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.