I was perched on a ledge overlooking the city. The light kept changing and I changed with it and did a lot of scraping and revising without too much concern with a finished image. Karen
Grizzly Peak
I was perched on a ledge overlooking the city. The light kept changing and I changed with it and did a lot of scraping and revising without too much concern with a finished image. Karen
Briones Road
Larry and I were painting close to the same spot. Larry caught the stripes, I faltered. It seemed I spent a long time fishing for colors. The sparce leaves were this odd shade of dull pinky orange. The trunks of the trees hung from the foliage like black sticks on a very green background. My version kept looking like blossoming trees in the spring so I ended up experimenting by just using grey and black paint — usually a no-no in some camps — so ok break rules. Also adding compliments in the detail to grey down. The feeling of the day was cold. I now have an appreciation of just using black paint.
Marilyn Hill
Briones Regional Park Winter Oaks
Only 2 lonely painters today. Marilyn Hill and I painted not far from the parking at the top of Briones Rd. It was a lot dryer today, but still some mud. We haven't figured out what kind of oaks these are, but they had an appealing orange leaf canopy. The leaves look like Blue Oak, but I didn't think Blue Oaks dropped their leaves. I will get out my field guides and try to figure this out. It was overcast with a little sun now and then. I was not happy with the painting when I left the park, but after seeing it from a distance, I think I'll keep it. I might carry on the dark behind the middle ground trees up to the left some more.
Larry Hatfield
Monday December 28
The forecast for the Martinez area says it will be overcast but that there will be no showers near Briones Road/Drive, so we will meet there today. Be careful that you do not go into the Alhambra Staging Area entrance by mistake, and bring a cell phone with our numbers just in case. The Briones Rd entrance has no Briones Park signs. This trail map cannot be enlarged, but you can compare it with the google map below. Larry says: "It is a very narrow winding road, in places it is a one-lane road that will take you up to over 1000 feet elevation. There are some great views, in fact you can see Mt. Diablo on the way up. There are some trails but it may be too muddy to go on them. There is water and a bathroom at the top, and lots of oak trees there too."
If you're in Oakland or Berkeley: Take 24 as if you were going to 680. Pleasant Hill Rd is the last exit before the 680 junction. Go north on Pleasant Hill Rd. At the fork, take the left which is Reliez Valley Rd. Continue on it until it turns into Alhambra Valley Rd or you pass Alhambra Valley Rd to your right. Almost immediately after, you will see the Briones Road/Drive entrance to your left. Go in and pass an area with rural homes. We will meet at intersection of Briones Rd and Orchard Tree.
Directions for El Sobrante, El Cerrito, Richmond: From 80, take Highway 4 and get off on the Alhambra exit. Turn right at the light onto Alhambra Ave, and soon you will be at a fork. Stay yo your right to get into Alhambra Valley Rd. You will arrive at a T intersection: to the left will be Reliez, to the right Alhambra Valley Rd. Turn right (west) onto Alhambra Valley Rd, then left onto Briones Road/Drive. Go in and pass an area with rural homes. We will meet at intersection of Briones Rd and Orchard Tree.
View Larger Map
If you're in Oakland or Berkeley: Take 24 as if you were going to 680. Pleasant Hill Rd is the last exit before the 680 junction. Go north on Pleasant Hill Rd. At the fork, take the left which is Reliez Valley Rd. Continue on it until it turns into Alhambra Valley Rd or you pass Alhambra Valley Rd to your right. Almost immediately after, you will see the Briones Road/Drive entrance to your left. Go in and pass an area with rural homes. We will meet at intersection of Briones Rd and Orchard Tree.
Directions for El Sobrante, El Cerrito, Richmond: From 80, take Highway 4 and get off on the Alhambra exit. Turn right at the light onto Alhambra Ave, and soon you will be at a fork. Stay yo your right to get into Alhambra Valley Rd. You will arrive at a T intersection: to the left will be Reliez, to the right Alhambra Valley Rd. Turn right (west) onto Alhambra Valley Rd, then left onto Briones Road/Drive. Go in and pass an area with rural homes. We will meet at intersection of Briones Rd and Orchard Tree.
View Larger Map
Point San Pablo
This little floating town reeked with small town gossip and personal intrigues. On the first visit I felt a little like a tourist looking in. The second time, I felt I knew the dogs and was getting acquainted with the people. This was an old dredge that was no longer being used for its original purpose but made a beautiful model to paint. My original idea was to make the front of the building, facing the water, a dramatic dark with the dark shadow swooshing off to the left. Other things began to happen as the light changed and the painting spoke for itself. So I ended up leaving the front a medium value instead.
Briones Park
My concentration in this painting was to explore negative shapes in watercolor. For instance, the tree in the foreground was light against a medium to dark background. In watercolor, painting white or light detail over a dark is generally not an option. So the exercise was to see and paint the spaces between objects. Although I didn't in this painting— I occasionally cheat and use white gauche to create an opaque light. This practice is frowned on by many purists. However John Singer Sargeant expertly used gauche when it suited him so.......The tree was frail, dead and complex with lacy branching. So conveying this with interest and some conviction was my other challenge.
Lake Anza
Finally I have some time to post a few paintings. This was the second painting done on East Side of Lake Anza. I was determined not to bore myself with another likeness of such a beautiful day and such a beautiful place—My concentration was to be on the painting itself, not the object of the painting. So I focused on composition, color and rhythm.
11X14
Painting by the Grizzly Peak Overlook
I returned to the overlook and decided last week's painting was not going to happen and had to be painted over. The light was totally different and I was not going to return to Grizzly Peak to finish it because of how cold it is up there. So I set up on a ledge below the overlook, took some dark blue acrylic and covered the canvas completely. I could hear people describing the view to out-of-town visitors, and Latino dads telling their kids to be quiet. While I was waiting for the canvas to dry, I started to meditate on the composition problems in front of me. Everything was far away, and if I looked to the side the hills were too steep for the shape of my canvas. After a couple of minutes of this, I was startled by the rustling of bushes behind me and turned around to find a cyclist taking a video of me painting. After letting him know a hello would have been nice, I pulled my hoodie over my head and looked straight ahead. The only solution was to change things a bit. I manipulated some bushes and trees to add a bit of interest, but the colors are the same. The painting ended up being on the dark end of the value range because of how dark the day was. As I was finishing up, I heard the bushes getting trampled on. A family of twelve was approaching. They froze when I turned around and I felt bad for them. So I smiled and said, "Ok, come closer and I'll tell you the story..." Rebeca
SF from Grizzly Peak
I was very cold when I first got there, but it seemed to warm up a little soon after. The colors were very muted. Occasionally the sun would warm up the color of the water and I tried to catch that. I felt that I overworked the sky. It rained on the way home, so we had just enough of a dry window to paint. I was glad to get out after not painting for so long.
