Mira Flores, Oishi, Sakai & Maida-Endo Nurseries

After being granted permission to paint at the greenhouse site through the Richmond Redevelopment Agency we were joined by Ellen Grailing a photographer who has been photographing Mira Flores for many years. She showed us places to go and places not to go. I was excited.

The roses appeared to be lifting the greenhouses toward the sky. It was raining and the paint kept running together creating a rather Zen effect on the painting. When we were done, I must have put the painting on top of my truck where it proceeded to fly off into the anon. I recreated it here.We could do many paintings here if it were possible. There was wonderful stuff everywhere.

A Mini Historical Note
"According to Donna Graves, who wrote the historical component of the 2004 “Historic Architecture Evaluation: The Oishi, Sakai and Maida-Endo Nurseries,” the site contains “the only extant cut-flower nurseries begun by Japanese Americans before World War II in the entire Bay Area, and [is] the last remaining of Richmond’s community of Japanese American flower growers.”
To find out more about the Japanese flower growers



Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
15 X 11

marilynhill.com

Richmond Farmers Market

Fran and I caught the Richmond Farmers Market last Friday. The people were gracious, and curious — the weather was very cold. It was a grey day but I put in a blue sky. I think I was hoping the sun would come out. I liked the zig-zag composition this scene made with the vertical column of the back of the truck. Also the vender had some very engaging oranges hanging from her tent. I was beginning to play with the idea that maybe a brushstroke could hold up a table of onions

Marilyn Hill
Watercolor
15 X 11

marilynhill.com

Monday, January 31

We've been busy preparing for the Immigrant Neighborhoods show. For this reason, a coordinator will not be available for this session. This session has been cancelled. We will meet again Saturday 5th February.

Saturday, January 29

We've been busy preparing for the Immigrant Neighborhoods show. For this reason, a coordinator will not be available for this session. This session has been cancelled. We will meet again next Saturday.

Monday 24th January

We meet in the parking lot of the Laotian Family Community Center at 1865 Rumrill Boulevard in San Pablo and will then decide where we want to paint. We can split up into twos if necessary.

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 Avenue and Dover is the next street on the left. We will meet outside 1865 Rumrill. Bathrooms and water are at the Food Mart further along

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

Saturday, January 22

An early morning check revealed Google is wrong: there is no Starbucks off MacDonald and 44th Ave. So, we will instead meet in front of Payless, inside the parking lot of the strip mall with Target, Panda Express, etc. To get there take the MacDonald exit off highway 80. You will go under the freeway and end up facing west, with the strip mall to your left. Make a left turn at any of the entrances along McDonald, look for the Payless and wait outside. Together, we'll decide where we'll paint around this area. There are interesting businesses all along McDonald Ave, in addition to the wide spaces near Nicholls Park.