The Heart of Crockett

Last week was busy  with all of the plein air painting in Crockett.  The weather was nice once the fog lifted.  We had a big turnout for the opening show and reception.  This painting was done after some earlier attempts at painting the C&H Plant.  It is big.  I exaggerated some of the signage to show just how large the entire plant is.  It is a warm painting.

House up on the hill

The Crockett paintout only allowed 3 paintings to be entered into the show. I chose this one although I had several others. I liked this painting because I had a fun day painting and was encouraged by so many painters that day. I was undisturbed except for neighborhood dogs which kept up a steady bark.
I am ready again to show my paintings without glass. After this outstanding show with many wonderful paintings, I feel that paintings done in oil and acrylic show better because there is no glass. I experimented with this before but did not like painting on Aquaboard or fabric with watercolor paint. It is too thin and does not allow the usual watercolor techniques. (See earlier blog.) The answer is to paint on paper and adhere the paper to board and varnish it. My attempts at using paper worked, except that the paper began pealing away from the foamcore, so that was not the answer. I think that I will use watercolor paper again and find a better adhesive for it on board. It can then be framed and shown without glass or matting. I think that this is the way to show watercolor. Paper allows the advantages of the transparent media, washes, lost edges and everything that is watercolor. It ends up having the permanence of an oil with the varnish finish.

Ghosts of Crockett

Standing down on the waterfront just outside Crockett there are lots of old pier remnants. Looking west are the newer piers and bridges. It is a great contrast. The past and the present. There is a large pile of rusted and wooden wreckage which I imagine was quite a structure at one time. I painted and embellished this to exaggerate some direction finders. Last night was the reception at the Epperson Gallery in Crockett and there was some wonderful art from the week of painting. Most of the subject matter was from Crockett.

China Camp

I arrived back in California a couple of weeks ago and it feels wonderful. I left a great summer of friends, fish, clams and painting on Cape Cod. I traveled down to Princeton, NJ to see my kids and then on to Brooklyn. Had a project with my son which got mostly done. Happy to be home. This painting of China Beach is a composite of many west coast features; the wind swept cypress trees, the lifting fog, and our wonderful undisturbed beaches. It is a study of values which change with every plane change.

Painting in Crockett, CA

What a wonderful week of painting. Spent the week in Crockett, CA painting street and water scenes and meeting some very nice people. The annual paintout in Crockett is hosted by the Epperson Gallery and about 60 artists participated.
This is a scene right above the C&H sugar factory. I was kept company by a worker who wandered by and had plenty of questions about painting. The scene is looking west and the ever present Carquinez bridge is seen. I played it down in value so it would not overpower. The sun was bright and the cast shadows very strong. That is actually the old Crockett train station at the bottom of the hill but the trains no longer stop for passengers.