Mount Diablo Plein Air

My husband and I spent a great day yesterday at Mount Diablo State Park. I was able to paint from a lovely spot under an oak tree at Lookout Point. I painted this 12″ x 16″ study in about an hour … squinting in the sun and waving off yellow jackets.

Apparently there are more than 7 million of us who live in the 9 counties that make up the San Francisco. We’re fortunate to have access to nature nearby at places like Mount Diablo. The park is home to varied natural habitats … oak trees, grassland and chaparral. Geologically speaking, the rocks in the park are very old but the mountain (3,849 feet) is thought to be very young in geologic time. Views after a rainstorms from Mount Diablo offer glimpses of distant sierra peaks. Summer days like yesterday have their give us the vistas California golden hills.

San Francisco Bay Trail Sketching

There are many wonderful places to sketch and paint along the San Francisco Bay Trail. I recently completed a painting of Matadero Creek which is located is at the southern end of San Francisco Bay.

I’m fortunate to live within 10 minutes (or a long bike ride) of the wetlands that border the southwestern reach of San Francisco Bay. I particularly enjoy the quiet of the mornings beautiful light, not too much heat and lots of active shorebirds.

Shoreline Park Lake Sketches

I love that my husband and I live close to Shoreline Park. Now that I no longer have a sixty hour high technology workweek, we’re able to enjoy it on laid-back weekday afternoons.

I’ve enjoyed filling sketchbooks with people learning to sail and playing kayak water polo. Shoreline Park Lake is also a rich environment for birds including geese, white cranes and avocets.