Week 7 April 26 - May 2, 2020

As sheltering in place and social distance enters in its seventh week on the SCVWS plein-air blog, our dedicated artists forge on with their work. Due to easing of confinement rules a few of our painters ventured outside their 250 yard "tether" to remote locations away from the madding crowd. It appears that we will continue safe practice at least into early summer. With that in mind, below is a reminder of artists' blog submission 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 your own yard or houseplants. 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, please. 

Artwork

The blog editor has taken the liberty of commenting on some of the paintings.

Alison's bottlebrush seeds
Editor's note: Alison's recent impressionistic paintings are some of her best work.

Annies "Lemons" gouache painting from her back yard
Editor's note: Wow!

Caroline's blooms from the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden

"Michael at Gamble Garden" by Caroline

Dick's pen and ink "Branches" plein air at Las Trampas Regional Open Space

Elaine's driveway watercolor/pen of Metal Can and Geraniums
Editor's note: Contrasting floral and metal textures make this a very good painting!

Helen's iris from her front yard

Jane S's sketch of Ceanothus and Poppie blooms in her front yard
Editor's note: The amber tint and texture of the sketch paper compliment the floral images.

"Spoonbills at Play" by Kathy from a personal photo taken on the Gulf Coast
Editor's note: The shocking pink birds contrast nicely with the green background.

"Snapdragon in the Secret Garden" by Leslie
Editor's note: This is a beautiful example of wet on wet watercolor with the crisp lines of a pen.

"Fruit on a Blue Plate" by Lisha
Editor's note: A hint of impressionism

Lorraine's yellow iris from her yard

Marilyn's painting of the "famous" bobcat seen on a group plein-air outing
January 2019 at Alum Rock Park

Salinda's plein-air painting at Las Trampas Regional Open Space

"Summer is Here" by Tanvi
Editor's note: I never knew peas could be so beautiful.

Toni's plein-air sketch at of a tree surrounded by Manzanita
at Rancho Canada del Oro, Catamont Trail

Indira's "Pots and Flowers"

Editor's note: The deep blue pots contrast nicely with the warm colors in other pots. 

A touch of red gives this painting a nice finish.

Week 6, April 19 to April 25, 2020

We SCVWS paintsite artists are keeping our painting skills limber and our minds free from worry during this stressful time by doing what we enjoy while we are sheltering in place. This week some of us painted en plein air in our own gardens while others painted from personal photographs.

We will continue to publish the weekly blog during the "Shelter in Place" requirements while Thursday and Weekend paintsites are cancelled.  We invite paintsite artists to paint or sketch on your own time during the week, pick one painting from that week and submit it by Saturday of that week. Here are some guidelines:

• submit a photo of your artwork for the blog to paintsites@scvws.org
• include your name and any comments e.g. location, date or what inspired you
• photos which are cropped and ready to upload are preferred
• painting/sketching subjects might include objects or views in your garden, views from your window, house plants, or something inspired by personal photographs

For information about upcoming paintsites (when possible) and SCVWS activities (including online workshops and other activities), see the SCVWS website or the May newsletter for details.

Take care, stay well, and for any concerns or questions regarding the cancellations or blog posts, please contact us at paintsites@scvws.org

Artwork

Leslie's painting of the vegetable garden in Heritage Park, Mountain View

Lorraine got inspiration from two separate photos taken on hikes.

Salinda's plein air painting of Coyote Lake, San Jose

Dick's Plein Air painting of Coyote Lake, San Jose

Toni's painting of early morning light on nasturtiums and hummingbird sage

Mary's painting of her garden showing her very pretty roses

Alison's painting of bottlebrush

Elaine painted this gull from a photo she took in Monterey last year.  She is using a new approach with the techniques that she learned in David Smith's workshop.

Jane S. began this painting of the wisteria in her garden.

Marilyn says, "To practice what Edward Rooks taught in his live video wildlife sketching class at Leguna Seca this week, I painted a coyote. The non-hikers saw this coyote at the Pueblo Day Use Area of Santa Teresa CP June 2015".

Kathy K painted these calla lilies in her yard.

Sham's painting from a personal photo

Indira says, "Looking up at a grand neighbourhood oak tree."

Annie's painting of acanthus leaves from her garden painted in gouache

Helen's painting from pictures from SF Zoo

Week 5, April 12 to April 18, 2020

We SCVWS paintsite artists are keeping our painting skills limber and our minds free from worry during this stressful time by doing what we enjoy while we are sheltering in place. This week some of us painted en plein air in our own gardens while others painted from personal photographs.

We will continue to publish the weekly blog during the "Shelter in Place" requirements while Thursday and Weekend paintsites are cancelled.  We invite paintsite artists to paint or sketch on your own time during the week, pick one painting from that week and submit it by Saturday of that week. Here are some guidelines:

• submit a photo of your artwork for the blog to paintsites@scvws.org
• include your name and any comments e.g. location, date or what inspired you
• photos which are cropped and ready to upload are preferred
• painting/sketching subjects might include objects or views in your garden, views from your window, house plants, or something inspired by personal photographs

For information about upcoming paintsites (when possible) and SCVWS activities (including online workshops and other activities), see the SCVWS website or the April newsletter for details.

