Lands End, San Francisco. Thursday, February 22, 2018

Marilyn and Jane worked tirelessly setting up this Paintsite: arranging carpools, scouting out trails, overlooks, interesting little side excursions .... and what does everybody end up painting?  Some old orange bridge that's probably been painted more than a few times already.  Where's our spirit of adventure, our search for the unique?   Swallowed up by the magnificent, irresistible spectacle of the Golden Gate Bridge on a beautiful but very cold and windy day  --- I suspect this is one of the top (bottom?) ten coldest Paintsites of the 21st Century!  If you look closely you'll notice that we used a wide range of colors for the ocean --- these weren't capricious choices --- the ocean was continuously changing colors all day --- really!   Same for the sky!   Oh how we suffered for our art but I think we all agreed it was worth it.
 
For more information about Lands End check out the official website
Golden Gate Parks Conservancy

Some of us met the Supergirl of San Francisco who was just starting her patrol near us as we worked.  She expressed interest in our work and welcomed us to her city.  This YouTube clip is a good introduction to Supergirl:
Supergirl of San Francisco YouTube video 


Upcoming paintsites: See the SCVWS website or the March newsletter for details.

• Thursday, March 1, 2018: Sunnyvale Heritage Park
• Thursday, March 8, 2018: Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, Morgan Hill. Hike & Sketch or Sit & Paint. 
• Thursday, March 15, 2018: Gamble Garden, Palo Alto
• Thursday, March 22, 2018: Still to be determined.
• Thursday, March 29, 2018: Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills
• Saturday, March 31, 2018: Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills

There's still time to see our own John Ediger, "The Painter of Rusty Things", featured in a Silicon Valley Open Studios "Talk Art" program on YouTube.   In this 30 minute presentation he discusses his background, a few of his paintings, and demos his painting techniques.
Link to John Ediger's Video on youtube


Annual Members Show info: check the SCVWS website for details.

• March 4, 2018:  Last day to register!
• Monday, March 19 - May 1, 2018 show runs
• Sunday, March 25, 2018: Reception and Award presentation  

Artists at work:   Cold?  (Yes)   +   Spectacularly Beautiful Day?  (Yes)
  =  Happy, Dedicated, and Cold Artists! (Yes)

We tended to congregate towards the east end of the parking lot where we had fine views of the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island and the Bay's eastern shore.   Bench sitters (Helen, left, and Liz) opted for relative comfort of the benches (less wind than those on the curb) while those on the 'edge' had a view of the surf breaking below them.

On (and 'over' in the case of Kaaren) the curb: (left to right: Salinda, Candy and Kaaren)

 

Left to right: Dick, Tanvi, Salinda (behind Candy), Candy and Kaaren

Dick was unhappy with his bridge 'towers' so he imagined a fog bank obscuring the span itself ---which is probably how the bridge looks 180 days a year.

Laurie's first Thursday Paintsite painting but obviously not her first plein air painting!  (Check out Laurie's website in the Member's Websites sidebar)

Tanvi's painting of the south end of the Bridge, Angel Island, the surf, cypress trees, ...

Kaaren experimented with some different paper which didn't behave as she hoped.       Still, not too bad all things considered --- many of us should be so lucky with any paper!

Kaaren's second painting - this of a Lands End cypress

  

Salinda's turbulent surf captured the mood (and one of the colors) of the ocean.  Angel Island is in the background.

Candy's first painting of the Bridge - note the North Tower shadows on the Marin Headlands --- we've painted the shadows before and they're always fascinating both to paint and watch as they move across the hillside.

Candy's second painting of the Bridge.   But where have the shadows gone?  They're shy and can barely be seen hiding under the roadway.

  

Liz (foreground) and Helen

 Liz's painting(s) will be added later --- so visit again.

Helen's painting of the south end of the Bridge ...

Brad's painting of the Bridge with Candy and Kaaren in the foreground.

  

Mary R. was the only "Hiker".  (That's Supergirl in the background getting ready to go on patrol.)

Mary hiked the Coastal and Lands End trails and made several sketches which she hopes to finish at home and which we'll add later -- another reason for a return visit to this posting.

Mary took this photo of the Golden Gate Bridge from the hiking trail.

Tanvi painting the Marin Headlands

Tanvi's sketch of Pt. Bonita and the Marin Headlands.  A tug heads out to guide a commercial vessel into port.  (It made me queasy just watching it pound and bounce thru the swells rolling in.)

