Saturday, April 3

We will meet at Washington Park in Alameda, located at 740 Central Ave, Alameda, CA 94501. From 880, take the Webster St. tube all the way to Central. Make a left on Central and a right on 8th St. 8th St. turns into Westline Dr. Watch for the entrance to the parking lot by the beach to your right. Or, from 880, take the High St exit and cross the island. Make a right on Otis and go all the way north to the park. The city of Alameda does not post a detailed description of this park. There may be bathrooms since it is a big park, and there is a dog park, so there may be water.

Monday, March 29

We were scheduled to go to the Marin Headlands, but it is raining so this trip has been postponed until the weather is better. From the East Bay: After crossing the San Rafael Bridge, take Hwy 101 southbound and exit at the “Sausalito Exit,” just before the Golden Gate Bridge. Turn left at the stop sign, then bear immediately right and head up the hill onto Conzelman Road. Follow signs to the Marin Headlands Visitor Center. There are bathrooms and water near almost every parking lot. The excellent Marin Headlands/Fort Baker Map, (PDF) can be found here.

Saturday, March 27

We return to Rifle Range Rd, the street that leads from the hilly part of El Cerrito to a trailhead entering the Tilden Nature Area from the Wildcat Creek side. There is mossy riparian growth, then a small bridge over Wildcat Creek, and five minutes into the trail, rolling hills and open terrain. There is no water other than the creek's, and no bathrooms but plenty of shade for 3/4 of the way. Park at the end of Rifle Range.

Directions from Berkeley: From The Circle, take North Arlington Rd, past Kensington and Moeser Lane. You will soon see Arlington Park's play structures on your right, Thors Lane Rd, and Rifle Range Road to your right. Turn right on RR Rd. The road twists and turns but has a dead end behind some condos.

Directions from El Sobrante, El Cerrito, etc: From 80, take the McBride exit, turn left, and go all the way up McBride past Yuba, to North Arlington Rd to your right. Take North Arlington Rd, pass the golf course and carefully watch for Rifle Range Road to your left. The road twists and turns but has a dead end behind some condos.

Cardoon Growing on a Clark Trail Gully

It was a perfect morning for painting, and we settled by a path dodging an enormous gully. I kept looking for a good spot that would show the true size of zigzag-shaped opening, but no luck, so I settled for this view of the hills. Dennis was nearby and I put him in the picture. I had an 18 x 24" canvas and I used acrylic because I was tired of painting in oil after last Saturday's trek.

Clark Road, Wildcat Canyon

This was a very umbrella or mushroom shaped Buckeye tree with Lichen covered branches and brand new foliage. The trick was getting the lichen to stand out without losing the umbrella shape. I continue to experiment with textures on this, using the toothbrush spatter to soften the dry-brush and the fan brush to create grass.

Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
11 X 14

marilynhill.com

Monday, March 22

The Clark trailhead is not so bad after all. There are about four parking spaces at the end of Clark Rd by a Waldorf school. There will be no shade for a while, no bathrooms and no water. There are places to paint as soon as you enter the park.

Directions: From 80, take the San Pablo Dam Rd past El Portal, Appian/La Colina, and Milton Dr. The next entrance to your right is Clark Rd. If you live in Berkeley, you can also take Wildcat Canyon Rd to San Pablo Dam Rd and make a left on Clark Rd.

Wildcat Creek Bridge

I don't know why it took me so long to paint this. I started to feel cold and looked at my watch and it was 4:45 pm. So I packed up and started to leave when I saw a real Wildcat. It crossed the road about 50 yards from the bridge. While painting, I had to dodge two wet dogs. I was right next to the creek. One got me and the painting, but not too much damage. I had a hard time with the rock wall of the bridge. It ended up a little muddy, I think. But the color was kind of mossy green and tan. I darkened it at the end and that helped the trees. I used some masking for the highlights of the water as it flowed over the lip of the bridge culvert. I didn't know how else to keep that white.

Larry Hatfield

Saturday, March 20

Rifle Range Rd is the street that leads from the hilly part of El Cerrito to a trailhead entering the Tilden Nature Area from the Wildcat Creek side. There is mossy riparian growth, then a small bridge over Wildcat Creek, and five minutes into the trail, rolling hills and open terrain. There is no water other than the creek's, and no bathrooms but plenty of shade for 3/4 of the way. Park at the end of Rifle Range.

Directions from Berkeley: From The Circle, take North Arlington Rd, past Kensington and Moeser Lane. You will soon see Arlington Park's play structures on your right, Thors Lane Rd, and Rifle Range Road to your right. Turn right on RR Rd. The road twists and turns but has a dead end behind some condos.