Saturday, Dec 26
We return to the Grizzly Peak Overlook. Directions: Pass the Grizzly/Centennial intersection and continue south on Grizzly Peak. Watch for the end of the residential area and the beginning of a twisty section of Grissly Peak. Watch for parking areas overlooking the bay. After some twists and turns, you'll pass the following in quick succession: a small parking area to your right, with trees blocking the view. Then, immediately to your left, a trailhead. Then, to your right, you'll pass a small parking area without trees. The last parking area is bigger, has no trees, and has an unobstructed view. This is where you'll meet us. There are bathrooms at the trailhead, but bring your own water. This map shows the three parking areas described above:
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
Water Birds at Meeker Slough
This is a painting I did at Meeker Slough when we went there in November. I was drawn to the birds again. They all flew away as I settled in to paint but they came back in awhile. Suddenly a man started yelled " There is a red billed clam catcher". He continued to yell and people gathered to see what I guess was a very rare sighting. I was able to get it into my painting before it flew away.
Since it was too wet to paint, I decided to go anyway and take some pictures. So here are some of the views. I would like to go down the road on the second from top right, but it was very muddy. You can see the turn-around at the end of the road. Parking is on the gravel shoulders. Mount Diablo was in the clouds, so I couldn't see it.
Grizzly Peak Rd Overlook - December 19, 2009
Grizzly Peak View (pastel on paper12"x18") -Artist Janice L-H
The view from the little lot to the north of Lawrence Hall of Science has a ledge that would be easy to set up for painting. There is a charge for parking all day ($3.50). I was able to use the restrooms and buy lunch at the cafe on the lower floor and peruse the bookstore without paying admission (I asked first). The glare from the sun lighting up the Bridge(especially near the end of the session) makes me want to go back and try and catch that golden light better.
I found a Japanese website that can convert photos to looking like old fashioned silver-nitrate images: http://labs.wanokoto.jp/olds
Take a look: Cool, huh?
Monday, December 19
This session has been cancelled. It will be too wet and rainy to go into Briones Rd. Last week we went into the Alhambra staging area in similar conditions (it was even sunny) and it was very difficult to find an area that was not pitch dark and muddy.
Monday, December 14
No rain, wind or cold weather has been forecast for tomorrow, so we're going to Golden Hills Park, located in Martinez between Reliez Valley Rd and Pleasant Hill Rd., off Blue Ridge Drive. Leslie says, "It is a charming little park with good views of trees, hills and Mt. Diablo from its Sterling Drive entrance. There are also parking areas off Bernice from Blue Ridge Drive, and other streets near Reliez Valley Rd."
Directions:
If you live north of El Cerrito, your best bet is to take San Pablo Dam Rd. to 24, and follow the directions below. Or, take 80 to highway 4, get off on Alhambra (south), make a left at the light, and make a left on Blue Ridge Dr., which turns into Reliez Valley Rd. You should see the park to your right almost as soon as the road becomes Reliez.
If you're in Oakland or Berkeley, take 24 as if you were going to 680. Pleasant Hill Rd is the last exit before the 680 junction. Go north on Pleasant Hill Rd. At the fork, take the left which is Reliez Valley Rd. Continue on it and pass Grayson Rd. Right after Blue Ridge Dr, you should see the park to your right.
Directions:
If you live north of El Cerrito, your best bet is to take San Pablo Dam Rd. to 24, and follow the directions below. Or, take 80 to highway 4, get off on Alhambra (south), make a left at the light, and make a left on Blue Ridge Dr., which turns into Reliez Valley Rd. You should see the park to your right almost as soon as the road becomes Reliez.
If you're in Oakland or Berkeley, take 24 as if you were going to 680. Pleasant Hill Rd is the last exit before the 680 junction. Go north on Pleasant Hill Rd. At the fork, take the left which is Reliez Valley Rd. Continue on it and pass Grayson Rd. Right after Blue Ridge Dr, you should see the park to your right.
Saturday, Dec 19
Cancelled because of rain. We won't go the Grissly Peak Overlook this Saturday. We also conducted a poll by e-mail to see how much interest there was in painting this Saturday, and all but one will not be able to go, either because it is too cold or rainly and we are sick, or because we are unable on this day. The Grissly Peak Overlook is a beautiful area, but high up on the Berkeley hills. There is a 90% chance of rain predicted for this weekend, but even if it doesn't rain, if will be too cold to paint. We will keep trying! In the meantime, let us know what you are working on during the rainy weather, we might talk about it on this blog.
Shelter at Roberts Recreational Area
I was so cold and miserable, I felt the same about this painting. Not the cold, but the miserable part. I touched up some areas this last few days after letting it sit awhile. I still don't like it much, but its better than before. There was a picnic table on the square part of the sidewalk that I decided to eliminate, it was just blocking my view of what I wanted to paint. The vines on the shelter were quite eye-catching. I didn't get as much depth there as there was.Larry Hatfield
The Story at Point Molate
A big challenge for me is how to make the work I do with the landscape a painting. I love the discipline of going outside to paint. But I am happiest with the work when it conveys a story about the places we painted. Point Molate was easier than most place to grapple with for me. The place was enigmatic and mysterious and I think I got some of that in both paintings I did there. Karen
Monday, December 7
This session has been cancelled because of rain. Weather reports say there will be showers until the afternoon. Even if there was a break in the clouds, it would be too cold and wet to paint. We will go to Golden Hills Park next Monday.
Grand View of Mount Hamilton
The weather was cold to start with, and we were up high at the Roberts Recreational Area. Some of us wore long underwear, turtlenecks and wool hats, but it didn't matter. By 3:15 we were frozen. I walked up a short path to a lookout named Grand View. You could see Mount Diablo and Mount Hamilton. I was mostly concerned with not painting the exact same spot Karen had painted the week before, so I descended a bit down the hill and looked straight ahead. This was not a high energy day, and I just painted what was in front of me. Surprisingly, I ended up moving some trees in this composition, and not painting the oaks that were closest. This enabled me to spend more time on color and on the mood. Rebeca
Saturday, December 5
We return to Roberts Regional Recreation Area, a part of Redwood Regional Park. Bring warm drinks, a scarf, and a warm hat. Those who went reported it was cold there! The best views are past the paying area, therefore, please bring $5 for the vehicle fee charged by the regional park system.
Directions from the northeast bay:
Take Hwy. 13 South from Berkeley toward Hayward. Exit Joaquin Miller & Lincoln which is where the Mormon temple is. Turn Left to cross over the Freeway and stay on Joaquin Miller. Follow the Blue signs to Chabot Space & Science Center. You will turn left onto Skyline Blvd. The Roberts Rec. Area entrance will be about a half mile before the Chabot Space and Science Center. The entrance is on the right. Let's meet in the lower parking area that overlooks a playing field. There are some short walks to vista points from there.
