Sketchbook

I recently joined a plein air painting group which I’ve really been enjoying. It’s a great group of generous painters and it is wonderful to paint in new locations. It’s also really helpful to get advice on what’s working (and not working) from fellow painters. On this particular day, I also received feedback from a couple of four legged art critics.

The tall columnar hoodoo formations of Bryce Canyon National Park are the result of weathering and erosion. The expansion of water as it freezes in cracks fractures the soft (and very orange) limestone.

We enjoyed views from overlooks throughout the park and hiking the Queen’s Garden trail which is named for a hoodoo at the end that is said to look like Queen Victoria. The trail was beautiful at every turn and this charming bird, a 4 inch white crested nuthatch, greeted at the end of the trail and posed.

My husband and I wrapped up our summer with a fun trip to Zion and Bryce. The watercolor above takes in the canyon scenery from the western bank of the Virgin River near Zion Lodge. The cottonwood trees that are adjacent to the river take on graceful forms.

Staying at the Zion Lodge made it easy for us to enjoy the magnificent scenery in the beautiful light of mornings and evenings. It also meant that we didn’t have to wait in the long morning shuttle bus queues at the Zion visitor Center.

My Dad and I hadn’t planned on spending time in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area while I was in Oregon … but … our road trip required flexibility.

After stopping for gas on our way from Bend to Crater Lake on August 8th, Dad and I were advised that Crater Lake was being evacuated. So we thought we’d check out the Route 19 Scenic Byway … but … it too was closed as a result of a totally different fire.

So … we ended up heading back to the Portland area and exploring falls, trails and vistas along the Historic Columbia River Highway. The watercolor above is of a bicyclist enjoying a ride in the beautiful scenery.

I painted Horsetail Falls with a hiker in standing on a rock in the foreground. Many other waterfalls can be seen from scenic highway turn-offs though this one involved a short walk.

The whole area is very beautiful with dense woods and backlit trees. This painting is of the Oneonta Trail which is part an extensive trail system in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. While we were not able to enjoy Crater Lake this was really lovely. And, most of all, the time with my dad was great.

I finished the quick sketch above by the bank of the river early in the morning calm. Just me and the river. Oh and a few people walking past on the Drake Park path including one guy who was riding a bike, smoking some pot and lamenting the girlfriend who left him.

I was in Bend on a road trip with my Dad. Wonderful to have time driving, enjoying the scenery and talking. He found a great place to drink beer watching kayakers and paddle boarders pass by on the Deschutes.

This watercolor was finished once I was home. You don’t see fireweed where I live. I have appreciated these scrappy plants and flowers that remind me of time in Alaska. Somehow the flowers are more beautiful knowing they thrive in areas scarred by fire and recent roadwork.

I fell in love with Bend Oregon and the Deschutes River that runs through it. The only that kept me for hunting for property on Zillow was finding out from a weather app that Bend has short summers. Oh … that may not work. Just as well, I’ve heard that Oregonians are getting tired of Californians moving north.

A wedding in central Washington State gave me a wonderful opportunity to renew long term friendships and paint.

I so enjoyed the hospitality of the Berryman’s and staying at their ranch. As an artist, catching that great light in the morning and evening is so much easier if you are waking up and going to bed amidst the beautiful scenery. I painted Truman, the horse, one morning at 7am and these charming cows were painted on another evening.

If I ever have the chance to stay at Berryman Ranch again, I may take John Berryman up on his advice to paint the cows with a setup right in the pasture. I have no doubt about his prediction that the cows would come right up to inspect my work. Now there’s pressure.

Our summer began with a trip to New York City. Having loved ones in Manhattan and New Jersey provides special family memories in addition to all the magnificent city provides. The watercolor sketch above shows a reflection of the San Remo Building into the Central Park Boat Pond.

Here are more sketches from the trip:

 

These sketches include Central Park images from the model boat pond, a view of the Carlisle looking up Madison Avenue and a Skyline view of Downtown Manhattan as seen from the Hudson River.

We stayed at the lovely and historic Carlisle Hotel where our corner room on the 19th floor gave us rooftop views to the north and a peek at central park to the west. We enjoyed music at the charming Bemelman’s Bar most evenings. Days were spent walking, people watching in Central Park and enjoying art museums. Somehow most of our walking routes took us right by the Madison LaDuree macaron shop … always a good plan.

The Filoli gardens are a jewel set amid the rolling hills of the San Francisco Peninsula. The sunken garden and reflecting pool were established right after construction of the Georgian country mansion in Woodside in the early 1900s.

Today, Filoli is a beautiful place for a stroll and quiet contemplation.

As we approach summer, the colors in the garden shift from the pinks and purples of the foxgloves and cherry blossoms to a riot of dahlias and rose blooms.

William Kent, an English Landscape Architect, once said “All gardening is landscape painting.”  I couldn’t agree more.

Market Street in San Francisco takes on a different feel through the day. It can be very quiet first thing in the morning. Here there are just a few people waiting for the Muni F line headed to the Castro with the Ferry Building glowing in the background.

Point Lobos has been an incredibly special place to me since I was a child. It was near this spot that I happily remember looking (but not touching) sea creatures inhabiting the tide pools. I also have a happy memory of my brother, then a toddler, bringing my mother a rock and saying “Mommy! mommy! I caught a rock.” Here are recent Point Lobos paintings in my sketchbook.

These days, it’s a short drive from our home to Point Lobos, making it a place we visit often and treasure..