Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, Los Gatos, Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Upper Lake at Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve has had a very rich history.  It began as a sag pond, a depression created by the slippage of the San Andreas Fault.  In the 1850’s the creek was dammed to create a reservoir to provide power to a sawmill for harvesting redwood trees.  Once the best redwoods had been cut, the lake was part of the estate of three different owners.  The first stocked the lake with trout and turned it into a “fish ranch”.  The next two owners turned the property into lavish estates.  Owner Dr. Tevis was a horticulturalist who expanded the lake to store water to keep his many acres of gardens and orchards lush.  His estate was so extensive he had a staff of 100 including 43 gardeners.  After he died the estate was purchased by the Jesuits who remodeled Tevis’s buildings into Alma College, a school to train Jesuit priests.  The college was in operation from 1934 – 1969.  And yes, there was a Lower Lake, a popular place for the students to swim.

This 1,432 acre preserve just opened this summer, and crews are still completing the amenities.  Upon arrival we were disappointed to see that the crew was working on the ADA-accessible pathways that surround the lake and only a small portion of the pathways were available to us.  Plus the crew was making lots of noise.  But once everyone looked around and picked a spot, there were plenty of spots for our 18 artists, even if it meant that some of us had to sit closer together than usual.  By lunchtime the crew had left and we had peace and quiet to enjoy our lunch and sharing.

For more information about Bear Creek Redwoods OSP, visit:  https://www.openspace.org/preserves/bear-creek-redwoods

For a superb interactive website about the history of the area including many historical photos of the estates (including a building purportedly designed by Julia Morgan) and of the Alma College campus (including a campus tour which shows a fountain in Upper Lake and St. Joseph Shrine), visit:

www.openspace.org/bcrstory

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

https://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardrooks/sets/72157711689914022/

Upcoming paintsites:  See the SCVWS website or the November Newsletter for details.

• Thursday, Nov 14, North: Charleston Slough, Palo Alto; South by reservation only: Pebble Beach, Monterey Peninsula
• Saturday, Nov 16, Folger Estate, Woodside
• Thursday, Nov 21, View of Hayes Mansion from Edenvale Gardens Regional Park, San Jose
• Thursday, Dec 5, Wildwood Park, Saratoga
• Thursday, Dec 12, Historic Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale
• Thursday, Dec 19, Central Wholesale Nursery, San Jose

Artists and their artwork:

Paintsite artists at Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, Upper Lake
(photo by Edward)

 Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, view from the Upper Lake Loop Trail
(photo by Edward)

Kaaren's watercolor of fall color at the Upper Lake,
 Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve

Kaaren's painting of Sham and John painting from above the lake

Kaaren

Annie's watercolor painted from the eastern edge of the Bear Creek Redwoods
Upper Lake 

Annie
(photo by Edward)

Carol and Helen
(photo by Edward)

Helen's watercolor the redwoods, a filtered view of the Upper Lake

Helen's's watercolor of the Upper Lake at Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve

Carol's watercolor of the Upper Lake 

John (front), Sham and Edward (back)

John's watercolor of the northwest edge of the Upper Lake

Edward's painting of the Upper Lake at Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve

Elaine

Elaine's painting of the Upper Lake at Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve

Jane
(photo by Edward)

Jane S's value study of the lake side

Marilyn
(photo by Edward)

Mindy
(photo by Edward)

Mindy's watercolor of a liquid amber tree in magnificent fall color

Mindy's watercolor of a liquid amber leaf

Mindy, painting on the northwest side of the lake near the Upper Lake Loop Trail
(photo by Edward)

Susan B-G
(photo by Edward)

Susan's watercolor of the northwest view of the lake

Indira

Indira's watercolor of light filtering through the forest,
at entrance to the Alma Trail, a steep trail leading away from
the lake and through shaded fir and redwood forests

Rich's painting of the northwest side of the lake

Cindy's painting of a brickwork grotto, a remnant of the now closed Alma College

Matt's painting of a section of the Alma Trail

Broncha's painting of a wayward trail roller on the
Bear Creek Redwoods Upper Lake Loop Trail

Paintsites Lunchtime on the Upper Lake Loop Trail

Painsites artists take a lunch break (photo by Edward)

Paintsites artwork on display (photo by Edward)

Triton Museum Grounds, Santa Clara, Thursday, October 31, 2019

The Triton Museum of Art, founded in 1965 as the first non-university art museum in the county, provides a venue for local, regional, and national artists to exhibit their work, for art classes, and for musical performances.  Early in its history exhibitions and programs were held in four pavilions, and its current handsome building was completed in 1987.  A beautiful seven-acre park with large grassy area, redwood grove, sculpture garden and two historic houses is adjacent.