Directions from the northeast bay:
Take Hwy. 13 South from Berkeley toward Hayward. Exit Joaquin Miller & Lincoln which is where the Mormon temple is. Turn Left to cross over the Freeway and stay on Joaquin Miller. Follow the Blue signs to Chabot Space & Science Center. You will turn left onto Skyline Blvd. The Roberts Rec. Area entrance will be about a half mile before the Chabot Space and Science Center. The entrance is on the right. Let's meet in the lower parking area that overlooks a playing field. There are some short walks to vista points from there.
Garden at Point San Pablo
I had noticed that during the previous week at Point Molate, a Chevron guard had parked his vehicle at some distance of our meeting point, and that he had never stopped watching our group. But, he never got off his truck to say anything, and we left for point San Pablo. This week, the same thing happened as soon as I got there, but this time the guard told us his supervisor was coming, and he did. We did tell the supe we were painters, but the issue was our proximity to the fence that divides the road from Chevron property. Ten minutes and three patrols later we left, not without Vicki's valiant efforts to befriend the supervisor (they were successful).
When I got to the yatch harbor, I was calmer but had a hard time finding something to paint. Everything seemed too complicated, or was in a location that would have required me to face the cold wind. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood. So I settled for facing the sun, and for the cheerfulness of the little garden I found at the end of the harbor's parking lot. Rebeca
San Pablo Yacht Harbor
The Vessel Coyote was used in the San Francisco Bay to remove debris like old pilings broken loose, and trees washed down from the Sacramento River into the Bay. We were intercepted by the Chevron Security Guards again as we rendezvoused , but Vickie tamed them. We then moved on to the Harbor where Roz and her many dogs welcomed us. It was a very pleasant day, cool but nice. There was a lot of smog or haze in the air that you can see in the distance. I added some streaks of Amazonite to the Cobalt+Ultramarine blue water for the greenish color. The sky is a Cobalt Blue wash. I started with wet paper above the horizon. Then I used a weak wash of permanent orange where the background hill is and let it go up into the sky area. Then I started at the top and came down with the cobalt wash almost fading to plane water just before meeting the orange. I left out the many other boats to the left and right of this view.Larry Hatfield
Monday, November 30
We return to the Pt. San Pablo Yacht Harbor in Point Molate using the same caravan method. Bring a cell phone and your own water. Park in the area labeled for visitors. There are bathrooms on the premises.
Directions: We will meet at the beginning of the road, form a caravan, leave by 10:15 and drive together to the yacht harbor. Take 580 going north. Right before the entryway onto the San Rafael Richmond Bridge, take the Pt. Molate exit to the right. Continue on, and you will see that the road branches to the right and left. Stay in the middle and continue on. After you have driven several hundred yards, there will be a wide gravelly shoulder where Rebeca and Vicki will park and greet people as they arrive. We will proceed en masse to Pt. San Pablo.
If you arrive late, stay on this same road, which follows the bay with magnificent views. Not far past a pond, you will come to a fork in the road. Bear right and go up a badly pot-holed road, which goes up and down a hill leading to the Pt. San Pablo Yacht Harbor. When you arrive at the Yacht Harbor, park in the area reserved for visitors alongside the train tracks, and call your fellow painters' cell phones if you do not see them right away.
Directions: We will meet at the beginning of the road, form a caravan, leave by 10:15 and drive together to the yacht harbor. Take 580 going north. Right before the entryway onto the San Rafael Richmond Bridge, take the Pt. Molate exit to the right. Continue on, and you will see that the road branches to the right and left. Stay in the middle and continue on. After you have driven several hundred yards, there will be a wide gravelly shoulder where Rebeca and Vicki will park and greet people as they arrive. We will proceed en masse to Pt. San Pablo.
If you arrive late, stay on this same road, which follows the bay with magnificent views. Not far past a pond, you will come to a fork in the road. Bear right and go up a badly pot-holed road, which goes up and down a hill leading to the Pt. San Pablo Yacht Harbor. When you arrive at the Yacht Harbor, park in the area reserved for visitors alongside the train tracks, and call your fellow painters' cell phones if you do not see them right away.
Point Molate
Point Molate is run down and quirky. It feels isolated and there is a definite edge in the air. I wanted to find a subject that captured some of the feeling of the place. This is acrylic on a 16 by 20 canvas. I used my extra long brushes and it let me get back and not focus on details. After I packed up I decided to redo the sky and distance. I went over it with water and dissolved some of the forms and went back in with gel and some color. Karen
Deep in Redwood Park
I remember Redwood park as deep dark greens. It felt rugged and far away even though it was in the middle of Oakland. It was very cold in the shade. I painted quickly and revised numerous times to eliminate detail.
Point Molate Whaling Station
All that is left are some rotting posts of the pier of the old whaling station. We were at the San Pablo Yacht Club looking West. Leslie Wilson and I did pretty much the same scene in two different styles. I like her sky and the way she colors into the hillside. The sun was lower that summer so it wasn't too bad painting with no shade this time. The paint dried faster than I expected and I didn't get the hazy atmosphere behind the distant hills in Marin County. When I got home, I felt like I needed some reflections in the water, but I didn't actually see any at the time. Getting there was a challenge on that road. Its potholes were patched so soften there were more patches than road. It was very bumpy and narrow. You definitely wouldn't want to drive it at night after a couple of drinks.
Our Two Year Anniversary
Our group has experienced an influx of new people so I thought I should write a short history of its origins, in celebration of our two year aniversary on November 28.
Susan Brand, Susan Newman, Karen Zullo Sherr, Barbara Maricle, Mike Warner and Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez met at the figure drawing class that the Richmond Art Center then offered. Their first session was inspired by an invitation from Mike Warner to continue drawing and painting during the Richmond Art Center's winter break. He offered his shop in El Sobrante as our first location. Rebeca created the listserv, a Google group then called West Contra Costa Figure Drawing, on November 15, 2007. It was meant to keep everyone in the loop as they figured out how to keep the sessions going.
Back then, the group was primarily interested in painting the figure, so on November 28, 2007, they met to draw each other - they had no model! The second session took place at Rebeca's studio, and the third, at Karen's. The group hired amateurs until it was able to secure an account with the Bay Area Models' Guild. But the guild booking person at the time thought that sending models to rotating locations would be confusing, so Rebeca offered her studio as the primary location until the start of RAC classes. Soon after, Karen and Rebeca decided a three hour pose was not such a bad idea, so they began scheduling models with this in mind (as opposed to the 20 min poses at the RAC).
