UCSC Arboretum, Santa Cruz. Thursday, January 26, 2017

This was a Paintsite  for 'firsts':   Our first visit to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum which turned out to be a fabulous site.  (The fact that it was a warm, sunny day after so many recent grey, cold paintouts probably colored our impression.)     And, altho' the Proteas had just begun to bloom and the Banksias were just finishing theirs, there was still plenty to paint or just to wander and look at:   lots of unusually vivid colors for Northern California in January and unusual foliage textures for any time of the year.  Plus we spotted the resident white hummingbird --- too fast to sketch but a thrill to see. 

The other Paintsite 'first':  Our first ever involvement in a big-time** police action:  The Great Scotts Valley Bank Robbery of 2017 no less!   It started with a masked desperado holding-up  the Scotts Valley B-of-A; followed by a high-speed police & Highway Patrol chase on Hwy 17; car wrecks; a shoot-out with the suspect (who escaped on foot but was captured in SJ on Friday); road blocks and closures until well into the evening --- and there we were, right in the middle of it!    Right in the middle along with tens of thousands of other motorists stuck in the backup on Hwy 17.


For additional information about the UCSC Arboretum, see the official website:
http://arboretum.ucsc.edu/index.html 
For a video of the white hummingbird, see:
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article110012892.html


Upcoming Paintsites:

• Thursday, February 2, 2017: Winchester Mystery House, San Jose.  
• Thursday, February 9, 2017:  Historic Santa Clara site TBD.
• Thursday, February 16, 2017:  Maryknoll Retirement Residence, Los Altos.
• Thursday, February 23, 2017:  Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, Morgan Hill

(Note:  Registration for the Annual Member Show remains 'open' until  February 15, 2017.) 

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

Ongoing activities of interest involving Paintsites regulars:

• The 'Vino Locale Show'  has been extended until February 25, 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.      The  Vino Locale website is: http://www.vinolocale.com/about-us/
  

• In addition to her ongoing 2nd & 4th Monday morning Watercolor classes, Kay Duffy is offering a "Collage Workshop" at Hakone Gardens on Saturday, February 11, 2017.

• Kay and her daughter Judy, a photographer, are presenting a "Mother and Daughter Share their 'Visions of Yosemite'" show at the AEgis Gallery (14531 Big Basin Way at 4th St., Saratoga).   The show runs from Tuesday, February 28 - Sunday, March 26, 2017.    A Reception will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2017, from 4:00 - 7:00 PM.    Gallery days/hours are:  Tue. - Wed., 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM; Thu. - Sun., 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM.     The AEgis Gallery website is:  http://www.aegisgallery.com/Aegis_Gallery/visitAegis.php

Painting in the New Zealand, Australian, and South African Gardens ...

Allen's pastel sketch

Helen's painting #1 of a Banksia

Helen's painting #2

Left to right: Jane S., Liz, and Melanie (photo by Liz)

Jane and Melanie rode with Liz.   Homebound, to get around the road blocks and backup on Hwy 17 they drove up Skyline Blve. to Page Mill Rd. before dropping down and catching I-280.   Brad, Helen, Lisha and Katherine, with Lisha and Katherine skillfully navigating, (in spite of Helen's encouragement to plow thru the CHP roadblocks), managed to get home on a maze of back roads.   As of this posting I haven't heard from anybody else but I assume everybody made it home OK, if not in time for dinner.

Jane's sketch of a large acacia

Jane's finished painting of the acacia

Liz

Liz's painting of two large sculptures.

Melanie's painting of a mighty eucalyptus

Jenny's sketch of another huge eucalyptus

Jenny's painting #1

Jenny's painting #2

Lorraine's banksia (right) and ??

More eucalypti - these by Mary R.  There were still some monarch butterflies in the Eucalyptus Grove.

Brad (photo by Liz)

Brad's leucadendron (obviously) and ??? in the South African Garden

Lunch and the Critique:

Smiling artists

** We've seen several small-time criminal acts committed by Fred Ediger against the Arts but they pale in comparison.

Triton Museum, Santa Clara. Thursday, January 12, 2017

After shivering thru last week's paintout at Wildwood Park (relieved only by Kay Duffy inviting us into the Aegis Gallery for hot coffee), we optimistically asked ourselves: "Can it get any colder than this at a Winter paintout in the SF Bay Area?"   So, with our first "Historic Santa Clara" Paintsite rained-out last month, we were determined to hold this, our second, no matter what.    What we found out rather quickly was that: "Yes it can get colder!"   The morning looked promising:  sunny with scattered, bright white, towering cumulus clouds.  But then dark clouds rolled in; the sun disappeared; a breeze picked up; and the wind-chill dropped below 40 F (again).   We decided to knock off early and either retreated into our cars or the Museum.   So no lunch, no "critique" and only a few photos of our paintings.   Hopefully they'll trickle in and be added to this post later.

We had a special visitor, Maria Dudnick, a reporter with the Santa Clara Weekly, who came by to interview us.  A real trooper, she stuck with it and spoke with all of us -- her enthusiasm definitely warmed us and brightened our day.  Look for her upcoming article in the Santa Clara Weekly ( http://www.santaclaraweekly.com/ ).   (The edition is yet to be determined so check weekly.)

