Friends Meeting House, San Jose, Thursday, February 20, 2014

In keeping with the spirit of the Winter Olympics, this posting will emphasize Artists in Action!    No boring lunch or critique photos --- there's a live brush in every hand.

For more information about the Friends Meeting House and the Friends beliefs, see: 
http://www.sanjosefriends.org/ 

Upcoming Paintouts and related events:

• Friday, February 28, 2014:  Registration Deadline for Palo Alto Baylands Members Show
• Thursday, March 6, 2014:  Sunnyvale Heritage Orchard.   Also at this Paintsite, at 10:00 AM, Early Drop-off for the Palo Alto Baylands Show
• Friday, March 7, 2014:  11:00 AM - noon: Baylands Show Final Drop-off at the EcoCenter
• Saturday, March 15, 2014:  Weekend Paintout - Stanford University Main Quad
• Saturday, March 15, 2014:  Reception for Palo Alto Baylands Members Show 1:00 - 3:00 PM

For details, see the SCVWS website or March Newsletter. 

Here we are:   (Most of us chose to capture the sunny east side and shaded (north) front of the Meeting House.   We had a good sized group - too many more and we'd have been elbowing each other for the prime spots - just like Short Track Speedskating.)

Left to right:  Sylvia, John, Mary, Helen, Flo, & Lisha

Left to right:  Sylvia, Mary, Iris, Flo, Lisha & Marilyn

Left to right:  Lisha, Marion, Marilyn & Caroline

 And here's what we painted ...
 

Mary Paquet

The Friends Meeting House, the oldest in California, is a little gem tucked away on a residential street. I enjoyed discovering and painting it.    Mary

John Ediger

John Ediger

Sylvia Waddell

Good company, good view, lots of fun painting outdoors, as always.  Thanks Brad for taking the photos!

Joanne Pommers

Caroline Garbarino

Dear Sylvia, Inside the Quaker meeting house, there is a library with books from almost all of the world's great religions.   In my painting, I wanted to convey that one could open the door of his mind here.  Thank you for the provocative experience, Caroline.  

Marilyn Perry

Helen

Iris

Lisha

Marilyn

Joanne

Brad Santos

This was a day to try something different:   pencil sketch only, no ink outline, and largest brush (#14)  only = faster but with less control.   This is going to take more practice.   Still, a great day painting with friends at the Friends.   Brad. 

Casa Grande & the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, New Almaden, Saturday, February 15, 2014

Most all winter we've complained about the relentless blue skies and relatively balmy days we've experienced for our paintouts.     No complaints today:  cold grey skies, a cutting wind and the promise of rain --- a perfect February day --- it's great to be a plein air painter!

For information about Casa Grande and the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, see:
http://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/Almaden-Quicksilver-Mining-Museum.aspx 

Upcoming Paintouts:

• Thursday, February 20, 2014:   Friends Meeting House, San Jose
• Friday, February 28, 2014:  Registration Deadline for Palo Alto Baylands Members Show
• Saturday, March 15, 2014:  Reception for Palo Alto Baylands Members Show

For details, see the SCVWS website or February Newsletter.

Laurie - "dressed for success"

Brad

A problem with overcast days is that there are no distinct shadows which flattens things  bit.   But at least they're not moving which presents a different set of problems.    Brad

Laurie Barna

Well, I survived a cold, windy winter morning painting the back of this renovated, old house.    The "grand," leafless sycamore tree vied for my attention and I'm not sure if I "pushed back" the value contrast enough.    Laurie  

Uma

 

Carmelite Monastery, Santa Clara, Thursday, February 6, 2014

Big, big storm last night and this morning.   Biggest in years.  Maybe biggest of the century.   (Well, maybe not.)    Still --- if you'd expected to find intrepid Watercolor Society plein air painters Lisha, Iris, Helen, Liz, and Sylvia hunkered down in their nice warm studios you'd have been be wrong.    No better place to be when the heavens open than the grounds of the serene Carmelite Monastery in Santa Clara.    And that's where they were!

For more information about the beautiful Carmelite Monastery see:
http://www.mary-queen-of-carmel-assoc.org/santaclara/
  
Upcoming Paintouts:

• Saturday, February 15, 2014:  Casa Grande Almaden Quicksilver Museum, New Almaden
• Thursday, February 20, 2014:   Friends Meeting House, San Jose
• Friday, February 28, 2014:  Registration Deadline for Palo Alto Baylands Members Show
• Saturday, March 15, 2014:  Reception for Palo Alto Baylands Members Show

For details, see the SCVWS February Newsletter.

Iris and Lisha taking a break

 

Iris

Lisha

Helen focusing on the west wall of the chapel and the campanile

Brad

Sylvia

It was bliss to be painting outdoors, and the rain held off for us. I have painted the Monastery building itself on past visits, so this time I focused on the view past the olive trees to one of the many statues in the garden.

Liz Siegel

A very gray day at the Monastery.   Liz

Rancho San Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve, Thursday, January 30, 2014

With the first measurable rainfall in nearly two months predicted for Thursday, there was a distinct possibility that 2014's first Hike & Sketch might have to be postponed.   As things turned out, the last few raindrops fell just before our start time and we hiked and sketched in a wonderfully clean and fresh world of fragrant grasses (in the meadow) and pungent bay trees (on the walk to Deer Hollow Farm); alternating cloudy and blue skies; still dormant oaks; and lots of wildlife (birds and deer) and (for the most part) obliging farm animals --- all fodder for our pens & brushes.