Directions from El Sobrante, El Cerrito, etc: From 80, take the McBride exit, turn left, and go all the way up McBride past Yuba, to North Arlington Rd to your right. Take North Arlington Rd, pass the golf course and carefully watch for Rifle Range Road to your left. The road twists and turns but has a dead end behind some condos.

Abandoned Fence

This old fencing is just off the Clark/Boas Trail in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. We went up the trail from Clark Road off of San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante. I painted the whole background with a wash of perm. Or. and Q. gold, painting around the fence. Then when that was dry I went over it with another wash of Q. Gold and Phthalo Green yellow shade adding in some burnt orange and burnt scarlet. I think this might be the first, or one of the few paintings that I have done without a sky. I used a large round #30 for the wash. I have been experimenting with new brushes. I only used two brushes: the big one and a #8 round with a good point.

Larry Hatfield

Sheep and Goats at Whittel Marsh, Point Pinole

I climbed the 10 foot tall earthen shield of what would have been a WWII turret and found this view. I worked for 1.5 hrs and had to hurry out of the park because I had a meeting at 4:00 pm (bad idea to schedule something immediately after painting). Then I took a long time before posting it because I had to photoshop the flies the oil caught on canvas on my way back to the parking lot. This is more what I've been hoping to do. I did not revise it at home, finding that this quick sketch has the essential elements, and that it does what it set out to do.

Point Pinole

Lovely warm day, a flat trail and goats in front of us. Lots of fun hearing them bleat at first but it did get a bit wearing after 2 or 3 hours. They were constantly moving and fascinating colors too. I decided to stand in an area near Rebeca and Joan that was perhaps a bit too marshy and wet, and in shade quite quickly but Point Pinole is a place I'd love to return to, though I think my kit was a little heavy for the walk back to the car park. The shuttle out though is great. I had an old frame that measured 10" x 20", so this was painted in oils on canvas board to fit. It was a challenge to get the color down, as the light changed constantly and I did a few watercolor sketches to 'warm up'. Thanks for nominating this great location!

Monday, March 15

We'll meet at the Clark Trailhead, one of many entrances to Alvarado Regional Park. We'll park carefully at the end of Clark Rd. which is also the beginning of the trailhead, by a Waldorf school. There will be no shade for a while, no bathrooms and no water. There isn't a parking lot either, and the sign indicating the trailhead is limited to a warning about cattle. But Clark Rd. does not go anywhere else, so it is easy to find. Be ready to carry your gear for about 15 minutes from the park's entrance.

Directions: From 80, take the San Pablo Dam Rd past El Portal, Appian/La Colina, and Milton Dr. The next entrance to your right is Clark Rd. If you live in Berkeley, you can also take Wildcat Canyon Rd to San Pablo Dam Rd and make a left on Clark Rd.

Saturday, March 13

It is a beautiful day, so we'll see you at Point Pinole, this time to the area near the pond, which offers flooded marsh views, the beach and eucaliptus groves. The shuttle service leaves at 1:30 and runs until 2:30, so prepare your gear for a 15 min walk back to the parking lot.

Directions: From 80, take Richmond Parkway exit all the way to San Pablo. Cross San Pablo Ave and make a right on Atlas Rd. Pass Wildflower on your right and the developments on your left and continue until you see the business park at the end. Make a left on Giant Road and pass the juvenile correctional facility to your right. The entrance to Point Pinole is immediately after this facitily, to your right. You will see a small sign, then the parking lot below, closer to the water.

Above Port Costa Church

Marilyn and I went to Port Costa. I think it was Feb. 20th. We went up on the hills above the town. I painted the church from there, but didn't finish it. I got sick the next day and just got around to finishing it. I was sitting in the sun and the paint was drying too fast. That was a bigger problem because I was using a half sheet on a board. A vertical half sheet is a handful without an easel. I thought the roof of the spire was too dull. So I glazed perinone orange lightly over it, and it seemed to help. I also boosted the contrast in the trees and finished the far shore of the Carquinez Strait. The painting is about 14x20 as shown.
Larry Hatfield

Painting at Rheem Creek

It was possibly one of the most challenging painting situations I've ever been in. There was a strong, cold wind coming in from the water. Thunderclouds kept passing us and dropping their showers on us, then the sun would come out and everything would look so beautiful that you felt bad leaving your painting unfinished. This happened four times (the last after Larry left). It was so cold and rainy I put my dog inside the truck! I was so glad not to be working in oils on such difficult weather. The temperature may be why I felt compelled to use cold primaries (alizarin, ultramarine, and lemon yellow) on this 16 x 20" canvas. I finished it at home from memory. Once there, it felt great to work on it without gloves and the constant threat of a flying easel. Rebeca

Rheem Creek, Richmond

We ended up at the mouth of Rheem Creek just off Goodrick Avenue. The atmosphere changed dramatically, including about 3 rain showers. I had raindrops on my watercolor. I went over part of the painting to work on that and darken some parts. I almost quit, but then the sun came out again. There were some of these concrete foundations of something long gone. So I decided to try and paint one. I cropped off the top of the sky. The water kept changing too. There were light blue area dark brown, yellow brown when the sun hit. I just left it the way I had it to start. Although it isn't the way it really was. I was happy to get out and paint again after being sick for 2 weeks.

