Because of the imminent storm which promises to drench us further, and because New Year is a day that most of us spend with family, we will be canceling this session. Enjoy the new year! May it bring you more time to paint, reflect, and share your work with others.
The East Bay Landscape Painters
Rumrill Road
Finally got myself sufficiently organized to share these recent paintings, mostly of the Rumrill Road and Market intersection. I've somehow grown attached to the place, have encountered many appreciative people and had some interesting chats. Color is what fascinates me at the moment, and especially the impact that different light has, so it's been really great to keep returning to the same place under different conditions, and to keep looking and noticing and looking some more. These are still in progress and quite close to finished paintings but I'm still learning when to stop, and when to go on. I really want to paint the area near the tracks and maybe a freight train if I can do it, and also to put more people in - maybe when the weather improves a bit there will be more people out and about.
Oil on canvas 16 x 24 inches
Oil on canvas 16 x 24 inches
San Pablo Bells
I have seen these bells for years. The homeless guys who were on the bench just off the picture to the left said that they now have a recording rather than real ringing bells. The fountain in front is not working either. If I had known what the fountain looked like while working, I would have been tempted to try to paint it there. I learned a few other things from them too.Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5 Watercolor
Tacos, San Pablo
Only Larry and I made it out this day. It started raining about half way through so we needed to pack up early. I finished up with photo scrap. The taco truck is very beautiful well painted and well kept. The mural on the back of the truck with it's blues and greens was a wonderful foil for the orange truck.Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
15 X 11"
marilynhill.com
Quarter Pounder, San Pablo
In this version of the same building, I decided to eliminate the building altogether except for the strip at the top, and just paint the signage. It's also a larger painting which made the rendering of the signs a litte easier. I've been experimenting with textures for some time and decided to have the sky speak to the sign by splattering the upper right corner. It does make the painting a bit more expressionistic and abstract. I like it a lot more.Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
22 X 15
marilynhill.com
Giant Burger, San Pablo
It's been cold and rainy, and I usually photograph in the sun — so now a big pile of paintings. I couldn't wait to paint the big Giant Burger sign on Market and Rumrill. The sign seemed to lift out of the tree foliage although it had a post of its own. In this version I put a lot of foreground in the painting as a kind of lead up to the restaurant. Afterward I realized the sign would take on a bit more flight if I put more sky in, so in the next version that's what I did.Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
15 X 11
marilynhill.com
Sopitos Restaurant
We were near Market on 23rd Ave. today. Marilyn and I saw this restaurant. She was close up and I was across the street. It was cold and foggy for about an hour or so, then the sun came out with blue sky. I had already done the sky, so I left it as a foggy day. Some of the buildings on 23rd are unusual in design and decoration. This one has a medallion and interesting tile work.
Larry Hatfield
10x14 Watercolor
Monday Dec 27
We will meet at the Food Mart parking lot on Rumrill but we may go over to Market and 23 rd to paint. So if you come late and we are not there check over there. It is a little harder finding good loctions for urban locations because of the need for some place to set up the easels that is not in the way or not in a space that attracts so many onlookers that it is hard to concentrate. Often we need to ask permission to use parking lots. Or as Larry found out recently setting up right at the roadside means a lot of car and bus exhaust.
We liked the Rumrill location because there were so many choices as well as the more often we came the less of a novelty we became.
We return to the parking lot of Food Mart (1835 Rumrill Blvd), at the corner of Rumrill and Market. There is a salvage business full of wonderful junk (This and That), colorful markets and businesses, and an industrial feel to the area many will appreciate. Last Saturday was a great session. There were respectful onlookers who even offered to buy us food and drinks!
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart.
We liked the Rumrill location because there were so many choices as well as the more often we came the less of a novelty we became.
We return to the parking lot of Food Mart (1835 Rumrill Blvd), at the corner of Rumrill and Market. There is a salvage business full of wonderful junk (This and That), colorful markets and businesses, and an industrial feel to the area many will appreciate. Last Saturday was a great session. There were respectful onlookers who even offered to buy us food and drinks!
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart.