After a few weeks of this, they began discussing ways to make the volunteer-run environment welcoming and supportive, and settled for a few principles that are still part of both groups: Membership involved neither fees nor a portfolio review, just a commitment to painting, because they wanted members to have diverse approaches and levels of experience. Through a non-teaching environment, they wanted to encourage and support the development of members’ individual styles, believing this diversity contributes to a developing critical dialogue. And they encouraged members to share their knowledge of online communication, digital image processing, and the art market through free member workshops and joint projects.
At the same time, Karen and Rebeca began painting outdoors together. Their first session took place in 2007 on a very cold Tuesday. On January 8, 2008 they went to Inspiration Point in Berkeley, and they almost froze! They returned there the following week, but did not develop a steady routine until later. For a few months, it was mostly just them and a schedule that moved between Tuesdays and Mondays. From the beginning, they thought about painting on weekends but a busy family schedule made this difficult. Ever so slowly, they began meeting painters who had these days available, and who were very committed to painting outdoors. Mike found Larry Hatfield painting near his house in El Sobrante, and Karen brought Vicki Salzman. They were added to the proto-listserv, which was then open to anyone who wanted to join and held the names of those interested in figure or outdoor painting.
On February 2009 (fourteen months after its start)the listserv was vandalized for the second time and Rebeca was forced to close it, delete it, and start a new one with a new name: East Bay Plein Air. This list continued to include people from both groups until August 2009.
The first blog was devoted to plein air painting, and made its debut in May 4, 2009. Rebeca wanted to have a public space in which to announce locations, since the listserv was no longer open to the public. She also envisioned it as a collaborative space where members could post work done during the group's painting sessions. It quickly gained a big readership because it is updated frequently with members' work. The group also began advertising on Craigslist and on Facebook. Because of this the listserv has also grown, and now sends updates to 42 local artists. East Bay Plein Air sessions now meet twice a week, with anywhere from six to nine painters attending at any one time.
For more than a year since its beginning, the figure drawing group continued meeting in Rebeca's small studio, which held a maximum of five painters. Karen and Rebeca shared the booking and coordination, and quickly discovered that a small group of drop-ins cannot always afford the model's fees, so they decided to seek a more spacious location in the spring of 2009. This was the Richmond Art Center at first, but because the center was undergoing a renovation, it was very difficult to stay. This prompted Karen to broker an arrangement with the members of Berkeley's Firehouse Collective during that summer, and to think up a new name. By August, Rebeca introduced a blog and a separate listserv for this group, and Karen took over the booking and coordination. The group, now named East Bay Figure Painting, began advertising almost immediately on Craiglist and other venues, to ensure they could cover the model's fees in the new location. The Berkeley location has attracted a steady group of about seven painters, and they have achieved a supportive environment respectful of diversity in artistic approaches.
During the fall of 2009 and as a group of long-time members contemplated exhibit opportunities, Karen and Rebeca held discussions on the direction in which these two groups should go. They decided to keep the two groups together as a collaborative network, Re-Emerging Artists. Its mission is to facilitate the re-entry of mature artists into the art world, so now the groups' interactions are centered on supporting clusters of re-emerging artists.
All comments are welcome!
Rebeca
Susan Brand, Susan Newman, Karen Zullo Sherr, Barbara Maricle, Mike Warner and Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez met at the figure drawing class that the Richmond Art Center then offered. Their first session was inspired by an invitation from Mike Warner to continue drawing and painting during the Richmond Art Center's winter break. He offered his shop in El Sobrante as our first location. Rebeca created the listserv, a Google group then called West Contra Costa Figure Drawing, on November 15, 2007. It was meant to keep everyone in the loop as they figured out how to keep the sessions going.
Back then, the group was primarily interested in painting the figure, so on November 28, 2007, they met to draw each other - they had no model! The second session took place at Rebeca's studio, and the third, at Karen's. The group hired amateurs until it was able to secure an account with the Bay Area Models' Guild. But the guild booking person at the time thought that sending models to rotating locations would be confusing, so Rebeca offered her studio as the primary location until the start of RAC classes. Soon after, Karen and Rebeca decided a three hour pose was not such a bad idea, so they began scheduling models with this in mind (as opposed to the 20 min poses at the RAC).
After a few weeks of this, they began discussing ways to make the volunteer-run environment welcoming and supportive, and settled for a few principles that are still part of both groups: Membership involved neither fees nor a portfolio review, just a commitment to painting, because they wanted members to have diverse approaches and levels of experience. Through a non-teaching environment, they wanted to encourage and support the development of members’ individual styles, believing this diversity contributes to a developing critical dialogue. And they encouraged members to share their knowledge of online communication, digital image processing, and the art market through free member workshops and joint projects.
At the same time, Karen and Rebeca began painting outdoors together. Their first session took place in 2007 on a very cold Tuesday. On January 8, 2008 they went to Inspiration Point in Berkeley, and they almost froze! They returned there the following week, but did not develop a steady routine until later. For a few months, it was mostly just them and a schedule that moved between Tuesdays and Mondays. From the beginning, they thought about painting on weekends but a busy family schedule made this difficult. Ever so slowly, they began meeting painters who had these days available, and who were very committed to painting outdoors. Mike found Larry Hatfield painting near his house in El Sobrante, and Karen brought Vicki Salzman. They were added to the proto-listserv, which was then open to anyone who wanted to join and held the names of those interested in figure or outdoor painting.
On February 2009 (fourteen months after its start)the listserv was vandalized for the second time and Rebeca was forced to close it, delete it, and start a new one with a new name: East Bay Plein Air. This list continued to include people from both groups until August 2009.
The first blog was devoted to plein air painting, and made its debut in May 4, 2009. Rebeca wanted to have a public space in which to announce locations, since the listserv was no longer open to the public. She also envisioned it as a collaborative space where members could post work done during the group's painting sessions. It quickly gained a big readership because it is updated frequently with members' work. The group also began advertising on Craigslist and on Facebook. Because of this the listserv has also grown, and now sends updates to 42 local artists. East Bay Plein Air sessions now meet twice a week, with anywhere from six to nine painters attending at any one time.
For more than a year since its beginning, the figure drawing group continued meeting in Rebeca's small studio, which held a maximum of five painters. Karen and Rebeca shared the booking and coordination, and quickly discovered that a small group of drop-ins cannot always afford the model's fees, so they decided to seek a more spacious location in the spring of 2009. This was the Richmond Art Center at first, but because the center was undergoing a renovation, it was very difficult to stay. This prompted Karen to broker an arrangement with the members of Berkeley's Firehouse Collective during that summer, and to think up a new name. By August, Rebeca introduced a blog and a separate listserv for this group, and Karen took over the booking and coordination. The group, now named East Bay Figure Painting, began advertising almost immediately on Craiglist and other venues, to ensure they could cover the model's fees in the new location. The Berkeley location has attracted a steady group of about seven painters, and they have achieved a supportive environment respectful of diversity in artistic approaches.
