Los Altos History Museum, Los Altos, Thursday, September 16, 2021

Twelve painters (Brad, Lin, Irina, Masako, Lorraine, Tanvi, Susan BG, Caroline, Jayne, Monique, Carmela, and Alison) painted on the grounds of the Los Altos History Museum. We were invited guests of the museum to celebrate the opening of their Anna Knapp Fitz exhibit. 

"Anna Knapp Fitz, known as Annie, moved to Los Altos in 1921. A self-taught artist, she loved to sketch scenes from everyday life. When asked what it was like in those bygone days, Annie responded with her paintbrush. Her portraits, historic sites, and landscapes capture the enduring spirit of early Santa Clara Valley." https://www.losaltoshistory.org/exhibit/annie-paints/ .The well curated exhibit runs through Feb 3, 2022. 

Not only were we treated to coffee and tea, at lunch, we had our own mini reception to celebrate the first in-person SCVWS exhibit "Every Leaf Speaks Bliss to Me" held at the Los Altos Library. A bonus to the location was a short stroll to the view the Rotary Club Bears of Los Altos featuring SCVWS artists. Hurry to see as the bears will be hibernating soon!

http://losaltosbears.losaltosrotary.org

Upcoming Paint Sites

October 14 –  Portola Vineyards, Portola Valley

October 28 – Winchester Mystery House, San Jose

For additional information about these paint sites check out the SCVWS Newsletter or Website www.scvws.org

Artists and their Artwork

Painting by the late Annie Knapp Fitz of the J. Gilbert Smith House,
on exhibit at the Los Altos History Museum

Brad's watercolor of the J. Gilbert Smith House painted from
the museum courtyard. 

Another great paint out at this always special site: The folks at the History Museum had laid out a welcoming Continental Breakfast for us.  Then Alison did the same with some lite lunch fare and beverages.     And, oh yes, in between we painted.   I've painted the "J. Gilbert Smith House" a number of times, but this time I was determined not to be so picky about the details -- I didn't count the number of stairs.   After lunch and our Show-n-Share we visited the Museum for the "Annie Knapp Fitz Exhibit", then hit the Los Altos Library for the excellent SCVWS Fall Show "Every Leaf Speaks Bliss To Me".    Some went on to the Viewpoints Art Gallery and then to visit the Los Altos Bears --- everywhere you looked there were SCVWS artists and their artwork.

Brad painting in the museum courtyard

Alison's watercolor of the J. Gilbert Smith House

Tanvi's watercolor of anemones in the History
Museum garden

A side view of the J. Gilbert Smith House 

 San Bruno Mountain State & County Park.   Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021

We had a fantastic time at our new Hike and Sketch location on San Bruno Mountain in Brisbane.     Thank you Shirley for showing us the way.  It was a naught-y day:  naught smoke, naught heat and lots of naughty "naked ladies" in bloom (amaryllis).  We had a San Francisco day with fog and cool breeze with a little hill climbing, views of Brisbane and San Francisco Bay with container ships waiting to be unloaded.

For additional information about this marvelous site, check out:

https://parks.smcgov.org/san-bruno-mountain-state-county-park

 https://parks.smcgov.org/sites/parks.smcgov.org/files/documents/files/San%20Bruno%20Mountain%20Self%20Guided%20Tour.pdf

Upcoming Paintsites:

Thursday, Sept 16: Los Altos History Museum, Los Altos

Thursday, Sept 23: Japanese Friendship Garden/Happy Hollow Zoo

For additional information about these Paintsites check out the Newsletter or Website.

Getting down to business: 

Early arrivals, from left: Lisha's husband You, Lisha and Helen.   This was You's first Paintsite and seems like everybody was on their best behavior so hopefully he'll become a regular.

Here we are, lined up, in good formation (at least for a bunch of artists), ready to attack the mountain.  (Or at least a spur of the mountain.)   Left to right:  Lisha, Helen, Brad, Marni, Alison, Kathryn, Charlene, and Shirley.  Only an artist, I forget which, would think to suggest we pose where the lines in the parking lot lent some dramatic perspective.

A short hike brought us to the segment of the Saddle Loop Trail from which we could spread out and set-up.  Shirley gave us a broad overview of what we could see if we went left or right on the trail:  a few of us (Brad for just a few yards while Lisha and her husband You went all the way to the top for views of Daly City and beyond) went left.  Most of us went to the right (down hill) for views of Brisbane and the Bay.  Note left-center the old Cow Palace.

Shirley tells us to go forth and paint. (Photo by Alison)

So we did:

Helen

Thursday Paintsites Coordinator Alison perched on the lip of the trail.  One false step and she'd have been in downtown Brisbane!

 

 

 

 

 

The Saddle Loop Trail North Bench. Great views from here of Brisbane, the Bay and San Francisco.   Standing, from left: Brad, Lisha, You.   Seated, from left:  Marni, Dick. Behind the Bench, just her head visible, is Salinda.   (Photo by Alison)

Dick on the North Bench.  That's the trail running uphill behind Dick.   I think Lisha and You made it over the hill beyond the distant trees.

 

Marni on the North Bench.

Salinda on a little rise just above the North Bench.

 Kathryn, Shirley and Charlene set-up mid-way on the trail:

Kathryn with her finished painting of Brisbane and the Brisbane Lagoon with the Bay in the background.  The North Bench is in the distance over Kathryn's right shoulder.

Shirley

OK.  Alison promised some 'Naked Ladies'.   Here they are:

Charlene (appropriately clothed for plein air painting) and a field of 'Naked Ladies" (either Amaryllis belladona or Lycoris squamigera?).    (Photo by Alison.)

 

Thursday Paintsites Coordinator Alison (foreground), Charlene, and the Naked Ladies.

Charlene and her painting of a Naked Lady.

Here we are, cutting cross-country, heading back to our base camp for (1) lunch and (2) the Show & Share ('first things first').   Note San Bruno Mountain summit in the background -- a potential Hike & Sketch for another day.  (?)   (Photo by Alison)

The day's artwork laid out for the Show & Share.

Dick's painting of Candlestick Pt., Hunter's Point, the Cow Palace, and boats on the Bay.

Helen's panoramic painting of the bay, shipyards. Brisbane, and Dick and Marni on the North Bench

Close-up of Helen's painting.  There's always a problem with a single image on facing sheets in a spiral bound sketchbook.   Helen did a good job of handling it here. 

Salinda

Salinda's painting of  Dick and Marni on the North Bench with Candlestick Pt. in the background.

Shirley with her unfinished painting.

Shirley's mounting board was something we all found interesting --- the colors in the strip at the top are the pigments in her palette and the mixes she regularly uses.

Shirley's finished painting of the fog shrouded SF skyline and the Bay Bridge.   (I think that's Brisbane in the right foreground.)

Charlene's 'Naked Lady'  (G-rated)

Kathryn's painting of the Lagoon and the Bay in the distance.

 

 

 

Alison did some quick work and completed a sketch and a painting.

 

Alison's sketch looking downslope from where she set-up.   The Lagoon is at the top of the image.  The color is the native vegetation.

Alison's painting captured the essence of the fog itself as well as the SF skyline and the Bay Bridge.

Brad's Tombow sketch of the SF skyline and a tower or two of the Bay Bridge.  Pretty much the same view as Alison's but without the atmospheric feel.

Special addendum -- a late addition to our member's 2021 plein air artwork:   Shirley's June, 2021 plein air painting of the Pigeon Pt. Lighthouse.

Hope you can join us on September 16th in Los Altos.   Alison can't promise any Naked Ladies but she has lots of other interesting things for us to do as well as paint.