Market Street Tracks
Marilyn and I braved the weather, but got raindrops on our watercolor paintings. Marilyn took photographs for me, and I finished it at home. The sky was pretty interesting. I thought the green building and the red RR crossing lights would be a contrast interest.
Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5 Watercolor
Our Story
East Bay Landscape Artists is one of three groups under the Reemerging Artists grassroots organization. For the benefit of people new to these groups, and in celebration of our three year anniversary on November 28, here's our story:
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 group and its listserv have grown. The group now meets twice a week and sends updates to 77 local artists.
After their 2009 proposal got rejected by a local arts organization, the East Bay Landscape Painters booked their first group exhibit at the San Pablo Gallery. The group changed its name once more in the Spring of 2010 because another, older group with no web presence had held the name for a while and we didn't want to steal their identity.
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 what was then the Berkeley Firehouse Collective during that summer. Along the way, she came up with 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 attracts a steady group of 5-9 painters, and they have achieved a supportive environment respectful of diversity in artistic approaches. In 2010 the East Bay Figure Painters put together their first show at the Firehouse Gallery. It was a smashing success.
After the figure painting exhibit, Karen organized a support group for reemerging artists that was very well-attended, and a volunteer offered to coordinate it. This group is different in that artists get together not to paint or draw, but to discuss their lives and work. This group now has its won blog and listserv.
The three groups exist together as a collaborative network, Re-Emerging Artists. Its mission is to facilitate the re-entry of artists into the art world. It has been three years full of accomplishments!
All comments are welcome...
Rebeca and Karen
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 group and its listserv have grown. The group now meets twice a week and sends updates to 77 local artists.
After their 2009 proposal got rejected by a local arts organization, the East Bay Landscape Painters booked their first group exhibit at the San Pablo Gallery. The group changed its name once more in the Spring of 2010 because another, older group with no web presence had held the name for a while and we didn't want to steal their identity.
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 what was then the Berkeley Firehouse Collective during that summer. Along the way, she came up with 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 attracts a steady group of 5-9 painters, and they have achieved a supportive environment respectful of diversity in artistic approaches. In 2010 the East Bay Figure Painters put together their first show at the Firehouse Gallery. It was a smashing success.
After the figure painting exhibit, Karen organized a support group for reemerging artists that was very well-attended, and a volunteer offered to coordinate it. This group is different in that artists get together not to paint or draw, but to discuss their lives and work. This group now has its won blog and listserv.
The three groups exist together as a collaborative network, Re-Emerging Artists. Its mission is to facilitate the re-entry of artists into the art world. It has been three years full of accomplishments!
All comments are welcome...
Rebeca and Karen
The session for Dec 20 has been cancelled due to weather
This session is cancelled
We will meet at the Rumrill location on Monday if it is not raining. Fran is coordinating the session. Please RSVP so we know how many people plan to come.
We return to the parking lot of Food Mart (1835 Rumrill Blvd), at the corner of Rumrill and Market. There is a salvage business full of wonderful junk (This and That), colorful markets and businesses, and an industrial feel to the area many will appreciate. Last Saturday was a great session. There were respectful onlookers who even offered to buy us food and drinks!
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart.
We will meet at the Rumrill location on Monday if it is not raining. Fran is coordinating the session. Please RSVP so we know how many people plan to come.
We return to the parking lot of Food Mart (1835 Rumrill Blvd), at the corner of Rumrill and Market. There is a salvage business full of wonderful junk (This and That), colorful markets and businesses, and an industrial feel to the area many will appreciate. Last Saturday was a great session. There were respectful onlookers who even offered to buy us food and drinks!
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart.
Saturday, December 16
Today's session has been cancelled. We will try next week at the city parking lot across the street from the Richmond Art Center. Please note this is not the parking lot adjacent to the RAC building, but the much bigger lot located between Barrett Ave and Nevin St. (24th and 25th streets). Please don't park in the RAC lot. From the parking lot, we will branch out into either Nicholls Park, or adjacent streets which have a Richmond feel.
