Cummins Iris Garden, Scotts Valley - Thursday, April 26, 2018

Many thanks to Irene and Jim Cummins for allowing us to paint in their wonderful iris garden at their private property in Scotts Valley. Their adventure began in 1984 with 6  rhizomes and today their garden is home to more than 800 varieties of iris. In addition to the garden there is an endless collection of curiosities, including bird houses, farm machinery, gardening equipment; and also, a barn, sheds, and a little creek running across the property with a small bridge. It's just delightful!  The property was once a stage stop between Santa Cruz and San Jose where the stages changed to a fresh team of horses to go over the hill. The old house dates back to the late 1840’s and has stood during two major earthquakes, 1906 and 1989. 


For an interesting article about the Cummins and their irises see:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20100807/they-only-have-eyes-for-iris-scotts-valley-couple-share-garden-blooms-at-sale


May Paintsites:  There are 5 paintsites this month featuring more flowers in bloom than we'll see the rest of the year!   So if you like flowers, you'll love these Paintsites -- come smell the roses with us.  See the SCVWS website or the May Newsletters for details:

• Thursday, May 3, 2018:  San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, San Jose.
• Thursday, May 10, 2018:  CharMarron Peony Gardens, San Jose
• Thursday, May 17, 2018:  To be determined
• Thursday, May 24, 2018:  Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Saratoga (actually here you can smell the horses)
• Thursday, May 31, 2018:  Holbrook-Palmer Park, Atherton

Shows and Exhibits:

• Closes May 1, 2018:  SCVWS 50th Annual Member's Show - Truly not to be missed!   Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Centre of Silicon Valley in Los Gatos.   See the SCVWS website for details.
• Tanvi Buch has a one woman show at the Red Berry Coffee Bar, 145 Main St., Los Altos.   In May she'll have 16 watercolors on the ground floor, in June, another exhibit on the mezzanine.  Go for the artwork and while there enjoy a coffee and a pastry (or two - that's what I'll do) as this is an establishment that supports local artists. 
• Annie Haines's Point Reyes Lighthouse painting is an Associate Award winner at the Art Between Lines show of the California Art Club San Francisco Bay Chapter. Location: Peninsula Art Museum, Burlingame. Sunday April 29 - July 8, 2018. 

Silicon Valley Open Studios: ( Official website with dates, locations and artists ).  If you follow this blog you've seen many of our Paintsites artists' fine plein air work.   This is a great chance to meet them and see their excellent studio artwork.   Note:  Typically they share a venue with "studio" artists so there will be more than just the artists named below at each venue.    Also, unfortunately, altho' most venues offer "light" refreshments, they don't specify what they're serving so there's no way to plan which to visit on the basis of what's to eat --- you'll just have to visit all of them and find out for yourself.

• Saturday and Sunday, May 5th & 6th:
• Annie Haines + Jane Saltman -- Los Altos
• Jeanne  De Campos-Rousseau   +   Karen Druker  +  Karen Olsen -- Los Altos Hills
• Kaaren Marquez -- Mt. View
• Christine Oliver -- Belmont
• Saturday and Sunday, May 12th & 13th:
• Jeanne  De Campos-Rousseau   +   Karen Druker   +  Karen Olsen -- Los Altos Hills
• Christine Oliver -- Sunnyvale
•  Saturday and Sunday, May 19th & 20th:
• John "The Painter of Rusty (and other) Things" Ediger -- San Jose
• Annie Haines -- San Jose
• Don Paquin -- San Jose

Cummins Iris Garden

A small sample of irises in the garden (photo by Edward)

'Light of Egypt' - another example of the gorgeous
hybrids found in Jim and Irene's garden
(photo by Edward)

Helen

Helen's  close up study of an Iris

Helen's second watercolor with the Scotts Valley
hills in the background

Edward is rejoining Paintsites after several
years absence.  

Edward's  view of the garden 

Benay

Benay's watercolor of the garden's
 collection

Benay's watercolor study of 'Waterline Keppel'

Salinda (photo by Edward)

Salinda's watercolor of one of many beautiful 
multicolored hybrids

Dick keeping cool in the shade

Dick's watercolor of an old farm wagon surrounded by irises

Lora's watercolor sketch of a lovely peach
and purple hybrid

Brad closing the gate so the irises won't escape (photo by Edward)

Marilyn painting a bed of irises (photo by Edward)

Marilyn's painting of a bed of irises

Broncha's watercolor of a salmon and lavender

colored iris

Our hostess, Irene, giving the Paintsites group a brief history of the property
(photo by Salinda)

Irene fielding questions from painters

 Jim Cummins (photo by Edward)
Thank you again Jim and Irene for a wonderful day of painting

Weekend Paintsites--San Jose History Park--April 21, 2018

History Park is located at the south end of Kelley Park at the corner of Senter Road and Phelan Avenue. Through 32 original and reproduction homes, businesses and landmarks, History Park reveals Santa Clara Valley’s past. Complete with paved streets, running trolleys and an old-fashioned ice cream shop, this 14-acre site offers the charm and ambiance of times gone by.

