Nolan Andress Memorial Fountain

This fountain is in the Alvarado Square near some city offices in San Pablo, CA. I started to draw this and was rushing before the shadows covered it. I didn't succeed. After the shadows covered it, all the life and sparkle of the fountain disappeared. I took some photos, however, and was able to work from them to complete the painting. The fountain is in a walkway between the building and another wall at the foot of some stairs. So, it is not in full light for very long.

Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5" Watercolor

RFD No. 1

It was a warm and lonely day painting by myself. I spent at least an hour walking around in Point Richmond. I kept looking at the fire house but it was difficult to find a place not blocked by cars and vans and not in the sun. I decided to do only part of the building.

Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5" Watercolor

Clean & Safe

We started at Nicholl Park in Richmond Saturday. I went a block East looking for something to paint. I saw this odd shaped building, now abandoned, with the sign on the bench in front. It is probably the good intention of the city to make it clean and safe. I liked the big redwood behind it. The color of the building is a lot duller than I painted it. But I did see a google picture of it on a map and it was very colorful then, red roof and bright yellow walls.

Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5 Watercolor

Pink Mobile Home

I missed out on painting the mobile homes last week. So I went to Church Lane to find some today. This pink one stood out, so I decided that was my painting for today. It will always be memorable for the electric wheel chair lady who rammed my ankle as I sat painting.

Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5 Watercolor

San Palbo Arch

We bombed out of the locations we tried today. So I went home and worked on this. I had taken a photo of it on San Pablo Ave. It is the welcoming arch to the city of San Pablo.

Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5 Watercolor

5210 McBryde

I passed this house on my way to meet the group. Since I didn't feel drawn to anything at the meeting place, I went back to this house. I took a couple of pictures and went home to paint it. It was too cold for me today, foggy too. The owner has added some gables of his own to the place over a garage.

Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5 Watercolor

Ricos Pollos Asados

I went to 23rd Ave. San Pablo again near the U-Haul place. I found this interesting place. Rico was BBQing his pollos outdoors. A few people stopped to talk, all very interested and friendly. I was a little annoyed by the wind that blew dust, ashes, hair, leaves, dirt into my paint. Joys of painting outdoors.

I have no idea what the Giraffe and Elephant are doing there.

Larry Hatfield
Watercolor 10.5 x 14.5"

Saint Paul's Church

I wanted to do this church tower since seeing it on the way home last week. The church was established in 1864. There is another view with lots of red tile roofs visible. I had several conversations with people walking by as I was right next to the sidewalk. I told them about the show, Immigrant Neighborhoods, in late Feb. at the San Pablo City Gallery.

Larry Hatfield
10.75 x 14.5
Watercolor

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

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

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

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

Indian Rock Park

I found a little shade and liked the view of the
rocks. There were a lot of shadows to start with from some trees to the left. I tried to get the glowing edge of the rock from the sun light and some bounced light into shadows.

Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5" Watercolor

Two Members of East Bay Landscape Painters Win Awards

Larry Hatfield

Marilyn Hill

Marilyn Hill and Larry Hatfield have in the last month both won awards for one of their paintings. Larry's watercolor Mt. Shasta from the North was shown in the El Cerrito Art Association Show and won both Honorable Mention and a Glen Gallery Merchant's Award.  Marilyn Hill won a Third Place Ribbon in the Valona Paint Out  for her watercolor Albany Dragon done at the Albany bulb just a little over a week ago.  You can still see her painting as the show continues at the Epperson Gallery at 1400 Pomona Street in Crockett until Sunday, November 7.  The gallery is open Thursday thru Sunday from 11 to 5.  Congratulations to both of you.

Eucalyptus at Fairmead Park

Fairmead Park is a smallish urban park in Richmond, CA. I had intended to paint some view of San Pablo, but when I saw this tree, I knew that is what I wanted to paint. After I painted the main tree, I realized that I needed another background tree. So I painted the tree on the left. I wasn't sure it was going to work to paint the background tree after the main tree. I usually would have painted the bg first.

Larry Hatfield
10.25 x 14.5"
Watercolor

Above Port Costa

I was frustrated by the heat and fast drying time for the watercolor paint. I took it home and did some reworking on the trees in the middle and a few other places added shadows.

Above Port Costa
This is about 10x14 Watercolor




The second painting was of the hills above the Carquinez Scenic Drive. I was so frustrated with the first painting I tried a second one with a huge brush that I just bought. I did it in about 20 m in. But then did some more work on it at home.

10x14 Watercolor

Larry Hatfield

La Loma Market, San Pablo, CA

La Loma Market was a challenge to paint sitting in the median with cars whizzing past. Urban scenes are a challenge for me. They are not what I would naturally choose. So doing this one was a chance to push my comfort zone. I was going to crop it on the right, but I think I might just leave it. The light was actually behind the building, so it was a little confusing at times as to how to do shadows. I would like to see it in the morning light.

Larry Hatfield
10 x 14" Watercolor

Calf Squeeze Chute at Tormey (updated)

Thanks to Betsy who asked a local man what this is. Its a device to hold calves while they are tagged, inoculated and turned into steer-calves. It was in the middle of the turn-around at the end of the road at Tormey. There was some other farm equipment there too and a goofy statue and sign that went along with the other quirky things in town like the mannequin buried upside-down and the cardboard man in the window.

Larry Hatfield

10x14" watercolor

Crockett Barn overlooking the Carquinez Strait

On a very hot day, I decided to stay in the shade and paint this barn that I tried painting last year from a slightly different angle. I was relatively cool until the last 45 min. I was next to a tree that had an ant nest and I had to straddle their trails so I wouldn't disturb them. I was surprised at how dark brown the distant hill was. But it worked well to contrast the roof. I am still not totally happy with the trees on the right. I might want to put some shadows to connect the barn and the foreground. The shadow on the left of the bard is a little too straight since the roof line is bowed and not straight.

Larry Hatfield
10 x 14 Watercolor

Selby Farm Building

Selby Farm Building doorway. There was a mysterious look to the darkened doorway. You could see something in there but you were not sure what. After I scanned this, I scraped out some white in the naked ladies flowers in the foreground. This is the first time that I have used Payne's Gray in a painting. I just couldn't figure out what to mix for the very dark roof, so the base is Payne's. I was really not happy near the end of this one, so I added more Payne's Gray, and some Perinone Orange in the shadows and the posts. Then I darkened the edge of the roof.

Larry Hatfield
10.5 x 14.5" Watercolor

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