Directions: from 80, take the San Pablo exit if coming from Berkeley. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and another right on Barrett Ave. Turn left on 25th. The big brick building is the RAC. As you enter 25th be sure to park in the bigger lot to your right, outside of the smaller RAC parking lot adjacent to the brick building. If coming from El Sobrante, take the San Pablo Barrett exit and turn right at Barrett. Follow tge same instructions to get to the RAC.
Directions: from 80, take the San Pablo exit if coming from Berkeley. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and another right on Barrett Ave. Turn left on 25th. The big brick building is the RAC. As you enter 25th be sure to park in the bigger lot to your right, outside of the smaller RAC parking lot adjacent to the brick building. If coming from El Sobrante, take the San Pablo Barrett exit and turn right at Barrett. Follow tge same instructions to get to the RAC.
Paolo's Thrift Shop
After sitting by the bus stop for 2 hours, I had to get up and leave, the exhaust was getting to me, my throat was starting to feel gritty. But as gloomy as the day was, I was interested in all the buildings painted yellow and orange. One lonely palm behind Paolo's Thrift store brought some organic life to the buildings and surroundings for me. There were a lot of cars that I chose to ignore. They were very much a part of the scene, but I didn't think they added anything to the painting.
Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5 Watercolor
Monday, December 13
We return to the parking lot of Food Mart (1835 Rumrill Blvd), at the corner of Rumrill and Market. There is a salvage business full of wonderful junk (This and That), colorful markets and businesses, and an industrial feel to the area many will appreciate. Last Saturday was a great session. There were respectful onlookers who even offered to buy us food and drinks!
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart.
Saturday, December 11
We return to the parking lot of Food Mart (1835 Rumrill Blvd), at the corner of Rumrill and Market. There is a salvage business full of wonderful junk (This and That), colorful markets and businesses, and an industrial feel to the area many will appreciate. Last Saturday was a great session. There were respectful onlookers who even offered to buy us food and drinks!
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart. Bring a cell phone in case you get lost. Here's a map of the area:
View Larger Map
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart. Bring a cell phone in case you get lost. Here's a map of the area:
View Larger Map
Monday, December 6
If it is not raining Monday we will meet again at Urban Ore in Berkeley. Check the posting below for last week to see the directions.
Saturday, December 4
We have changed the location of our painting session because the Richmond Art center is holding their Winter Arts Festival there this Saturday. We will now meet at the parking lot of Food Mart (1835 Rumrill Blvd), at the corner of Rumrill and Market. There is a salvage business full of wonderful junk (This and That), colorful markets and businesses, and an industrial feel to the area many will appreciate.
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart. Bring a cell phone in case you get lost. Here's a map of the area:
View Larger Map
Directions: From 80, take the El Portal in the west direction (don't go to El Sobrante). Go under the freeway and into the city of San Pablo. Continue along the El Portal. Drive all the way past Contra Costa College to your left. Make a right on San Pablo Ave, and almost immediately, at the very next intersection, make a left on Rumrill. Pass Broadway, 19th and 20th Streets, Brookside Dr, Folsom, Dover and Mission Aves. Immediately after Mission, look to the right side of the road to find the Food Mart. Park anywhere inside their parking lot. Meet us near the taco truck if it is there (it usually is). Bathrooms and water at the Food Mart. Bring a cell phone in case you get lost. Here's a map of the area:
View Larger Map
Urban Ore, Berkeley
I loved painting here—the rhythms and patterns abound. The day was beautiful. Karen and I were the only ones showing up for this feast of objects. People were very entertained that we were painting there.The trick and the difficulty was dealing with that very plentitude of stuff. I think the very nature of the place inspired humor in the approach. As a result the painting came out a little cartoony, but for me that was ok because it accurately represented the place.
Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
15 X 11
marilynhill.com
Meeker Slough, Richmond
The weather was very dramatic this day, so the sky and the reflection of the sky was the number 1 focal point of the painting. The little houses were cute too. We left when it started to rain. I think I only appreciated the painting after I got it back to the studio and started distressing the surface with rain drops.Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
11 X 15
marilynhill.com
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