Candy's third painting --- this one of the Marin Headlands looking north-west towards Pt. Reyes.  By this time the clouds started moving in --- it would rain later that afternoon.

Helen

Helen's painting of artists on the curb

Helen's painting of Liz

Lunch then Show & Share:  We hurried thru lunch then took our time talking about our artwork.   We definitely have our priorities straight.

Bundled up but still cold, we agreed on an early lunch.  (Note to Jane & Marilyn: next time bring wood for a campfire.)

Weekend paintsites McClellan Ranch, Cupertino CA February 17, 2018

The apparent last day of our mid-week warm spell made for a perfect day painting at McClellan Ranch Park, Cupertino. Alison, Jayne, Cindy, Elizabeth, and Lois added the park's beautiful surroundings and classic water tower to their sketchbooks. Early blooming trees added color and contrast to the mid-winter scene.

Link to McClellan Park

Special announcement: We have been invited to paint at the Saratoga Blossom Festival March 24, 10:00 am to 4 pm at the Saratoga Civic Center and Heritage Orchard. Link Kindly register to Annette Stransky by March 1: annette022003@yahoo.com

Registration is free . Please  provide:

Name
Organization
Contact Info
Selling/Displaying

Weekend Paintsite: Saturday March 31, Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills

Blooming trees compliment winter dormant flora

Elizabeth in shadows

Elizabeth's painting in shadows

Cindy and Jayne

Cindy's tree sketch

Alison's landscape

Alison's view of the barn and water tower

Jayne at work in full sun

Jayne's sketch of the water tower from her sketchbook

Jayne's sketch of the barn

Jayne uses her sketchbook to experiment with composition and color

Lois chose a picnic table as her workplace

Lois's sketchbook painting of the water tower

McClellan Ranch Preserve, Cupertino, Thursday, February 15, 2018

McClellan Ranch Preserve used to be a horse ranch owned by the McClellan family in the 1930s and 40s.  It preserves the original ranch house, a working milk barn and livestock barn.  The old water tower was moved to McClellan Ranch from another Cupertino site.  The park contains Cupertino Community Gardens, bee hives, a natural reserve, and a trail that runs beside Stevens Creek.  The old ranch house houses the headquarters of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society. Bird friendly plants are growing around the ranch house, and bird feeders attract more birds, and the air is filled with the songs of many birds.

About a dozen artists enjoyed a beautiful sunny but somewhat chilly day for painting at this beautiful site.

For more information see:

Link to McClellan Ranch website

Upcoming paintsites: See the SCVWS website or the February and March newsletters for details.

• Thursday, February 22, 2018: Paintsite and Hike and Sketch, Lands End, San Francisco
• Thursday, March 1, 2018: Heritage Orchard, to be determined
• Thursday, March 15, 2018: Gamble Garden, Palo Alto
• Thursday, March 22, 2018: To be determined
• Thursday, March 29, 2018: Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills
• Saturday, March 31, 2018: Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills

As part of the Silicon Valley Open Studios "Talk Art" series of community TV programs, Paintsites regular John Ediger discusses his background, a few of his paintings, and demos his painting techniques for depicting the rusty objects for which he is noted.

Link to John Ediger's Video on youtube

Tanvi's painting of old red barn

Tanvi and her painting in progress

Tanvi's painting of the blacksmith shop

Mary

Mary's painting of red barn

Marilyn's painting of red barn

Iris and Helen set up in front of the new nature museum

Iris's painting of farm buildings

Helen's painting of water tower

Liz

Liz's painting of red barn

Suzie

Suzie's painting of red barn

Suzie's painting of artist at work

Leslie challenged herself to paint the red barn using no pencil lines,

only large brush.  She met the challenge very well.

Leslie posing beside the shovel bird

Leslie's tombow drawing of shovel bird

Leslie's tombow drawing of pigeon coop

Leslie's tombow drawing of blacksmith shop

Lorraine

Lorraine's painting of watertower and barn

Candy

Candy's painting of water tower

Candy's sketch of magnificent wintering tree

Candy's detail of large red barn

Jane

Jane's painting of beehives

Joe's painting of trail running beside Stevens Creek.  Joe mentioned

how quiet and peaceful it was painting beside the creek.

Anu's painting of tree along Stevens Creek

Anu's two page spread of view of trail