Larry Hatfield

Wildcat Creek Trail, Richmond

White smoke billowing into the air against a dark sky. The view had a science fiction quality to it. The smoke was not as big as this, but I liked the addition it made to the composition and the statement it made about Richmond and the refineries. I also used a limited palette (not common in my recent paintings), feeling it was appropriate for the day and the spot.

Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
11 X 14
3/2/10

Monday, March 8

We return to the Wildcat Creek Trail. No bathrooms or water but plenty of parking. Directions: From 80, take the San Pablo or Barrett exit and head west towards the water on Barrett. Barrett ends at Garrard. Make a right on Garrard. The road curves and goes under 580. Pass Hensley and Gertrude to your right. Garrard becomes Richmond Parkway. On the other side of the road you'll see a junkyard, then the park's entrance, which does not have a big sign. The next turning lane is at Pittsburg Ave. Make a U turn on Richmond Parkway when you hit Pittsburg Ave, so that you can turn right at the nondescript park entrance. Park at the small parking lot. You can also take the Richmond Parkway exit and make a right at the park's entrance after passing Giant Road, the dump, Parr and Pittsburg Aves (in that order).

Youth at Point Pinole's Pier

Daryl, Dennis, Joan and I took the van to the end of the line and walked to the hills next to the this pier, but I didn't seem to find a spot I liked. So I tried the pier, which at the beginning was full of grown men fishing. I instantly liked a Santiago (think The Old Man and the Sea) type who was resting on a chair, so I set up at the beginning of the pier hoping to get a good look. But the tide rose rapidly. My fisherman moved behind me with his whole entourage because they needed shallow water for their fishing. I thought there was a woman with them, but it turned out to be a boy whose voice hadn't changed. A group of kids touring the park on their bikes stayed on, making loud jokes and eventually coming by to see the painting. Then the sun disappeared, and Mr. Santiago said goodbye but not without first offering some good tips. Daryl and I walked the two miles back to the parking lot, while my oil collected flies. I didn't like my work and was ready to scrape the whole thing when I got home, but my mom liked this 18 x 18" sketch, so I worked on it extensively the next day.

Saturday, March 6

We will be going to Point Pinole Regional Park this Saturday. We will meet at the parking lot at 1 pm sharp because we will be calling the van that will drive us to the pier (a short five minute drive). There is water and bathrooms by the pier.

Directions: From 80, take Richmond Parkway exit all the way to San Pablo. Cross San Pablo Ave and make a right on Atlas Rd. Pass Wildflower on your right and the developments on your left and continue until you see the business park at the end. Make a left on Giant Road and pass the juvenile correctional facility to your right. The entrance to Point Pinole is immediately after this facitily, to your right. You will see a small sign, then the parking lot below, closer to the water.

Wildcat Creek Trail

I took my dog with us to provide additional protection in an otherwise lonely corner of Richmond Parkway. We got there early. It was going to be overcast but it was not going to rain, according to the forecast. As we walked, I noticed that this part of the bay trail was going to be a great hiking experience a couple of decades ago. The short paved trail ends at an oak grove with an elevated platform and two benches. There is a gate separating the grove from what looks and feels like a levee, although it could have been the next stage of the bay trail left unfinished. All around us we could see the Parchester Marsh expanse, and beyond it, Chevron. We crossed the gate to get a better view of the marsh. Marilyn and Karen went to the end, but Kafka and I stayed by the gate. Beryl chose the grove. After noon, a cold wind swept through the marsh and froze our hands and feet. Soon after a light rain fell and we were forced to leave at exactly 1:00 pm. I was glad to have picked acrylic to depict this 16 x 20" view of the grassy levee and the hills beyond. Rebeca

Tomales Bay

It was an interesting day at Point Reyes. And although it would have been nice to paint the choppy water at the beach in the park we were scared off by the warnings on the radio and the fact that some of the low lying areas leading to the beach were flooded. We retreated to a small park past Inverness where the bay loops around in a sort of canal. You can usually walk around the canals but some of the trails were way too muddy. It was a great view though with the last of the storm clouds and the sun breaking through. I painted this and revised several times. At one point there was a very pink tree in the foreground that I took out. It is an 18 by 24 acrylic. Karen