Got Any Bites?

This is an acrylic painting (18X24) done form my sketches this week.  I have noted before, my attraction to San Francisco Bay especially, at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.  I had this in mind for a painting when there, but is got so windy that I only did a sketch.  I think that wind is the most difficult condition to deal with when painting.

Fort Baker

Joined up yesterday with two painters on San Francisco Bay.  Finished some sketches of moored sailboats with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.  When I was all set up to paint, the wind really started blowing.  I turned around and moved next to a building for shelter and quickly painted one of the old structures at Fort Baker.  This watercolor, (12X15) took about 30-45 min. to complete without a sketch.  It was fun to see what can happen without sketching and just letting go with the paint.

At one time, the military owned some of the best real estate in San Francisco and along the bay.  Fort Baker is in Sausalito and has been turned into a tourist destination with lodging in the old officer quarters and a fine restaurant.  There are some dynamite views of the city and bay and it is a wonderful place to do plein air painting.

San Francisco Bay

Here is a switch from my Italian travels.  This landscape is seen while in bed, looking over my toes at San Francisco Bay.  It is a one point perspective so that the closer objects are seen from above and the distant ones tend to be more righted.  Kind of fun to paint this and it was a very quick painting, since I left the water in the Bay unpainted.

Fog Over the Golden Gate

I painted this yesterday while standing in Fort Baker in Sausalito. The temperature was around 60 degrees and I just left home in Davis, CA where the temp was in the 90's. What a change. When the valley heats up the fog rolls in off the Pacific and San Francisco gets a daily bath. It comes right in over and under the Gate. It is a sure sign of summer in San Francisco. A brave sailor was out there under the bridge. Sailing on San Francisco Bay is only for the proven. I have been out there with the wind, cold and wet. When I return to my Berkeley mooring, it is in the 80's and I dry out and warm up in no time. I love the Bay and this painting site is a favorite. Next year, 2012, the Golden Gate will be 75 years old. Next year, the Bay will also be the venue for the America's Cup race.

Driftwood Marina

Two weeks ago, I painted this scene  on San Francisco Bay but in loading up I must have left it behind.  No one turned it in.  When I got back to my studio, I did it again from my sketches.  This time I dropped several colors into a wet spot and wanted to leave the driftwood pile more or less abstract.  I then decided to carve out some of the flotsam and jetsam.  Most of it took on a red hue from the alizarin crimson which ran and stained.  The pile of stuff is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.  They bring in some huge logs and pilings and they are offloaded by the crane.  Lots of action to watch while painting.  This painting turned out better than the one I lost.

China Camp Beach

It was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon for painting at China Camp State Park on San Francisco Bay. This old fishing boat is up on the sand and in a state of advanced decay. Perfect for a painting. I tried to give the roof in the back a rust appearance. There is plenty of rust and corrosion on the buildings at the beach. This is a place worth return visits, as there is plenty of material.

Spring Tune Up

Back painting on San Francisco Bay after a week in farm land. Found it a little difficult to shift gears. This scene was taken from a long row of boats in the inlet for the Army Corps of Engineers. They did bring in a huge crane and I did several sketches but returned to what I initially saw as a painting. The workers on the sail boat kept directing each other with some urgency. I thought they were ready to sail.
It is a blue painting with informal balance. All the boats were white and had blue canvas, so I went with it. It was a great day on the Bay for painting.

Outlet to the Bay

Painted at the foot of Napa St in Sausalito. The funky houseboats and old pilings are wonderful props for plein air painters. The weather is heating up and there will be lots more painting outside. The more you do it the more you can deal with the tyranny of detail. You sort out, find the light and limit the subject. It's like the old telephone game where you pass the message on and it gets distilled to its essence.

San Francisco Bay in December

The weather has been spectacular even when it starts off a touch nippy. The group wanted to paint trees and we found one in Sausalito along with a few boats. Painting is a great way to handle the holidays; a little sanity between delicious parties and great friends, and...lots of wine.