Upcoming Paintsites:

• Saturday, January 14, 2017:  SCVWS Annual Holiday Party - 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM.  See link on the SCVWS website home page for details
• Thursday, January 19, 2017:  Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San Jose. 
• Saturday, January 21, 2017:  Stanford University Quad, Palo Alto.
• Thursday, January 26, 2017:  Santa Cruz Arboretum, UCSC.
• Thursday, February 2, 2017: Winchester Mystery House, San Jose.  
• Thursday, February 9, 2017:  Historic Santa Clara site TBD.
• Thursday, February 16, 2017:  Maryknoll Retirement Residence, Los Altos.
• Thursday, February 23, 2017:  Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, Morgan Hill

(Note:  Registration for the Annual Member Show is now 'open'.  It closes February 15, 2017.) 

Details can be found on the SCVWS website and in the January & February Newsletters.

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.      Think of starving artists while you enjoy your meal - be guilty, be part of the solution:  buy a fine watercolor.   The  Vino Locale website is: http://www.vinolocale.com/about-us/
  

•  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.    You'll recognize some of the artwork as they were created at recent Paintsites.

Behind the Triton is a sculpture garden which always grabs our attention:

 

Joy (left) and Sharon

Joy's painting of the back of the Triton Museum.

 

Iris and the Little Cowboy sculpture.

Iris' unfinished painting of the Little Cowboy

 The historic Jamison-Brown House:
 

Leslie (photo bonus - that cool, hot-red car in the background is Salinda's new wheels.)

 

Leslie's painting of the Jamison-Brown House.

Lisha 

Lisha's value sketch of the Jamison-Brown House.

Lisha's almost finished painting of the Jamison-Brown House.

Dick's painting of a dog-walker and one cold puppy in front of the Jamison-Brown House.

Salinda's painting of the Jamison-Brown House.

Brad's unfinished painting of the Jamison-Brown House.

 The historic Headen-Inman House:

Annie.  When the rest of us complained about the clouds obscuring the sun and making it colder than ever, did Annie complain?   Yes she did -- but it wasn't about the plummeting temperatures, it was that her dramatic shadows had vanished.   That's hard-core plein air painting up to Sylvia's & Jenny's standards!

Annie's painting of the Headen-Inman House.

Anu working on her painting of the Headen-Inman House.

From left: Dick, Brad and Santa Clara Weekly reporter Maria Judnick (photo by Salinda)

 

Wildwood Park, Saratoga. Thursday, January 5, 2017.

The forecast was for rain Wednesday nite into early Thursday morning.   Would it be accurate or would we be rained out again?   The forecast was accurate (it was actually sunnier than forecast) but perhaps overlooked was the predicted wind-chill.  Overlooked that is until we got out of our cars.    Brrrrr!    Also, we hoped for enough water in Saratoga Creek to make the rocky creek bed interesting. Again, as soon as we got of our vehicles, the thunderous roar of the creek answered that question. 

So yes, with temperatures in the mid-40s and a slight breeze dropping the wind-chill into the high-30s, it was cold.    But nothing to stop us!    Especially since Kay Duffy arranged for her gallery - the Aegis Gallery (http://www.aegisgallery.com/Aegis_Gallery/visitAegis.php   14531 Big Basin Way, Saratoga), to have hot coffee and baked goods available for us for a late-morning break.  Our hands warmed and morale boosted in the Gallery, we were able to get back to work with renewed enthusiasm.  Thanks Kay!  

The official website for Wildwood Park is:
http://www.saratoga.ca.us/cityhall/rec/facility_and_park_rentals/parks/wildwood.asp


Upcoming Paintsites:

• 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.

(Note:  Registration for the Annual Member Show is now 'open'.  It closes February 15, 2017.)   

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, and buy a fine watercolor.   (Unfortunately, it's too late for a Christmas gift so get one for yourself.)    The  Vino Locale website is: http://www.vinolocale.com/about-us/
  

•  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.

Artists on the Bank, Boulders in the Creek - each where they belong:
 

Looking downstream from the bridge, artists painting the creek.   (photo by Salinda)

  Looking upstream:  the waterfall and rapids were the most popular subjects.   The wood structure over the creek is the bridge from the parking lot into the park.  (photo by Liz)

Jane S. found the best way to beat the cold was to work fast (that and fingerless gloves)  ...

Jane S.'s thundering Saratoga Creek waterfall (#1) ...

... her frothing rapids (#2) ...

... and, closer this time, the waterfall again.  (#3).

Dan (photo by Liz)

Marilyn, left, and Leslie.

John's ink & wash sketch of Marilyn.

Marilyn's swiftly flowing waterfall.

Leslie, painter of rocks par excellence, and the waterfall.

Carol and Lisha W. dressed for the day.

Lisha  (photo by Liz)

Lisha's waterfall.

Lisha's second painting - a branch in the stream.

Carol stayed late to finish her painting.

Liz, foreground, and Lisa B.

The Rapids - by Liz.

Lisa B. did two paintings of the waterfall.   This the 'deliberate' one. ...

...

... this her 'sketch' --- she liked this one best.

John's unfinished painting of the Creek and far bank.

Kay (photo by Liz)

Kay's painting:  a composite of all of us - even those not painting the Creek itself.

Big Trees:   For a small park, there are a number of really large trees - especially native Sycamores whose bark this time of year is brilliant white.

Annie (cold days don't faze this Michigan girl) .

Annie's eucalyptus grove.

Ji-eun (photo by Liz)

Ji-eun's trees, vines and a glimpse of a calmer stretch of the Creek.

Joy.

Peeking over Joy's shoulder.  (photo by Liz)

Joy's trees and the bridge over the Creek's troubled waters.

Brad, foreground, and Joy on the sand volleyball court - unfit for play but OK for painting. (photo by Salinda)

Brad's big Sycamore.

Critique:

We wisely chose the sunniest spot in the park for Lunch and subsequent Critique.