Link 

Next weekend paintsite: 

May 5, 2018 San Jose Municipal Rose Garden

View of the firehouse, interurban car, and the Pacific Hotel

The old Ford truck is a favorite painting subject

The gas station is a unique design with perimeter windows

Elaine's painting of the truck

The truck and station in Lois's sketchbook

Lois's sketch of the Chinese American Historical Museum

Newcomer Ritu's sketch of the old truck

The Rite steam tractor

Alison's sketch of the steam tractor

A visitor from above

Lois showing Elaine her travel painting pack

Campbell Heritage Theatre, Campbell - Thursday, April 19, 2018

Spring has been teasing us for several weeks now but today, finally, it seems to have truly and finally arrived!    Breezy, clear and sunny in the morning, today was a day to paint shadows of which the Art Deco / Spanish Colonial Revival Campbell Heritage Theatre (formerly the Campbell High School auditorium) cast many on the off-white walls of the building:  abundant ornamentation, open grillwork, metal lanterns, ceramic urns, columns, arches, etc.   And if that wasn't enough, there were the colorful, large glass balls floating in the large ponds in front of the building.  (I'd always assumed the glass balls were ornamental until Dick explained that they were intended to keep ducks from landing in the pools --- no ducks today so they did their job.  Also, I was later told that the glass balls light up at nite and the effect is spectacular ---- maybe worth an evening visit.)

For more information about this historic site, see: 
Campbell Heritage Theatre
(Note: there is ample free parking adjacent to the Theatre, nice restrooms, and a Psycho Donuts just across the street --- what more could one ask of a morning Paintsite venue?)

Upcoming Paintsites - See the SCVWS website or the April & May Newsletters for details.:

• Saturday, April 21, 2018: San Jose History Park
• Thursday, April 26, 2018: Cummins Iris Garden, Scotts Valley
• Thursday, May 3, 2018: San Jose Municipal Rose Garden
• Thursday, May 10, 2018: CharMarron Peony Gardens, San Jose
• Thursday, May 17, 2018: To be determined
• Thursday, May 24, 2018: Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Saratoga
• Thursday, May 31, 2018: Holbrook-Palmer Park, Atherton

Other Important dates to put on your Calendar:

• Closing May 1, 2018:  SCVWS 50th Annual Member's Show (the biggest - 104 paintings - and best ever!) at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Centre of Silicon Valley in Los Gatos.   See the SCVWS website for details.

Silicon Valley Open Studios: ( Official website with dates, locations and artists ).  If you follow this blog you've seen many of our Paintsites artists' fine plein air work.   This is a great chance to meet them and see their excellent studio artwork. 

• Saturday and Sunday, May 5th & 6th:
• Jeanne  De Campos-Rousseau   +   Karen Druker   +   Annie Haines 
• Kaaren Marquez   +   Christine Oliver   +   Karen Olsen   +   Jane Saltman
• Saturday and Sunday, May 12th & 13th:
• Jeanne  De Campos-Rousseau   +   Karen Druker   +   Christine Oliver
• Karen Olsen
•  Saturday and Sunday, May 19th & 20th:
• John "The Painter of Rusty (and other) Things" Ediger   +   Annie Haines
• Don Paquin

Artists  & their Artwork:

Salinda and Dick

Salinda & Dick and the Heritage Theatre 

Salinda's painting of the arches

Dick's painting of the pool

Helen

Helen's painting of Salinda & Dick painting the Heritage Theatre

Rich scouted the site last week and decided that ...

... the east end of the complex, with the round stained glass window and the peculiar orange ornamentation draped over the corner walls, spoke to him.

While Broncha, at the opposite end of the complex, felt the call of these arches.

Brad's painting of the Theatre

Grace found a great spot from which to paint both the Theatre and the glass balls in the pools.    An added bonus was the wonderfully fragrant Jasmine blooming next to her.

Grace and a few of the glass balls.

Grace's painting of the Theatre and the pool with the glass balls.

Annie

Annie's painting of the adjacent Delphi Academy (also formerly part of the Campbell High School) looking across the pools

Jane P.

Jane P.'s painting of the Theatre captured the handsome grill-work and some of the glass balls.

Kaaren "pool side"

Kaaren's first painting --  a few of the glass balls

Kaaren's second painting -- this of a side wall of the Theatre

Tanvi

Tanvi concentrated on the large ornate wall lanterns and the fascinating (and very complex) shadows they cast  (it didn't help that the shadows, not surprisingly, kept moving on her).

Art show

After lunch, the Art Show in which we "Show & Share", then pose for our group photo