Take care, stay well, and for any concerns or questions regarding the cancellations or blog posts, please contact us at paintsites@scvws.org

Artwork

An Iris Duet from Gamble Garden by Caroline 

      A view near the Surfer's Museum, at Legatos, Santa Cruz painted by Dick

Alison's watercolor painting of a hummingbird.
"Go figure, a hummingbird at hummingbird sage."

Helen's watercolor of a city at night, inspired by a favorite oil painting of the same scene

Indira's watercolor painting of tree trunks.
"These trees look magnificent in the morning light.....
now with all the time in the world, eating my oatmeal and painting."

Jane S's watercolor of white Pacific Coast iris painted in her yard in the
late afternoon light

Kathy K's sketchbook watercolor of a scene at her patio feeder   

Liz decided to use up her chalk and brighten up
the neighborhood with some sidewalk art 

Light on the Trail by Lorraine
"This is a studio painting from a photo taken on a hike in the area. I did some 
value sketches as I typically do. I looked at them with the photo and decided 
the pattern in the photo was actually good and worked mostly from the photo."

Anna's Hummingbird by Marilyn
"This Anna's hummingbird kept me company while he fed from the Grevillea
and I painted in the cactus garden at Villa Montalvo, November 2017."

Salinda's watercolor of a view at Legatos, Santa Cruz

Sham's watercolor inspired by a photo taken at
Santa Teresa County Park

Man with Dog in Cuesta Park by Tanvi

Nasturtiums from the Garden by Toni

California Live Oak by Annie
"I pass by this beautiful oak tree every day on my morning hike."

Week 4, April 5 to April 11, 2020

We SCVWS paintsite artists are keeping our painting skills limber and our minds free from worry during this stressful time by doing what we enjoy while we are sheltering in place. This week some of us painted en plein air in our own gardens while others painted from our own personal photographs.

We will continue to publish the weekly blog during the "Shelter in Place" requirements while Thursday and Weekend paintsites are cancelled.  We invite paintsite artists to paint or sketch on your own time during the week, pick one painting from that week and submit it by Saturday of that week. Here are some guidelines:

• submit a photo of your artwork for the blog to paintsites@scvws.org
• include your name and any comments e.g. location, date or what inspired you
• photos which are cropped and ready to upload are preferred
• painting/sketching subjects might include objects or views in your garden, views from your window, house plants, or something inspired by personal photographs

For information about upcoming paintsites (when possible) and SCVWS activities (including online activities), see the SCVWS website or the April newsletter for details.

Take care, stay well, and for any concerns or questions regarding the cancellations or blog posts, please contact us at paintsites@scvws.org

It's Sunny by Helen

Michael at Gamble Gardens by Caroline G.

Chef Chu’s, Los Altos by Tanvi

Pigeon Point by Rich
 Rich says, "I wasn't able to participate in the plein air visit to Pigeon Point Lighthouse, and I always wanted to paint there, so I did the next best thing. I used a Google Earth street view image to create this "faux" plein air view."

Dave at Gamble Gardens by Caroline G.

 Wunderlich by Mary R.
Mary says, "Here’s my sketch from painting at home yesterday- it’s from an image taken during our trip to Wunderlich Park in the spring a few years ago." 

Shadows in Trees.  Plein air at Santa Cruz Arboretum by Salinda

Slow Race  by Dick
 Dick says, "Salinda and I drove back roads from Reno to Arcata, CA We came across a forest full of old cars and trucks." 

Mom's Back Yard by Toni
 Toni says, "Here is a sketch and painting from my mom’s back yard. I tried to capture the bright spring glow of blooming geraniums against the dark shadows."

Indira's painting of rain-soaked Cyclamen

Sham's painting from a personal photograph

Iris by Alison
Alison says, "Trying to compare my wild iris and other iris in my yard."

Great Egret by Leslie G.
Leslie says, "This is a great egret,  from a photo I took as I walked along Permanente Creek this week." 

Acorn Woodpecker by Marilyn
 Marilyn says, "This lady acorn woodpecker, storing up food in the granary snag, was my painting buddy the last time SCVWS paintsite artists visited Rancho San Antonio back in November 2017." 

Wren and Towel by Kathy
 Kathy says, "Here is a pencil sketch of a Bewick's wren in a plant on my patio (sketched from a photo). I was inspired by Annie's towel painting last week, so I did a watercolor sketch of a towel as well.​" 

View Through my Kitchen Window by Jane S.
Jane says, "This is the view through my kitchen window. The lantana and white Pacific Iris are so beautiful together." 

Clouds Over Santa Teresa by Annie
Annie says, "Trying out David Smith clouds after watching his demo."