Week 48 February 21-17, 2021

Lora, Laurie, Mary R., Susan B.G., Jane, Nicole, Tanvi, Helen, Claudia and Alison had another sparkling warm day at McClellan Ranch. Painters delighted in the meadow rimmed with sycamore trees (and bright yellow Acacia, one of the early spring bloomers) which border Stevens Creek, plus a tank house, barns, and a replica of an old blacksmith shop. 

See below, for this week's photos and artwork posts, details on our plein air safety requirements and upcoming events.   

Paint Site Guidelines

Please check the Paintsites website for details including directions and possible cancellations. To keep our members and guests as safe as possible during the COVID-19 era, we must change how we do things. Some of the paint sites have visitor limits. When this occurs we will post the information in paint site details on the SCVWS website. Participants must wear masks and observe the 6 ft. distancing rule. We no longer take photos of paintings on site. Please take your own photo, crop if needed, and submit  to paintsites@scvws.org 

Blog Submission Guidelines

If you choose not to attend the organized SCVWS plein air events, we invite Paintsites' artists sketching/painting on their own to pick one painting from that week and submit it by Saturday of that week. Here are some guidelines:

• Submit a digital photo of your artwork to paintsites@scvws.org. Cropped photos are preferred.
• Include your name, the date and comments about the site or unique media notes.
• Be creative! Some of your best subjects are in or around your home. You may want to paint from personal photos of your travels.
• Submissions after Saturday midnight will appear in the following week's blog.
• One submission per member per week, please.

Upcoming Events

• Thursday Paintsite, March 4, 2021 - Los Gatos County Park, Campbell
• Registration is Open for 53rd Annual Show

Photos from the Paintsite

Bee Boxes by Susan B. G.

Susan B.G.

Tank House value study by Lora

Painting from the meadow looking back by Mary R.

Trees by Susan B.G.

Acacia’s in Bloom by Jane S.

Tanvi

McClellan Ranch Tank House

Sycamore buds and Acacia blooms

New member Claudia admiring our work

It’s about time change- the sundial is on PDST?

Steven's Creek Riparian Corridor. 
The acacias and sycamores are blooming along
Stevens Creek at McClellan Ranch.
"We were keeping company with a
Red Shouldered Hawk and many sparrows." by Alison

McClellan Ranch Park by Helen

Journal page by Laurie who says,
“I’m sure glad that my favorite color is RED!”

Alison

Claudia

Lora

Laurie

Other Paintings by Members

"Point Lobos" (Carmel) painted plein air Tuesday February 23 by Dick

Gamble Garden Magnolia, 2/22/21 by Caroline

Week 47 February 14 - 20, 2021 Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, Morgan Hill, CA

 Bill, Mary, Lora. Susan BG, Annie, XL, Jane and I had a lucky sunny day at Coyote Valley OSP.  I was visited by a couple of Ladybugs. (Ladybugs are lucky correct? ) The Oaks are ready to bloom so we could clearly see and hear the yellow billed magpies We were also kept cowpany by grazing calves, and moms. There was quite a bit of horsing around at the nearby paddock. (Alison)

See below, for this week's photos and artwork posts, details on our plein air safety requirements, ideas for painting on your own, and upcoming events including a Zoom Presentation/Q&A on Plein Air Painting with SCVWS Paintsites.   

Paint Site Guidelines

Please check the Paintsites website for details including directions and possible cancellations. To keep our members and guests as safe as possible during the COVID-19 era, we must change how we do things. Some of the paint sites have visitor limits. When this occurs we will post the information in paint site details on the SCVWS website. Participants must wear masks and observe the 6 ft. distancing rule. We no longer take photos of paintings on site. Please take your own photo, crop if needed, and submit  to paintsites@scvws.org 

Blog Submission Guidelines

If you choose not to attend the organized SCVWS plein air events, we invite Paintsites' artists sketching/painting on their own to pick one painting from that week and submit it by Saturday of that week. Here are some guidelines:

• Submit a digital photo of your artwork to paintsites@scvws.org. Cropped photos are preferred.
• Include your name, the date and comments about the site or unique media notes.
• Be creative! Some of your best subjects are in or around your home. You may want to paint from personal photos of your travels.
• Submissions after Saturday midnight will appear in the following week's blog.
• One submission per member per week, please.

February Challenges:  What’s Your Passion?  

Sketch or paint something that represents your passion for music, gardening, hiking, architecture, or even an idea or a cause.

Clouds:

It's cloud season! Watercolor is the perfect medium to paint clouds. So many shapes, so many colors! Break out those blues, grays, yellows and lavenders, clouds are coming!

Upcoming Events

• Thursday Paintsite, February 25, 2021 - McClellan Ranch, Cupertino
• Sunday, February 28, 2021 - Plein Air - Tips to Get you Started: A Free SCVWS Online Overview and Q&A. Click here for detatils.
• Registration is Open for 53rd Annual Show

Photos from the paintsite

Alison at work (photo by Lora)

Guest artist XL

Cow posing for the artists (Photo by Alison)

Serene hillside (photo by Alison)

Obedient Cow (Photo by Alison)

Paintings from the paintsite

Value sketch by Jane S.

Trees and Hillside by Mary P.

Tree and Bark Study by Lora

Panorama by Alison

Other paintings by members

Play of Color by Sham

Grapes by Indira

Orchid Study by Shirley

Basket Madonna and Child by Dick

Week 46 - February 7 to 13, 2021

Paintsites is back in action! Our second site for February was located on the San Francisquito Trail section of the Palo Alto Baylands:

The wind and rain held off for an atmospheric day at a less traveled area of the Palo Alto Baylands. Nine painters painted a variety of views of the bay, golfers, aircraft, and the creek along the San Francisquito Creek Trail ~ Alison

See below, for this week's artwork posts, details on our plein air safety requirements, ideas for painting on your own and upcoming events including a Zoom Presentation/Q&A on Plein Air Painting with SCVWS Paintsites.   

