Mar 16

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Again David and I arrived at the McKenzie Preserve at 7am.  However, this time we got there before the sunrise due to the time change.  Below is the scene I looked most forward to viewing.  When the rising sun hits the top of Table Mountain it glows in golds and oranges.  Sunday was a little warmer than Saturday and there weren’t very many clouds.

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I began this painting last week before the plein air event.

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I began Sunday morning with a painting of a tree I really liked.  I decided this would be a ‘play day’ to explore the scenery.

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I had every intention of painting traditionally  but after sketching the mountain top in I played with lines of color.  I haven’t decided whether this will remain abstract or if I’ll finish it with a more traditional style.

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Mar 16

Saturday March 13, 2010

David and I got to the McKenzie Preserve at 7am.  After Ginny Burdick and I had visited the preserve last month, I couldn’t get this spot out of my mind so this is where I chose to paint Saturday.  In the picture below, my car and easel are tiny spots in the landscape.  Behind me is the view I’m interested in painting.

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From my easel this is the view that was to my back when I photographed the car.

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The beginning of my painting, the bare elements.  Now the work begins to finish the painting.

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The colors of the various oaks leafing out and mixing with the other vegetation was so inspiring. 

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I painted this one in the afternoon.

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Artists were invited to attend a special guided tour to the top of Table Mountain.  The scenery was spectacular.  There are vernal pools and interesting landscape that make you feel like you’ve entered a magical land.  It’s hard to tell in my dark picture, but I’m as close to the edge as I want to get.  Shooting stars are blooming on the edge of the cliff, right in front of me on the ground is red moss, the bright green on the left is the valley below.

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Sunset at the top of Table Mountain.  Tony spoiled us with snacks and refreshments while we watched the color of the landscape change with the setting sun.  This will definitely be a future painting.

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Mar 16

March 13 and 14 2010

We had a perfect weekend for painting.  While the organizers were sweating out the Friday night rain, the artists were preparing for a weekend of painting.  Mother nature was very good to us by providing plenty of sunshine, lots of clouds on Saturday  with a blue, blue sky and perfect temperatures.   I heard 14 artists participated and  many of the visitors commented on how interesting it was to see all the various interpretations of the landscape. 

I’d like to say thank you to all the Sierra Foothill Conservancy personnel and members involved with putting on the event.  They were all so helpful and graceous to the artists, despite at times that,  (I’ve heard this a few times), organizing artists is like herding cats.  Thank you for a beautiful weekend, great company and gorgeous landscape.  I can’t wait to see the exhibit of all the paintings next summer!

While I was busy painting, my husband photographed  nature and people. 

Kim Lordier

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As near as I can tell Ginny Burdick is far left in the background.  Karen is on the right in the foreground.  Patrick Lacey is at one of the easels but  I don’t know who was at the fourth easel.

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Ginny Burdick

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Jeff Horn

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Gil Dellinger

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James McGrew

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Karen photographing David Hoffman photographing the landscape.

Karen photographing David

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Mar 08

March 7, 2010  Sunday

My husband and I have friends in Indiana who are mutual motorcycle and bird lovers.  This painting is for him.  I never paint people so I’m exploring a new area.  Below are pictures of the development of the painting as of today.

Progress 1

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Progress 2

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Progress 3

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Progress 4   I’m still working on the bike and sand.

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March 8, 2010 Monday             Progress 5

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Progress 5 Close up            The bike and figure are about 4 inches x 5 inches….a challenge using pastel sticks.

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Progress 6…..and the end of the day posting and painting.

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010   I worked on the bike, figure and sky….

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Close up bike and figure

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Mar 04

 A mixture of snow and rain were falling last evening so it was delightful to awaken to snow.  I snapped a picture of a buck standing on the hillside out my art room window.  The 9:30am air is sparkly due to the morning sunlight refracting through the snow falling out of the trees.  The clean blue sky is filled with passing fluffy clouds, some very white, others appear darker as if gathering for a new storm.  The brilliant sunlight comes and goes with the passing clouds.  I thought about walking around and taking pictures but so much snow is falling that I’m sure I’d get pummeled by natural snow balls.  That would be fine as long as my camera didn’t get wet…..so I’ll enjoy the view from my cozy art room window.

I can hear our newest household members cheeping downstairs.  Last Sunday we purchased 2 barred rock chicks.  They were 4 days old so today they are the ripe old age of 8 days old.  They’ll join our 3 1/2 year old barred rock hen when they are old enough not to be pecked to death by her.  We named the chicks Sally and Louise, in honor of 2 dedicated art enthusiasts who took the Mariposa artists under their wings and helped the art community any way they could.  Sally, sadly passed away and Louise moved out of the state.  Sally had pet chickens and could tell wonderful chicken stories.  They are very missed in the Mariposa art community.  Picture below.

Where’s the art?’ you ask.  I’ve been procrastinating….cleaning house, playing with the chicks, blogging, checking the emails, trying to figure out why the kitchen sink is leaking, keeping the woodstove going to stay warm……OKAY, I know, they are excuses.  I’ll get busy.

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Sally and Louise.  Louise is in front.  We’ll call her Weasie since Louise sounds too much like Ruby and I want them to come running when I call their names….Ruby, our other chicken does, just like a dog.  Photograph by David L. Hoffman

Sally and Louise

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Mar 03

 Come join the invited group of local artist and the prestigious group of nationally recognized Embarcadero artists for a day of enjoying nature and the arts.  The artists have committed to creating a body of work depicting the Sierra Foothill Conservancy lands. The paintings will be sold at a fundraiser next autumn. 

Foothill Invitational artists:  Brianna Johnson-Smeds, Charlotte Hoffman, Don Price, Ginny Burdick, Matt Hopson-Walker, James McGrew, Patrick Lacey, Paul Buxman, Penny Otwell, Sue McCline

Embarcadero Invitational artists:  Adam Longatti, Clark G. Mitchell, Jeff Horn, John Burton, Kathleen Dunphy, Kim Lordier, Randall Sexton, Bryan Mark Taylor, Gil Dellinger, Jesse Powell, John Cosby, Kevin Courter, Libby Tolley, Ray Roberts

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Saturday, March 13, 2010
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

March is a beautiful time of the year on the McKenzie Preserve. Bring your family and friends to the Open House to explore on your own, enjoy the wildflowers and perhaps have a picnic. You may pick up a Discovery Trail guide and walk this interesting loop trail on the lower part of the preserve or hike to the table top to see the beautiful view. While you explore the preserve, observe plein air artists creating paintings on canvas right out of the landscape. No reservations are needed.

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