During the fall of 2009 and as a group of long-time members contemplated exhibit opportunities, Karen and Rebeca held discussions on the direction in which these two groups should go. They decided to keep the two groups together as a collaborative network, Re-Emerging Artists. Its mission is to facilitate the re-entry of mature artists into the art world, so now the groups' interactions are centered on supporting clusters of re-emerging artists.
All comments are welcome!
Rebeca
Monday, November 23
We will be going to the Pt. San Pablo Yacht Harbor in Point Molate. It might be a good idea to bring a cell phone, and your own water. Because we will paint at the yacht harbor, it is important that we arrive together. We will meet at the beginning of the road, form a caravan, leave by 10:15 and drive together to the yacht harbor. These are Vicki's directions:
Take 580 going north. Right before the entryway onto the San Rafael Richmond Bridge, take the Pt. Molate exit to the right. Continue on, and you will see that the road branches to the right and left. Stay in the middle and continue on. After you have driven several hundred yards, there will be a wide gravelly shoulder where Rebeca and Vicki will park and greet people as they arrive. We will proceed en masse to Pt. San Pablo.
If you are late: Should any painters arrive really late and we have already gone, stay on this same road, which follows the bay with magnificent views.
Not far past a pond, you will come to a fork in the road. Bear right and go up a badly pot-holed road, which goes up and down a hill leading to the Pt. San Pablo Yacht Harbor. When you arrive at the Yacht Harbor, park in the area reserved for visitors alongside the train tracks, and call your fellow painters' cell phones if you do not see them right away.
Take 580 going north. Right before the entryway onto the San Rafael Richmond Bridge, take the Pt. Molate exit to the right. Continue on, and you will see that the road branches to the right and left. Stay in the middle and continue on. After you have driven several hundred yards, there will be a wide gravelly shoulder where Rebeca and Vicki will park and greet people as they arrive. We will proceed en masse to Pt. San Pablo.
If you are late: Should any painters arrive really late and we have already gone, stay on this same road, which follows the bay with magnificent views.
Not far past a pond, you will come to a fork in the road. Bear right and go up a badly pot-holed road, which goes up and down a hill leading to the Pt. San Pablo Yacht Harbor. When you arrive at the Yacht Harbor, park in the area reserved for visitors alongside the train tracks, and call your fellow painters' cell phones if you do not see them right away.
Roberts Recreational Area
The Grand View. The view of Mount Diablo from Roberts Recreational Area in Redwood Regional Park. We all got cold today. Its time to unpack the long underwear. We were near the historical marker of where the giant Redwoods were that sailors used to navigate past some hidden rocks near Yerba Buena Island in the San Francisco Bay. That is before they cut them down, probably to help build the houses and buildings in San Francisco and other cities.
It felt good to get out and paint again. Its been over a week since I was able to get out and do it.
Larry Hatfield
A Street Overlooking the Strait
I had to leave early the day I did this in Crockett and had planned to take a picture but forgot my camera so I worked on it from memory.
Color at Briones
I liked Briones and did this one looking through the trees at the resevoir. I got a good mix of transparancy, and impasto that creates a pattern I like.
Saturday, November 21
A big thanks to Larry, who will lead Saturday's group into the Roberts Regional Recreation Area, a part of Redwood Regional Park. Larry has scouted the place. The best views are past the paying area, therefore, please bring $5 for the vehicle fee charged by the Regional Park system.
Directions from the northeast bay:
Take Hwy. 13 South from Berkeley toward Hayward. Exit Joaquin Miller & Lincoln which is where the Mormon temple is. Turn Left to cross over the Freeway and stay on Joaquin Miller. Follow the Blue signs to Chabot Space & Science Center. You will turn left onto Skyline Blvd. The Roberts Rec. Area entrance will be about a half mile before the Chabot Space and Science Center. The entrance is on the right. Let's meet in the lower parking area that overlooks a playing field. There are some short walks to vista points from there.
Directions from the northeast bay:
Take Hwy. 13 South from Berkeley toward Hayward. Exit Joaquin Miller & Lincoln which is where the Mormon temple is. Turn Left to cross over the Freeway and stay on Joaquin Miller. Follow the Blue signs to Chabot Space & Science Center. You will turn left onto Skyline Blvd. The Roberts Rec. Area entrance will be about a half mile before the Chabot Space and Science Center. The entrance is on the right. Let's meet in the lower parking area that overlooks a playing field. There are some short walks to vista points from there.
Monday, November 16
We return to the Overlook Staging Area in the Briones Reservoir. Click here for a map. This staging area has a bathroom but no water, so bring your own. The sign for the parking lot where we will meet is located to your left, farther inside, if you are coming from San Pablo Dam Road. The Briones Reservoir watershed is not open to the public. You can get fined without a permit. Vicki, the leader for this trip, will bring an EBMUD permit that covers a small group. Thanks Vicki!
Directions from Berkeley, Albany: Cross Grissly Peak to go east on Wildcat Canyon Rd. Cross Tilden, pass Inspiration Point, and continue downhill all the way to San Pablo Dam Rd, which you will cross into Bear Creek Rd. The road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign on your left that marks the staging area parking lot.
Directions from Oakland: Take Highway 24 and get off at the Orinda Village exit. Continue northwest on Camino Pablo, which turns into San Pablo Dam Rd. Just before that happens, turn right at the light, on Bear Creek Rd. Bear Creek Road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign on your left that marks the staging area parking lot.
Directions from Richmond, El Sob, El Cerrito, Pinole: Go south on San Pablo Dam Road. Pass the San Pablo Reservoir entrances. At the traffic light, turn left on Bear Creek Rd. The road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign that marks the staging area's parking lot.
Directions from Berkeley, Albany: Cross Grissly Peak to go east on Wildcat Canyon Rd. Cross Tilden, pass Inspiration Point, and continue downhill all the way to San Pablo Dam Rd, which you will cross into Bear Creek Rd. The road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign on your left that marks the staging area parking lot.
Directions from Oakland: Take Highway 24 and get off at the Orinda Village exit. Continue northwest on Camino Pablo, which turns into San Pablo Dam Rd. Just before that happens, turn right at the light, on Bear Creek Rd. Bear Creek Road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign on your left that marks the staging area parking lot.
Directions from Richmond, El Sob, El Cerrito, Pinole: Go south on San Pablo Dam Road. Pass the San Pablo Reservoir entrances. At the traffic light, turn left on Bear Creek Rd. The road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign that marks the staging area's parking lot.
