this time, however, as we all took a swing at the Big Building On Campus.

Jane P.'s painting of Hoover Tower from the Quad.

Jane S.'s close-up peek at Hoover Tower thru the trees.

... and John's ...

... and Marilyn's.

Brad set-up at the opposite end of the Quad from Hoover Tower.

Columns, roof beams, arches, windows and doors in the sandstone wall, and shadows all contributed to a study in perspective.

Marilyn's unfinished sketch of White Fountain.   The last time we visited Stanford water restrictions kept the fountain dry --- this time there was a riot of spurting, colliding, cascading jets of water.    Marilyn hopes to finish this and capture it all.

Lunch in the Quad: left to right - Marilyn, Jane S., Jane P., and John.  (Note the wonderful long, sharp shadows that we got to play with!)

"Morning Glow in the Mountains" by Tom Ayers

On his way back from a workshop in Zion, John visited Rosalie & Tom Ayers at their new home in Roseville.    Tom sent this card for John to share with the Paintsites group.