Sunday, June 30, 2019

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum, Sunnyvale, June 27, 2019

The Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum is adjacent to the 10 acre Orchard Heritage Park where about 800 trees were laden with ripe delicious Blenheim apricots.  We have painted at the orchard many times when the trees were bare or blooming, but this is the first time we painted when the apricots were ripe and being sold at a fruit stand on the premises.  Paintsite co-coordinator and Blenheim apricot fancier Marilyn wanted the artists to know how delicious ripe Blenheim apricots right from the tree can be, so she brought enough apricots from the fruit stand to share with everyone.

The Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum is a replica of the Martin Murphy Jr. Bayview House which was milled in Bangor, Maine, shipped around the Horn in 1850, and assembled in Sunnyvale.  The museum and grounds were looking splendid in preparation for the September 28 Anniversary Celebration to honor the grand new entrance and dedication of new outdoor exhibits.  SCVWS will have a booth at this celebration which will include an exhibit of some of the artwork from this and previous paintsites at this site.

The weather was perfect with delightful temperature, lots of sunshine, and enough shade in the orchard and museum gardens.  The artists agreed that the Blenheim apricots were indeed delicious.

For more information about the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum and Orchard Heritage Park, visit:

http://heritageparkmuseum.org/

Upcoming Paintsites:  See the SCVWS website or the July Newsletter for details:

  • Thursday, July 11, Moss Landing Harbor with lunch at Phil's Fish Market and Eatery
  • Thursday, July 18, Stevens Creek County Park Lakeshore Picnic Area, Cupertino
  • Saturday, July 20, Webb Ranch, Portola Valley
  • Thursday, July 25, Portola Vineyards, Portola Valley

Artists and their artwork:

Rich's painting of the orchard and apricots drying on drying racks

The Museum is so much more welcoming now that the
main entrance is complete.  Its completion will be recognized
with a celebration on Saturday, September 28.

Iris

Iris's painting of the museum
and Brad painting the museum

Brad

Brad's painting of the museum

Tanvi is using her artist's umbrella for the first time.

Tanvi's detail of the museum

Tanvi's second detail of the museum highlighting the windows

Joe

Jan G.

Jan C.
Jan C's painting of the museum and garden

Broncha with the orchard visible behind her

Broncha's painting of part of the museum and gardens

Helen

Helen's painting of the museum and some of the
brilliant flowers in the museum garden

Matt

Matt's painting of flowers in the garden

Leslie sitting by the orchard with ripe
apricots visible behind her

Leslie's painting of the barn

Leslie's pen and ink sketch of detail of farm machinery

The orchard with ripe Blenheim apricots hanging on the trees

Toni

Toni's portrait of an apricot tree
When Toni finished one apricot tree painting, she enjoyed the orchard
so much, she painted a second painting of the orchard.


Elaine with the orchard and old-fashioned farm wagon behind her


Elaine's painting of old-fashioned farm wagon and orchard

Elaine's painting of the orchard with house and
Santa Cruz Mountains in the background
Caroline's painting of a farmer in the orchard

Lauren with her mode of transportation for the day

Lauren's painting of the old fashioned farm
wagon, orchard, and flowers
Marilyn's painting of apricots on the tree

Paintsite co-coordinator Marilyn wanted everyone to know how
delicious are Sunnyvale cherries and Blenheim apricots,
so she brought enough for everyone.

Paintsite co-coordinator emeritus Brad graciously accepted
the responsibility of leading the sharing of the artwork.
Thanks, Brad!

Artists admiring the artwork

Monday, June 24, 2019

Maryknoll Retirement Residence, Los Altos, Thursday, June 20, 2019

Maryknoll is a magnificent building easily visible from I-280 just north of the Foothill Expressway Exit.  It was built in 1926 as a Catholic seminary for students preparing to enter the Maryknoll order, a Catholic society dedicated to missionary work in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.  In the mid 1970’s it was converted to a residence for retired Brothers.  The architecture contains Spanish mission, Baroque, and Oriental influences.  The design of the Chinese-influenced tower visible from I-280 was inspired by the first Maryknoll mission to China in 1918.

This was the first time we painted at Maryknoll in the summer.  The temperature was warm enough that we all sought shelter from the sun in the shade of the trees in the courtyard or in the beautiful garden areas.

For more information about Maryknoll Retirement Residence visit:

Link to Los Altos Town Crier article

For more photos from our paintsite, visit Edward Rooks's Flickr album at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardrooks/albums/72157709183721741

Upcoming Paintsites.  See the SCVWS website or the June/July Newsletters for details.

  • Thursday, June 27, Sunnyvale Historical Museum
  • Thursday, July 11, Moss Landing Harbor
  • Thursday, July 18, Stevens Creek County Park Lakeshore Picnic Area, Cupertino
  • Saturday, July 20, Webb Ranch, Portola Valley
  • Thursday, July 25, Portola Vineyards, Portola Valley

Artists and their artwork:

Some artists included the bell tower and as much of the building as they could see:

Brad's painting

Brad

Edward's painting

Edward

Indira's painting

Indira

Annie's painting

Annie

Helen's sepia painting

Helen

Tiangong's painting

Tiangong
 Some artists focused on the bell tower:

Benay's painting

Benay

Jane S's unfinished painting

Paintsite co-coordinator Jane S.

Mary's painting

Sham's painting

Sham
Marilyn's painting

Tanvi preferred a different view of the bell tower,
the view looking south past the chapel.

Tanvi

Elaine

Jane P.

Joe

Toni is peaking out from under her sunhat

We welcome Jan to paintsites
 Some artists were able to resist the bell tower:

Iris's painting

Iris

Leslie's painting highlighted the bougainvillea

Leslie

Lorraine's painting highlighted the cloister walk
on the far side of the chapel

Lorraine

Susan B-G's painting highlighted the jacaranda tree

Susan B-G

Matt's painting featured the Chinese tower,
the structure so prominently visible from I-280

This house finch had a nest at the edge of the parking lot

The Maryknoll property has a commanding view of I-280 and the Bay Area
all the way from San Jose to the south to Mount Diablo and Oakland to the north.

We had our lunch under the shade of a large magnolia tree in view of the bell tower

Matt is showing his painting during our sharing time.