Paint Site Guidelines

Please check the Paintsites website for details including directions and possible cancellations. To keep our members and guests as safe as possible during the COVID-19 era, we must change how we do things. Some of the paint sites have visitor limits. When this occurs we will post the information in paint site details on the SCVWS website. Participants must wear masks and observe the 6 ft. distancing rule. We no longer take photos of paintings on site. Please take your own photo, crop if needed, and submit  to paintsites@scvws.org 

Blog Submission Guidelines

If you choose not to attend the organized SCVWS plein air events, we invite Paintsites' artists sketching/painting on their own to pick one painting from that week and submit it by Saturday of that week. Here are some guidelines:

• Submit a digital photo of your artwork to paintsites@scvws.org. Cropped photos are preferred.
• Include your name, the date and comments about the site or unique media notes.
• Be creative! Some of your best subjects are in or around your home. You may want to paint from personal photos of your travels.
• Submissions after Saturday midnight will appear in the following week's blog.
• One submission per member per week, please.

February Challenges: 

What’s Your Passion?  

Sketch or paint something that represents your passion for music, gardening, hiking, architecture, or even an idea or a cause.

Clouds:

It's cloud season! Watercolor is the perfect medium to paint clouds. So many shapes, so many colors! Break out those blues, grays, yellows and lavenders, clouds are coming!

Upcoming Events

• Thursday Paintsite, February 18, 2021 - Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, Morgan Hill
• Thursday Paintsite, February 25, 2021 - McClellan Ranch, Cupertino
• Sunday, February 28, 2021 - Plein Air - Tips to Get you Started: A Free SCVWS Online Overview and Q&A. Click here for detatils.
• Registration is Open for 53rd Annual Show

Artwork and Photos from Palo Alto Baylands at the San Francisquito Creek Trail

View of the Palo Alto Baylands Preserve from
the San Francisquito Trail (photo by Alison)

Mary P's painting of a view from the San Francisquito Trail 

Mary P's watercolor of the Bay (a closer view)
On a damp and overcast morning, we sat overlooking golfers,
planes taking off and landing at the small airport, and hikers
enjoying the trail. I chose to focus on shapes and colors. This
first painting is a closer view across the Bay. [The above painting], 
is a more distant view with some interesting blue mist against the
mountains, done very loosely ~ Mary P

"Palo Alto Baylands" by Shirley L

A view from the San Francisquito Trail painted by Annie

Alison's painting of the Baylands.   

I tried to incorporate the distant Dumbarton Bridges and power towers and wires as linkages from the east and South Bay ~Alison

A sketch of the San Francisquito Creek by Susan BG

Golf course eucalyptus painted by Jane  S.

View of the golf course and airport, sketch by Jane S.

Artwork by Others, Plein Air or at Home

"Asilomar" by Dick

Watercolor sketches of the Palo Alto Baylands by Tanvi

Week 45, January 31 - February 6, 2021

Almaden Lake Park

An even dozen painters enjoyed a sparkling cool day at Almaden Lake Park.  There was even lake effect breezes to coincide with Punxsutawney Phil’s Groundhog Day predictions.  We were visited by gaggles of geese, a commotion of coots and a paddling of ducks.

Paint site Guidelines

Please check the Paintsites website for details including directions and possible cancellations. To keep our members and guests as safe as possible during the COVID-19 era, we must change how we do things. Some of the paint sites have visitor limits. When this occurs we will post the information in paint site details on the SCVWS website. Participants must wear masks and observe the 6 ft. distancing rule. We no longer take photos of paintings on site. Please take your own photo, crop if needed, and submit  to paintsites@scvws.org 

Blog Submission Guidelines

We invite Paintsites' artists to paint or sketch during the week, pick one painting from that week and submit it by Saturday of that week. Here are some guidelines:

• Submit a digital photo of your artwork to paintsites@scvws.org. Cropped photos are preferred.
• Include your name, the date and comments about the site or unique media notes.
• Be creative! Some of your best subjects are in or around your home. You may want to paint from personal photos of your travels.
• Submissions after Saturday midnight will appear in the following week's blog.
• One submission per member per week, please.

February challenges for those who are unable to attend paintsites: 

"What’s Your Passion?" This could be anything that represents a strong feeling. For example, it could be a sketch or painting that represents your passion for music, gardening, hiking, architecture, a hobby, or even an idea or a cause.

Clouds:

It's cloud season! Watercolor is the perfect medium to paint clouds. So many shapes, so many colors! Break out those blues, grays, yellows and lavenders, clouds are coming!

Artwork and Photos from Almaden Lake Park

"Thanks to Alison’s prompting me,
I joined the group on a beautiful morning.
We who were raised in the Northeast marvel
at doing plein air in February without snow." by Mary P.

Loosey Goosey by Alison

Almaden Lake by Jane S.

Almaden Lake Park by Jayne S.

Almaden Lake Goose by Susan B.G.

Susan B.G. making friends

"This group of ducks decided to sit in the shade at my feet...
The duck whisperer." - Jayne S.

A nice example of plein air painting while social distancing

A little piece of nature in the city

The goose patrol

Painters in red coats with white geese

Almaden Lake by Laurie B.

Artwork by others, plein air or at home

Dick at Big Sur

plein air painting at Big Sur by Dick

Study of wildflowers on San Bruno Mountain by Shirley

“Morning Market” by Tanvi

Jan 28, 2021,
Painting of Wilder Ranch State Park, Santa Cruz by Uma -   
ballpoint pen and watercolor          

Eagle park at Mountain View by Helen