For more information about the Rancho San Antonio Park, see:
http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_rancho_san_antonio.asp

Upcoming Paintouts:

• Thursday, February 6, 2014:   Carmelite Monastery, Santa Clara
• Saturday, February 15, 2014:  Casa Grande Almaden Quicksilver Museum, New Almaden
• Thursday, February 20, 2014:   Friends Meeting House, San Jose
• Friday, February 28, 2014:  Registration Deadline for Palo Alto Baylands Members Show
• Saturday, March 15, 2014:  Reception for Palo Alto Baylands Members Show

For details, see the SCVWS February Newsletter.
       
Here's a brief record of our adventure:

First stop, young artists Lisha, Helen & Marilyn tackle the ancient 200 year old California Bay tree

Helen

Lisha

Marilyn

There's always time for lunch, a critique, and, in this case, another sketch before heading back ....
 

Helen, Lisha, Marilyn & John

John Ediger

Brad Santos

Neale's Hollow, Saratoga, Thursday, January 16, 2014

The problems we as plein air artists have to deal with are almost beyond human endurance:  witness our mid-January day at Neale's Hollow, a recycled Western movie set --- a slightly chilly mid-morning, an almost too warm forenoon and early afternoon, and a monotonously blue sky (Liz's comment that she hasn't mixed a new blue or grey sky for months on end was certainly true).     I'm sure the people in other parts of the country must feel very sorry for us.    But we press on, undaunted, with our art.

Upcoming Paintouts:

• Thursday, January 30, 2014 - Rancho San Antonio Park & Open Space Preserve - first Hike & Sketch of 2014 - details will be forthcoming via an e-mail notification.
• Thursday, February 6, 2014:  Carmelite Monastery, Santa Clara
• Saturday, February 15, 2014: Casa Grande & the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, New Almaden (San Jose)
• Thursday, February 20, 2014:  Friends Meeting House, San Jose

Check the Watercolor Society website or newsletter for details

Lunch:

 Followed by a thoughtful critique...

 Of what we did.    Here are some completed paintings:

"Winter's Glory" - Mary Paquet

I had intended to do an ink drawing and drop in color, but I left the ink at home. Plan two, do a small piece of part of one of the buildings. I wasn't happy with the results. I looked around and decided this stately old Sycamore made a fitting subject. Without rain to strip the trees bare, many still have fall foliage clinging to their branches.     Mary

Liz Siegel

Brad Santos

Normally I prefer to paint from a more oblique angle but the shallow faux gables were a bit unsettling so a head-on approach, where I didn't have to deal with that, worked better for me.    Brad

And here are some snapshots of unfinished paintings showing what we accomplished (in spite of the hardships).   Please visit again when the finished paintings are presented.

Sylvia Waddell - unfinished painting

I was rather ambitious in trying to paint the whole building, as I couldn't stay for long enough to finish it on site!  Hopefully I'll get time to put in the finishing touches and repost it.   Sylvia

Kaaren

Iris

Jenny

(superb charcoal sketch by Iris' daughter)

Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, Thursday, January 2, 2014

If the rest of 2014's paintouts are as good as this one, it'll be a great year indeed!   Sunny, mid-60s, windless, a King Tide lapping at our feet (which gave a much different look to the ever popular slough), and lots and lots of beautiful waterfowl provided the setting for a bunch of talented artists turning out some fine paintings (which we'll show this Spring at the Palo Alto Baylands EcoCenter).  

Please be sure to bring your plein air sketchbooks and some plein air paintings to show at the Annual Holiday Party on January 18th.

Next Paintsites:

• Thursday, January 16, 2014:  Neale's Hollow, Saratoga
• Thursday, January 30, 2014: Paintsite or Hike & Sketch  - location to be notified nearer the time.

For details, check the Society website or January Newsletter.

Here are some of us by the internationally famous Duck Pond.  

Here's some finished artwork:

Marilyn Perry

I admit to using my camera to photograph the Northern Shoveler, and drawing from the LCD screen.  But he and his mate were very hungry and spent the entire morning feeding right by where I was sitting, so I got to paint while viewing the real bird, not the photo.     Marilyn
 

Liz Siegel

 

Brad Santos

Lots of geese, lots of ducks, lots of gulls, lots of children, lots of airplanes at the adjacent airport, lots of fine artists = lots of fun.     Brad

Jenny Tero

Painting probably needs a couple of people and a flock of birds - there were certainly plenty of those around.  It was a beautiful day close to nature.  While we were painting the "islands" disappeared under water but by the afternoon they were back again and much bigger - magic!    Jenny

Caroline Garbarino

Once upon a time, I did this same scene in oil paint.    Now I see that it lends itself much better to watercolor.    Next time, I'll focus on reflections in the pond as an abstraction.   The Baylands offers an infinite array of beauty, just begging to be painted.   Thanks for the

adventure.     Caroline

Here we are looking over the morning's work...

 

 And here's a snapshot at some of what we produced (check back later for more finished artwork)....