Point San Pablo

This little floating town reeked with small town gossip and personal intrigues. On the first visit I felt a little like a tourist looking in. The second time, I felt I knew the dogs and was getting acquainted with the people. This was an old dredge that was no longer being used for its original purpose but made a beautiful model to paint. My original idea was to make the front of the building, facing the water, a dramatic dark with the dark shadow swooshing off to the left. Other things began to happen as the light changed and the painting spoke for itself. So I ended up leaving the front a medium value instead.

Briones Park

My concentration in this painting was to explore negative shapes in watercolor. For instance, the tree in the foreground was light against a medium to dark background. In watercolor, painting white or light detail over a dark is generally not an option. So the exercise was to see and paint the spaces between objects. Although I didn't in this painting— I occasionally cheat and use white gauche to create an opaque light. This practice is frowned on by many purists. However John Singer Sargeant expertly used gauche when it suited him so.......The tree was frail, dead and complex with lacy branching. So conveying this with interest and some conviction was my other challenge.

Lake Anza

Finally I have some time to post a few paintings. This was the second painting done on East Side of Lake Anza. I was determined not to bore myself with another likeness of such a beautiful day and such a beautiful place—My concentration was to be on the painting itself, not the object of the painting. So I focused on composition, color and rhythm.

11X14

Painting by the Grizzly Peak Overlook

I returned to the overlook and decided last week's painting was not going to happen and had to be painted over. The light was totally different and I was not going to return to Grizzly Peak to finish it because of how cold it is up there. So I set up on a ledge below the overlook, took some dark blue acrylic and covered the canvas completely. I could hear people describing the view to out-of-town visitors, and Latino dads telling their kids to be quiet. While I was waiting for the canvas to dry, I started to meditate on the composition problems in front of me. Everything was far away, and if I looked to the side the hills were too steep for the shape of my canvas. After a couple of minutes of this, I was startled by the rustling of bushes behind me and turned around to find a cyclist taking a video of me painting. After letting him know a hello would have been nice, I pulled my hoodie over my head and looked straight ahead. The only solution was to change things a bit. I manipulated some bushes and trees to add a bit of interest, but the colors are the same. The painting ended up being on the dark end of the value range because of how dark the day was. As I was finishing up, I heard the bushes getting trampled on. A family of twelve was approaching. They froze when I turned around and I felt bad for them. So I smiled and said, "Ok, come closer and I'll tell you the story..."

Monday December 28

Looks like we won't be having showers near Briones Road/Drive, so we will meet there today. Be careful that you do not go into the Alhambra Staging Area entrance by mistake, and bring a cell phone with our numbers just in case. The Briones Rd entrance has no Briones Park signs. This trail map cannot be enlarged, but you can compare it with the google map below. Larry says: "It is a very narrow winding road, in places it is a one-lane road that will take you up to over 1000 feet elevation. There are some great views, in fact you can see Mt. Diablo on the way up. There are some trails but it may be too muddy to go on them. There is water and a bathroom at the top, and lots of oak trees there too."

If you're in Oakland or Berkeley: Take 24 as if you were going to 680. Pleasant Hill Rd is the last exit before the 680 junction. Go north on Pleasant Hill Rd. At the fork, take the left which is Reliez Valley Rd. Continue on it until it turns into Alhambra Valley Rd or you pass Alhambra Valley Rd to your right. Almost immediately after, you will see the Briones Road/Drive entrance to your left. Go in and pass an area with rural homes. We will meet at intersection of Briones Rd and Orchard Tree.

Directions for El Sobrante, El Cerrito, Richmond: From 80, take Highway 4 and get off on the Alhambra exit. Turn right at the light onto Alhambra Ave, and soon you will be at a fork. Stay yo your right to get into Alhambra Valley Rd. You will arrive at a T intersection: to the left will be Reliez, to the right Alhambra Valley Rd. Turn right (west) onto Alhambra Valley Rd, then left onto Briones Road/Drive. Go in and pass an area with rural homes. We will meet at intersection of Briones Rd and Orchard Tree.

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SF from Grizzly Peak

I was very cold when I first got there, but it seemed to warm up a little soon after. The colors were very muted. Occasionally the sun would warm up the color of the water and I tried to catch that. I felt that I overworked the sky. It rained on the way home, so we had just enough of a dry window to paint. I was glad to get out after not painting for so long.

Saturday, Dec 26

We return to the Grizzly Peak Overlook. Directions: Pass the Grizzly/Centennial intersection and continue south on Grizzly Peak. Watch for the end of the residential area and the beginning of a twisty section of Grissly Peak. Watch for parking areas overlooking the bay. After some twists and turns, you'll pass the following in quick succession: a small parking area to your right, with trees blocking the view. Then, immediately to your left, a trailhead. Then, to your right, you'll pass a small parking area without trees. The last parking area is bigger, has no trees, and has an unobstructed view. This is where you'll meet us. There are bathrooms at the trailhead, but bring your own water. This map shows the three parking areas described above:


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