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!

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.

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.

Parchester Marsh, Point Pinole

I was happy with this small acrylic painting of the Parchester marsh because the orange pickleweed is much more visible. I took my dog with me. We went around the park first so he would be tired and relaxed, then settled under the shade of an eucalyptus grove at the beginning of the Bayside trail. It took me two two-hour sessions to complete it. Rebeca

Point Pinole

Moving things are interesting to paint and it took two sessions to get some time with the shore birds and still I need to go back. The boat was going back and forth and I changed it many times.

Karen Zullo Sherr

Cook's Point Marsh--Point Pinole

This is the third attempt at painting this marsh Monday. Two times at the site and this one at home. It worked a little better without the wind drying the paint so fast. And I learned something from my mistakes too. I was not at all happy when I left the park, so I had to resolve that inner conflict by trying to paint what I had in mind. I tried to simplify by dividing up the painting into 4 main areas. I am still not really happy with the foreground, but I like the trees in the background.

Early Spring at Point Pinole

My name is Karen Zullo Sherr and I have been part of the East Bay Plein Air group since its start. After painting all winter it was a joy to go out in good weather and enjoy the spring sun at Point Pinole. This is done in acrylic on canvas and is 16" by 20".