Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge, Fremont, Thursday, August 8, 2019

The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge was created by an act in Congress in 1972 and named after the U.S. Representative who championed its creation.  The refuge now encompasses 30,000 acres and stretches from the Dumbarton Bridge south to Alviso.  We visited the Fremont part of the refuge.  Although it consists mostly of wetlands, it has one hill, the smallest and southernmost of the Coyote Hills, which provided overlooks with superb views of the Bay, the Dumbarton and San Mateo Bridges, marshes, salt ponds, and the Newark Slough.

It was a beautiful day at the refuge.  It started off partly cloudy, but the clouds burned off by about 10:30 AM, then the wind blew but not too hard -- just right to keep us from getting too hot.

For more information about the refuge, visit: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/don_edwards_san_francisco_bay/

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

• Thursday, August 15, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San Jose
• Saturday, August 17, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San Jose
• Thursday, August 22, Senior Safari, Happy Hollow Zoo, San Jose
• Thursday, August 29, Villa Montalvo, Saratoga
• Thursday, Sept 5, Emerald Lake Country Club, Emerald Hills
• Thursday, Sept 12, Rosicrucian Museum Park, San Jose
• Thursday, Sept 19, Allied Arts Guild, Menlo Park
• Saturday, Sept 21, Edenvale Gardens Regional Park / Hayes Mansion, San Jose
• Thursday, Sept 26, Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz

Artists and their artwork:

Dick has a great view of the wetlands

Dick's painting of the wetlands

Salinda, Dick, and Broncha set up at the overlook
by the Complex Headquarters

Salinda showing her two completed paintings

Salinda's painting of the wetlands

Salinda focused on the Dumbarton Bridge

Jane P. painted from an overlook at the side of the hill

Jane focused on one of the historic buildings

Marilyn's painting of the wetlands

That tiny figure is Brad sitting on the levee right by the water

Brad's painting of one of the ramshackle buildings

Brad's pen and ink drawing of a historic building converted into a picnic shelter.

Broncha painted from inside the picnic shelter, a perfect spot
out of the wind with a terrific view of the Learning Center.

Broncha's painting of the Newark Slough and the Learning Center

Sham's painting of the hillside by the Complex Headquarters.

Indira's painting of the same

It is a Wildlife Refuge, and we did see wildlife.
Here is a red-tailed hawk soaring above the wetlands and Highway 84
and showing off its red tail.

The same red-tailed hawk, soaring almost
directly above.

More wildlife:  many resting avocets

The artists with their paintings
on the picnic table by the Learning Center.

Marilyn showing Broncha's painting during our sharing time

Artists at lunch.  Photo by Salinda

Saratoga History Park Museum, Thursday, August 1, 2019

The Saratoga History Museum is housed in a Western Falsefront store, one of the oldest commercial buildings in Santa Clara and originally built on Big Basin Way.  The McWilliams House is one of the oldest homes in Saratoga -- perhaps dating to the 1850's.  Both buildings were moved to their current locations in 1976 as part of the American Bicentennial celebration, creating the Saratoga History Museum.  There is a one room schoolhouse behind the McWilliams house. Some of our artists found other interesting subjects along Los Gatos-Saratoga Road.  The weather was very pleasant for outdoor painting: sunny and warm enough that our artists sought out shade.

For more information about the Saratoga Historical Foundation visit http://www.saratogahistory.com/

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

• Thursday, August 8, Don Edwards Wildlife Preserve, Fremont
• Thursday, August 15, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San Jose
• Saturday, August 17, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San Jose
• Thursday, August 22, Senior Safari, Happy Hollow Zoo, San Jose
• Thursday, August 29, Villa Montalvo, Saratoga
• Thursday, Sept 5, Emerald Lake Country Club, Emerald Hills

Artists and their artwork:

Joe's painting of the McWilliams House

Joe in the shade on the opposite side

Los Gatos-Saratoga Road

Brad's painting of the McWilliams House

Brad is also in the shade on the opposite side

of Los Gatos-Saratoga Road

Edward captured everything: Saratoga History Museum,

one room school house, and McWilliams House

Edward

John's sketchbook page shows his value study and

sketch of the one room school house and McWilliams House

John

Paintsite co-coordinator Marilyn's painting

of McWilliams House and garden

Susan B-G's painting of the museum and

McWilliams House

Susan B-G set up in the shade in front

of the Saratoga Federated Church

Lauren used only red, blue, and yellow

pigments in her painting of the Saratoga History Museum

Lauren also set up in the shade in front of

the Saratoga Federated Church

Broncha's painting of the patio and back of

the Saratoga History Museum

Broncha

Kathy was fascinated by the arches

of the Saratoga Federated Church

Kathy

Indira's painting of the Bell Tower Café,

just down the street from the museum

Indira's comfortable painting studio for the day

Sham's painting of the Memorial Arch

Sham

New member Willa is getting acquainted with Kathy who

is painting with us for her second time.

Casual admiration of our paintings

Edward and Indira are discussing the fine points

of plein air painting

Formal admiration of our paintings

The artists pose for a group photo.  Photo by Susan B-G

Portola Vineyards, Portola Valley, Thursday, July 25, 2019

We have visited beautiful Portola Vineyards in the fall, but this is the first time we visited in the summer when the green grapes were on the vine.  This was our last chance to see the ripening grapes because soon the vineyards will be netted to protect the grapes.  Thank you to our hosts, the Lehmann family, for allowing us to paint at these lovely vineyards.  Thank you to Liz for leading this paintsite while the co-coordinators were both out of town.  Thank you to Edward for helping Liz with photography.
 
It was a very warm day but we had lots of shade from all the big trees and lots of water available. From the interesting old reddish barn to the very green vineyards with green grapes to the old brown water tower to the beautiful blue pond to the dark evergreens to the golden grasses we had a very colorful environment to paint in.

For more information about Portola Vineyards visit https://portolavineyards.com/
For more photos from the paintsite, see Edward Rooks's Flickr album:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardrooks/sets/72157709888153246/

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

• Thursday, August 1, Saratoga History Park
• Thursday, August 8, Don Edwards Wildlife Preserve, Fremont
• Thursday, August 15, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San Jose
• Saturday, August 17, Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, San Jose
• Thursday, August 22, Senior Safari, Happy Hollow Zoo, San Jose
• Thursday, August 29, Villa Montalvo, Saratoga
• Thursday, Sept 5, Emerald Lake Country Club, Emerald Hills

Artists and their artwork:

Brad by the grapevines and roses

Brad's painting of the vineyard

The green grapes are on the vine.

Lauren and Caroline

Lauren's painting of the vineyards and roses

Caroline's painting of the vineyards and roses

Caroline's pencil sketch

Cindy

Cindy's sketches in her sketchbook

Helen

Helen's painting of the vineyards and roses

Sham and Indira

Indira's painting of the vineyards

Sham's painting of the swimming pool

We were very happy to have a new member, Kathy, paint with us.

Kathy's painting of the old wood staves and 

rusty steel cables on a water tank

Edward's painting of the pond

Elaine by the pond

Rich and Caroline by the pond

Rich's painting of the pond

Bruno, a busy border collie, kept us entertained while we painted with his need

to chase a stick, twig, ball, anything he could get anyone to throw for him.

Here we see Bruno with our host Len Lehmann and Elaine.

Our artwork on display

Thank you to Liz for leading the paintsite while

co-coordinators Jane and Marilyn are both out of town.

Liz is showing Helen's painting.

A posed photo of our artists