...Above Port Costa...

When I first signed-up for the triathlon, one of my friends said, "Wow, that could engulf your whole life!" And, I thought, "No, there are lots of artists who go for a walk, or do some form of exercise during the day, then spend the rest of the time painting. And often, they get ideas for paintings during those morning walks." Well, this has been a lot more difficult than I anticipated, mostly because years as a couch potato have caused my body to go downhill more that I thought!
I workout with a coach three times a week, and on my own the rest of the week. It is hard! I have wrecked the bike three times! But I am trying to settle into a routine that will allow me to paint, even though I am tired. And there are some beautiful places to run and bike that have me wanting to paint them. Here are a few from yesterday's ride along the Bay Trail.

 This is Ferry Point, where they used to have ferry"s that crossed the Bay over to San Francisco. It is abandoned now.

 Here is a little lagoon. San Pablo Bay is behind the trees, as well as a ship, and the Richmond Bridge.

 Another view of the lagoon. I love the shapes of the trees and the light on the water. Bet this would be even better at dusk!

Sunday night. First of all, we (myself, my daughter and two friends), arrived at the reception for the Crockett Paintout, at Epperson Gallery. All the artists had framed their works, and they were beautifully displayed on the gallery walls. Here are mine:

I checked the sign beside my top painting... an award! Honorable Mention!

The paintings were being sold by silent auction. I checked the bidding... My painting, Carquinez Nocturne, was sold!  and for higher than the price I put on it! 

Here I am with one of the happy new owners holding the painting! That's my daughter, Shanna in the pink shirt. I'm sorry about the glare on the painting. See my previous post for a better view. I don't know many of the other artists here in California, so I cruised around talking to people. They all were very friendly, and we had a great time!

After that, we went to dinner at a local restaurant called The Dead Fish. Well, by chance, it overlooks the very same view I had painted in the painting that was sold! We were seated in a sort of tent, at a table with a heater and a large candelabra, holding three very drippy candles. We were given bibs, and assorted dead things were brought to the table for us to eat, all delicious! We had to eat the crabs with our hands, and had butter all over our fingers. It's fun to be so messy in public! Then, as it get dark, the scene before us turned into the painting. (Well, almost... actually it was painted from the scenic overlook above the restaurant.)

There's nothing like darkness to simplify a scene and add a sense of mystery. This is the view from a "scenic overlook." It was a nice little park along the road, and I had been there several times in daylight. Well it seemed like a perfect spot for a nocturne (night painting): just a few simple shapes and the sky--quick, easy.

Ha, what was I thinking? First, the sky was changing really fast. It got dark very fast. Then a police car came into the park: just checking I guess, he cruised through and left. I decided to leave. I finished it at home. But, I am really pleased with this one. The darkness and subdued color makes the lights shine. James McNeill Whistler, one of my favorite artists, is famous for his nocturnes.

It reminds me of flying at night. I always try to get a window seat because I like to watch the sparkling lights below. It's like a "Welcome Home."

This is my third painting for the Crockett Paint Out. Now, I'll be framing them all.
I hope you have a good weekend!

...Burlington Hotel... oil on canvas - 11" x 14"

There I was, at Port Costa, looking for something to paint. And this big old yellow clapboard building with the sun shining on it was practically screaming, "paint me." It's colors were sunny and wonderful: yellow with bright blue trim! All the window blinds were at the same position. It appeared to be closed, but the sign said Burlington Hotel. It stood at the end of the street, so there was plenty of parking.

Well, I consider myself a landscape painter: as in trees, rivers, skies, natural stuff. I try to aviod putting in power lines, liter, cars... So I was disappointed to see cars parked in front of the building. Then, I looked again. They were blue cars! They harmonized perfectly with the trim on the hotel. So, I had no excuse, I had to paint it! I almost titled it Three Blue Cars.

I had a lot of trouble with the straight lines, and had to fix that somewhat at home. Plan to carry a small t-square in my backpack in the future.

This is my second painting for the Crockett Paint-out. One more to go...

...Sunlit Roses...

oil on panel - 8" x 6"

Here is one of the paintings I did for the Crockett Paint Out. Crockett, CA, is a charming little town with a lot of older homes in the downtown area that have fancy details on the house and flowers in the yard. Roses especially grow well here. Big, huge bushes, covered with blossoms! I complemented one woman on her roses, and she said she doesn't have to do anything to them! Wow, I remember having a rose bush in WV, and I was always watering, fertilizing and spraying, and it didn't look half as good as these!

I painted these roses because they are joyful. And looking at them gladdens my heart. (Is that an old fashioned expression?). Oh well. That's how it is...

And, I hope, you will have your heart gladdened by looking at this painting!

...The Red Barn...

oil on panel - 6" x 6"

How's this for an "S" shaped composition? There really was a road curving uphill to the barn, but it didn't curve this much. I exagerated the curve to hopefully make the painting more pleasing to the eye. According to the book, Composition of Outdoor Painting, by Edgar Payne, "The dominant curves and slanting lines in this type generally suggest grace and movement and an easy relation of the parts."

By the way, I have found this book to be one of the most useful books I own. When planning a painting, I like to try out different compositional arrangements in a sketchbook first. I know, the wording is old fashioned (it was first published in 1941), but it has more actual principles that you can use than almost any of the art instruction books published today. If you are a painter who does outdoor subjects, I highly recommend it. I had considered at some point doing a book review on it, but there is so much in it, that would be hard to do in a single post.

I hope you are having beautiful weather and can get out and paint!