The Jamison-Brown house was constructed by Samuel Jamison in 1866 in Italianate style.  In 1919 rancher Alfred I. Brown added the distinctive pillars and balustrade of the veranda that encircles one half of the home.  The 1913 Headen-Inman House, a fine example of the Arts and Crafts movement, is now a historical museum.

Between the museum itself, two historical houses, and many sculptures, our artists had plenty of subject material to pick from.  The day started out sunny but cold, but it soon warmed to a delightful temperature.  After we ate our lunch and shared our artwork in the very comfortable garden, several of the artists viewed the artwork in the museum featuring two thought-providing exhibitions, "White Wilderness/Maleza Blanca" by Hector Dionicio Mendoza and "Expressions of Divinity" featuring Sikh Art by various artists.

For information about the Triton Museum, its exhibits, and its history, visit:
http://www.tritonmuseum.org/

For information about the Jamison-Brown house, visit:
http://santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/ServiceDirectory/ServiceDirectory/118/2660

For information about the Headen-Inman House, visit:
http://santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/ServiceDirectory/ServiceDirectory/119/2660

For more photos from our paintsite, see Edward Rooks's Flickr album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardrooks/albums/72157711587980357

Upcoming paintsites:  See the SCVWS website or the November Newsletter for details.

• Thursday, Nov 7, Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve, Los Gatos
• Thursday, Nov 14, North: Charleston Slough, Palo Alto; South by reservation only: Pebble Beach, Monterey Peninsula
• Saturday, Nov 16, Folger Estate, Woodside
• Thursday, Nov 21, View of Hayes Mansion from Edenvale Gardens Regional Park, San Jose

Artists and their artwork:

Jamison-Brown House located on the Triton Museum grounds

The Headen-Inman House located on the grounds of the Triton Museum
 (photo by Edward)

Paintsite artists at work under the shade of the Triton Museum redwoods
(photo by Edward)

Benay

Benay's painting of the 'Morgan Horse' sculpture

Cindy

Cindy's watercolor of the front facade of the Triton Museum and contrasting
fall foliage of the museum grounds

Broncha (photo by Edward)

Broncha's painting of the pavilions located on the Triton grounds

Carmela

Edward

Edward's painting of the Jamison-Brown west entrance

Helen (photo by Edward)

Helen's painting of the south facing entrance to the Jamison-Brown House

Indira

Indira's watercolor of 'The Young Cowboy' sculpture

Jane S (photo by Edward)

Joe

Joe's watercolor of the Headen-Inman House

Kathy

Kathy's monochrome painting of wolf sculptures created by Sharon Loper 

Lauren's watercolor of the southeast view of the Jamison-Brown House  

Linda

Linda's painting of the Headen-Inman House

Lorraine  (photo by Edward)

Lorraine's painting of the Headen-Inman House

Marilyn (photo by Edward)

Marilyn's painting of the Jamison-Brown House

Mindy

Pam

Pam's watercolor of the Triton grounds including  the sculpture
 entitled 'Edith, Katherine and Suzanne'  

Sham

Sham's painting of the Museum's stately palms
and the sculpture 'Morgan Horse'

Susan B-G (photo by Edward)

Susan B-G's painting of the Triton from the sculpture garden

Susan B-G's painting of the 'Fragment Torso' sculpture by S. Schnittman

Wanda (photo by Edward)

XL

XL's watercolor of the front view of the Triton Museum

Lunch in the Triton Museum sculpture garden (photo by Edward)

Display of the Triton Paintsites's artwork (photo by Edward)

Sharing and discussion of the morning's artwork, lead by Marilyn (photo by Edward)