Bay Street, Crockett
This 18 x 24" acrylic on canvas has an interesting story. Karen, Annette and I drove up the streets of Crockett looking for a view of the strait, and ended up at Bay St. I walked up and down that steep street until I found a view of the bridges and the C & H plant, but once I had set up I noticed that right in front of me was a view of something I love: cars. Manicured places and objects have never held my interest the way deteriorated stuff does, so I pretended I was painting the strait, but I was painting the house directly in front of me. Its inhabitants were going in and out but never once said hello, so I took that as a clue that perhaps a second visit wasn't in the stars. The boat's owner, I overhead, was leaving the following day for Colorado, so I took a cell phone camera picture and left at 1 pm. I got home with just an underpainting and some quick color notations. The challenge was to finish the painting maintaining the color scheme I had seen. I also wanted to preserve the detail I could have noticed while standing in front of the house, but all I had was my memory and a cell phone pic as references. So the brushstrokes aren't as loose as my other work, but I think the colors came out ok. Rebeca
Saturday, November 14
At this time of the year, the marshes are turning red, which is why we return to Point Pinole Regional Park to paint the Parchester Marsh on the western side of the park. Thanks, Karen Zullo Sherr, for leading this trip! Click here for a trail map. Getting to the northern edge of the Parchester Marsh is a much shorter walk than to the Whittel Marsh, but it will still take you about ten minutes, and the path is level but not always paved. We meet at the parking lot, where there is water and bathrooms. If the ranger is there, they will charge you for entering the park, so bring at least $5. just in case.
Directions from 80: Take the Richmond Parkway exit and turn west toward the water. Stay on the center lane so you can continue past San Pablo Ave without turning. Once you pass San Pablo Ave, watch for the Giant Rd exit. Take the Giant Rd exit ramp, make a right at the light and go downhill. Make another right at the light and cross the railroad tracks. Continue on Giant Rd past the Parchester Village development on your left. The park's entrance will be on your left.
Directions from 80: Take the Richmond Parkway exit and turn west toward the water. Stay on the center lane so you can continue past San Pablo Ave without turning. Once you pass San Pablo Ave, watch for the Giant Rd exit. Take the Giant Rd exit ramp, make a right at the light and go downhill. Make another right at the light and cross the railroad tracks. Continue on Giant Rd past the Parchester Village development on your left. The park's entrance will be on your left.
Meeker Slough Pier
My preconceived idea was to paint the broken down pier. A photo that I saw online showed a small building at the end, but that was gone. As I was on the path near the pier, I realized that the sun would be right in my eyes soon, so I went back to this view. It had the advantage of a small spot of shade also. I had composed the painting with Albany Hill and the Berkeley hills in the background. Then the sun seemed to light up that middle-ground marshy area and I knew I had to try to capture that. The reeds nearest me were more dry dull. The pier became less important. I was trying to keep an area white that was a bird on the post at the end of the pier, but I accidentally painted over it. I think I'll crop some off the sky because there is some sort of blotch in the middle top that appeared and I don't know what caused it.Larry Hatfield
Condos at Meeker Slough
I like the combination of habitats at Meeker Slough both human and wildlife and wanted to focus on the condos for this painting. I stopped early because I am trying to do more with less so I felt it was done. The water was starting to fill in the marsh area where I was painting so that stopped me as well. It is acrylic on a 16" by 20" canvas. Karen
Meeker Slough
I loved the Meeker Slough and might return on my own another day. There is a lot to paint if you factor in the tide levels. I returned to the same spot this Saturday, hoping to finish the parts of this view closer to me, but found the tide to be opposite to what it was last Saturday. It was high and getting higher! I finished this painting from memory and from the little bits above the waterline I could still see. The 18 x 24" canvas was a better size to work on. In the meantime, I painted the view to my left of the rapidly flooding slough on a smaller canvas, but one stretcher bar was broken and the canvas was not taut, adding a new dimension to my misery. There were coots and I struggled to add them to the water, with disastrous results. I am hoping to salvage this second painting and I might post it this week. Rebeca
Monday, November 9
Monday folks will paint at the Overlook Staging Area in the Briones Reservoir. Click here for a map. This staging area has a bathroom but no water. You would have to wade through mud in many areas to get to the water, so bring your own. The parking lot where we will meet is located to your left if you are coming from San Pablo Dam Road.
The Briones Reservoir watershed is not open to the public. You can get fined without a permit. Rebeca will bring an EBMUD permit that covers a small group, so you don't need a permit this week. Since she will not be coming next week, at least one person in the group should bring a permit. Anyone can buy an EBMUD permit online for $10 per year.
Directions from Berkeley, Albany: Cross Grissly Peak to go east on Wildcat Canyon Rd. Cross Tilden, pass Inspiration Point, and continue downhill all the way to San Pablo Dam Rd, which you will cross into Bear Creek Rd. The road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign on your left that marks the staging area parking lot.
Directions from Oakland: Take Highway 24 and get off at the Orinda Village exit. Continue northwest on Camino Pablo, which turns into San Pablo Dam Rd. Just before that happens, turn right at the light, on Bear Creek Rd. Bear Creek Road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign on your left that marks the staging area parking lot.
Directions from Richmond, El Sob, El Cerrito, Pinole: Go south on San Pablo Dam Road. Pass the San Pablo Reservoir entrances. At the traffic light, turn left on Bear Creek Rd. The road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign that marks the staging area's parking lot.
The Briones Reservoir watershed is not open to the public. You can get fined without a permit. Rebeca will bring an EBMUD permit that covers a small group, so you don't need a permit this week. Since she will not be coming next week, at least one person in the group should bring a permit. Anyone can buy an EBMUD permit online for $10 per year.
Directions from Berkeley, Albany: Cross Grissly Peak to go east on Wildcat Canyon Rd. Cross Tilden, pass Inspiration Point, and continue downhill all the way to San Pablo Dam Rd, which you will cross into Bear Creek Rd. The road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign on your left that marks the staging area parking lot.
Directions from Oakland: Take Highway 24 and get off at the Orinda Village exit. Continue northwest on Camino Pablo, which turns into San Pablo Dam Rd. Just before that happens, turn right at the light, on Bear Creek Rd. Bear Creek Road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign on your left that marks the staging area parking lot.
Directions from Richmond, El Sob, El Cerrito, Pinole: Go south on San Pablo Dam Road. Pass the San Pablo Reservoir entrances. At the traffic light, turn left on Bear Creek Rd. The road curves and goes uphill. Just after the electrical towers, watch your left for the small brown sign that marks the staging area's parking lot.
Saturday, November 7
We return to Meeker Slough which is where Meeker Creek meets the bay. There is a marsh, a beach, benches and a bridge crossing the creek, but no trees (bring a big hat). The place turned out to be lively, with joggers, cyclists and passersby. We will meet at the parking lot of Shimada Friendship Park, which has plenty of spaces, bathrooms and water, and walk about ten minutes along the Bay Trail to the Meeker Slough. Those of you who don't want to paint a marsh will find the nearby marina tempting.
Directions from North of Berkeley: From 80, take the Cutting exit and go west towards the water and through Richmond. On Cutting, make a left on Marina Way and a right on Regatta Dr. Make a right on Marina Bay Parkway and at the very end you will see Shimada Friendship Park and the bay.
Directions from South of Berkeley: Get on highway 580 and take the Erlandson St/Syndicate Ave Exit (10B), Make a right off the ramp, and the Erlandson/Syndicate will take you over 580 and will turn into Regatta Blvd. Continue on Regatta/Syndicate. This avenue will turn left. You'll soon see a fork that hits Marina Bay Parkway. Make a left on Marina Bay Parkway. You will see a park in front of you, but that's not Shimada. Go all the way to the end of Marina Bay Parkway and at the very end you will see Shimada Friendship Park and the bay.
Directions from North of Berkeley: From 80, take the Cutting exit and go west towards the water and through Richmond. On Cutting, make a left on Marina Way and a right on Regatta Dr. Make a right on Marina Bay Parkway and at the very end you will see Shimada Friendship Park and the bay.
Directions from South of Berkeley: Get on highway 580 and take the Erlandson St/Syndicate Ave Exit (10B), Make a right off the ramp, and the Erlandson/Syndicate will take you over 580 and will turn into Regatta Blvd. Continue on Regatta/Syndicate. This avenue will turn left. You'll soon see a fork that hits Marina Bay Parkway. Make a left on Marina Bay Parkway. You will see a park in front of you, but that's not Shimada. Go all the way to the end of Marina Bay Parkway and at the very end you will see Shimada Friendship Park and the bay.
Crockett
I think there were too many unhappy ghosts after Halloween. We all seemed to have a difficult time painting today. I tried to save this one, but I am not happy with it at all. The big eucalyptus tree was too dark, so I tried to lift the color, now its lighter but looks scrubbed. I cropped it quite a bit to focus more on the building. That is what I wanted to paint. There is no roof, and I wanted to get the glow of sunlight inside. That is about the only thing that did work on this painting. I darkened the tree behind the building and darkened the foreground grass in hopes of making the sunlit building the most contrasty thing. The yellow tree kind of competes, it was going to be more yellow-green, but I left it.Larry Hatfield
Meeker Slough
I tried another bird. The birds at Meeker Slough were so varied and beautiful that I couldn't help myself. After I had blocked out my painting all the birds had flown off. Suddenly a flash of white appeared before me and I threw some white paint down in the general shape of the big egret. The bird stayed for only a minute but I kept it in the painting. Meeker Slough is a great place to paint in. Many different views and choices and the light in the afternoon is stunning. Karen
Monday, November 2
We return to Crockett again this Monday. Last Monday we enjoyed the variety of views possible (urban, water, hills)by dividing into smaller groups, but remember to go with at least one other person. We will meet at Rebeca's studio (749 Loring Ave) and then walk or drive to various places around town. Click here for a map and directions if you live in Oakland, Berkeley, El Sobrante or San Pablo.
Saturday, October 31
Meeker Slough is where Meeker Creek meets the bay. There is a marsh, a beach, benches and a bridge crossing the creek, but no trees (bring a big hat). The place is actually quite peaceful. I found a woman painting there today, when I went to scout the place. We will meet at the parking lot of Shimada Friendship Park, which has plenty of spaces, bathrooms and water, and walk about ten minutes along the Bay Trail to the Meeker Slough. Those of you who don't want to paint a marsh will find the nearby marina tempting.
Directions from North of Berkeley: From 80, take the Cutting exit and go west towards the water and through Richmond. On Cutting, make a left on Marina Way and a right on Regatta Dr. Make a right on Marina Bay Parkway and at the very end you will see Shimada Friendship Park and the bay.
Directions from South of Berkeley: Get on highway 580 and take the Erlandson St/Syndicate Ave Exit (10B), Make a right off the ramp, and the Erlandson/Syndicate will take you over 580 and will turn into Regatta Blvd. Continue on Regatta/Syndicate. This avenue will turn left. You'll soon see a fork that hits Marina Bay Parkway. Make a left on Marina Bay Parkway. You will see a park in front of you, but that's not Shimada. Go all the way to the end of Marina Bay Parkway and at the very end you will see Shimada Friendship Park and the bay.
Directions from North of Berkeley: From 80, take the Cutting exit and go west towards the water and through Richmond. On Cutting, make a left on Marina Way and a right on Regatta Dr. Make a right on Marina Bay Parkway and at the very end you will see Shimada Friendship Park and the bay.
Directions from South of Berkeley: Get on highway 580 and take the Erlandson St/Syndicate Ave Exit (10B), Make a right off the ramp, and the Erlandson/Syndicate will take you over 580 and will turn into Regatta Blvd. Continue on Regatta/Syndicate. This avenue will turn left. You'll soon see a fork that hits Marina Bay Parkway. Make a left on Marina Bay Parkway. You will see a park in front of you, but that's not Shimada. Go all the way to the end of Marina Bay Parkway and at the very end you will see Shimada Friendship Park and the bay.
Crockett's Bridges
Every time I drove under the new bridge, I took note of the view and promised myself I would return to paint it. It finally happened last Monday. Karen and I wanted a more urban view and ended up in the same side of town as Fran, but we separated. There is this nice parking lot right under the new bridge where I set up shop. Even though the noise of passing trucks was deafening, I managed to complete most of this 16 x 20" acrylic, then I went home and worked on the values some more. Rebeca
Larkspur Landing
We had a pretty good showing this last Saturday, considering it was across the bay. Deborah, Joan, Karen and I sat along the edge of the ferry parking lot because it was shaded and it provided an incomparable view of the marsh and the boat houses behind it. But because it's fall, the sun went into sunset mode rather quickly. I was in a bad mood because something wasn't working in this 16 x 20" acrylic, and Karen mentioned there might be two paintings in one. I thought she was right and went home determined to dull out the marsh and enhance the houses across it. This is the revised version. Rebeca
A Street in Crockett
A beautiful day in Crockett. I drove up the hill above Pomona Ave and got a nice view down toward the strait. I liked the way this painting developed and the tension between the flat abstract pattern of shapes and the suggestion of distance. Karen
Crockett
This fishing shack on the Carquinez Strait was in my memory from drawing it about a year and a half ago. After spending a week painting in Crockett, I was looking for something different. I think I over worked parts of it, but I think I stopped myself in time to save the painting. I moved the boat some distance to better fit the composition. I found some little shade on a small beach. At first I thought this was not going to work since the shadow side of the building was my view, but I think it works OK since the rest of the painting is light.
Larry Hatfield
Monday, Octover 26
We will try Crockett again this Monday. This small historical town is located just before the Carquinez bridge, and has fantastic views of the strait, bridges and the C&H plant. We will meet at Rebeca's studio (749 Loring Ave) and then walk or drive to various places around town. Click here for a map and directions if you live in Oakland, Berkeley, El Sobrante or San Pablo.
Painting at Lake Anza
Thanks Diana and Rebeca for the helpful comments. I reworked part of the painting and while still not totally successful had interesting results.
I have been working on the painting of Lake Anza since we visited there. I like parts of it very much but feel it is really several paintings and would crop it a number of different ways if I could.
Karen
Saturday, October 24
Karen Van Winkle suggested Larkspur Landing because it has something for everybody and it is very close to 580. We will meet in front of the Starbucks at the Larkspur Landing Shopping Center: 1801 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur, CA 94939. Directions, From 580 and after you cross the San Rafael Bridge, take the curvy Sir Francis Drake Blvd exit until you see the water to your left. You will very soon pass Drakes Cove Rd to your right, and immediately after see the Larkspur Landing Circle entrance to your right as well. Make a right into the parking lot and look for the Starbucks. Once there, Karen will show us some painting spots she loves.
Late Lake Anza
I've been so busy and my camera chip was full until today so here are my pieces from the last 2 trips to Lake Anza. I became very entranced by the far banks and reflections of trees in the beautiful still water. For some reason I managed to do lots of quick oil sketches and several I haven't posted because I overworked them. Looking forward to being in Crockett and praying for decent weather.
Texture of the Cemetery
I drove all the way to the top of the Cemetery looking for people visiting the grave sites. I passed the Greek Orthodox area and found the graves with flat markers. People kept driving up to get out and place flowers. I decided to work with a lot of texture because I had been thinking about texture for a demonstration I did. I needed to work on the figures more but numerous insect bites forced me to leave and I worked on it in the studio. I will work on it some more I think. Karen
Monday, October 19 Cancelled
Because of intermittent rain, we will not be visiting Crockett. Some of you might try to meet at the cafe mentioned in a recent listserv e-mail.
We will try Crockett next Monday. This small historical town is located just before the Carquinez bridge, and has fantastic views of the strait, bridges and the C&H plant. The Valona Paintout is happening right now in Crockett! We will meet at Rebeca's studio (749 Loring Ave) and then walk or drive to various places around town. Click here for a map and directions if you like in Oakland, Berkeley, El Sobrante or San Pablo.
We will try Crockett next Monday. This small historical town is located just before the Carquinez bridge, and has fantastic views of the strait, bridges and the C&H plant. The Valona Paintout is happening right now in Crockett! We will meet at Rebeca's studio (749 Loring Ave) and then walk or drive to various places around town. Click here for a map and directions if you like in Oakland, Berkeley, El Sobrante or San Pablo.
El Cementerio de Mountain View
Last week, as Annette and I walked up a hill on Mountain View cemetery, I kept looking all around me for something to paint on a 15 x 20" canvas. There was a lot to choose from. Then I walked to the edge of the road and peeked under the canopies, and there it was, a most interesting, sweeping view of the hills that seemed to spread from the fountain. I instantly fell in love with the bright-green, well manicured grounds, a rare sight in drought-stricken northern California. The trees changing color were beautiful, but so was the glow of the bright green grass and the indirect blue light filtering from above, but what really attracted me was the rows of tombstones that seemed to have their own pattern and thus their own (visual) music. So I committed to this painting, which took me two Saturdays to complete. Rebeca
Mountain View Cemetery: Matthew's Monument
There were so many interesting monuments I had trouble narrowing down the image to something manageable. I found a shady side of a large tomb and focused on the tall column. At first I thought it was a figure at the top. I saw it from the right side of this view, then I saw the urn with the drape hanging. Interesting, I don't know what that means exactly in cemetery symbolism. The sky was quite different, very light with clouds and there were some drifting gray clouds at an angel floating by. When I tried to paint them, they sort of mushed together. I guess the paper was still too wet from the sky painting. The color of the column was unusual too, I guess its some kind of red/pink marble. There were a lot more memorial stones that I left out. But the composition didn't need them. I have been using a smaller brush for the trees lately and I like it. Its a # 7 Rafael Kolinsky Sable. It seems to work better than the #9 that I was using, especially for the background trees. I used a 1" flat sable for the sky and underpainting for some of the trees and foreground. I wet the paper first for the sky because it looked so liquid. I was careful not to paint in the column or the light areas in the foreground.
Larry Hatfield
Mountain View Cemetery - October 10, 2009
Last Saturday was sunny and bright in Oakland. I was early for the paint out with East Bay Plein Air so I high-tailed it to the road up on the hill above Millionaire's Row at Mountain View Cemetery.
This is not exactly the view I had for my first painting (I was a little further down the road just in back of the statued monument - with a peek of the domed Oakland Columbarium through the trees. I left out the buildings in the background in the painting below.
Mountain View Cemetery (9"x12"pastel on black paper) - Artist Janice L-H
I did rework this when I got home, darkening the liquid amber trees and highlighting the statue above the monument for emphasis.
There is a slight glare on the photo from the right but you can see what it used to look like here.
Once the group arrived I met them at the last fountain where we split up to paint. I had glimpsed one of my favorite statues on the way down the hill but got turned around going to the meeting place. Anyhow I saw the Veteran's Area where I think I will go next time to work up some of those great magnolia trees located there.
Finally finding the Angel at the end of the curve in front of a row of ornamental plum trees, I went to work.
Reclining Angel (12"x 18" pastel on black paper) - Artist Janice L-H
Yes, I did rework this once I was home (I hope I'm not actually messing them up!) and you can see the original rendition here. I toned down the monuments, tree shadows and the sky and added some contour to the plum trees.
Can't wait to return tomorrow! Janice
This is not exactly the view I had for my first painting (I was a little further down the road just in back of the statued monument - with a peek of the domed Oakland Columbarium through the trees. I left out the buildings in the background in the painting below.
Mountain View Cemetery (9"x12"pastel on black paper) - Artist Janice L-H
I did rework this when I got home, darkening the liquid amber trees and highlighting the statue above the monument for emphasis.
There is a slight glare on the photo from the right but you can see what it used to look like here.
Once the group arrived I met them at the last fountain where we split up to paint. I had glimpsed one of my favorite statues on the way down the hill but got turned around going to the meeting place. Anyhow I saw the Veteran's Area where I think I will go next time to work up some of those great magnolia trees located there.
Finally finding the Angel at the end of the curve in front of a row of ornamental plum trees, I went to work.
Reclining Angel (12"x 18" pastel on black paper) - Artist Janice L-H
Yes, I did rework this once I was home (I hope I'm not actually messing them up!) and you can see the original rendition here. I toned down the monuments, tree shadows and the sky and added some contour to the plum trees.
Can't wait to return tomorrow! Janice
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