Before the Storm

There is a big storm brewing and whether it will land or go out to sea is a risk for this swimmer. The man in the water gives the painting an estimate of how big the storm clouds are. It also is a focal point because of the color.I had fun playing with lost edges and muted color. I couldn't decide whether to place a swimmer or boater to create the enormity of the clouds.

This is a farm scene which I witnessed many times. It is from my imagination. The weather this week in Northern California has been smoky from all the fires. We did take a chance on Wednesday and painted but it was tough going. It is the first time I am anxious to have some wind to blow this smoke away. The town is quiet with few people out and most wearing masks. The schools are closed. I am an out door person. Where I live I can be in shorts most of the year. We don't expect these setbacks. We are Californians and worry about the people suffering from fire. It was horrible to imagine being stuck in traffic trying to escape and the fire closing in as the traffic stalled. My painting is on a bright fall day and has all my favorite things like barns, broken down trucks and chickens. I would much prefer to be on the scene painting it.

Davis Farmers Market

You will find me here on Saturday morning. It can be a very busy place. I always wondered how to paint the scene, so I took a few pictures and put a composition together. It is difficult to keep to value changes with all of the whites and shadows. The background of trees is very dark. This was fun and I will try a different approach next time, maybe, even find a place to setup for plein air.

A Quiet Place

We have been here before but there is much to see and paint. This is the Old Sacramento Cemetery. The sun is out and the shadows abound. The challenge is in getting the lots correct in perspective. The place is well maintained and it seems that every variety of plant and tree that can be grown in Sacramento is here. Some of the gravestone inscriptions are very humorous.

Old and Resting Farm

This scene is off Route 12 in Dixon. We were looking for some old farms or barns and came across this falling down building. It was difficult to get my arms around the scene. After several sketches I decided to paint a long view. Just a small hint of the delapidated structure can be seen. It was 'hurry up' once I started painting and it dried quickly. I just got through it before our group moved on. There is something that happens when you are rushed. Some brush stroke may be too wide or off target. The values may be off. As you look at it, new ideas arise. I love these accidents.

Dixon Farmland

Our group went to the farms of Dixon this morning. The sun was bright and the early chill burned off. We found this irrigation ditch that was having a bridge built. The gates of the dam were just being lifted. A great waterfall erupted but it was soon over. There are many of these ditches throughout the flatlands of Dixon and they are key to raising crops. I liked the sweep of the banks and the rocks lining the sides. A distant barn can be seen along with some green eucalyptus trees. The sky was streaked but I chose to put in some small clouds instead of white streaks.

Reeds and Muddy Water

Our plein air venture this morning took us just off Rt 113 east of Dixon. The hills were dry and yellow. The vernal ponds of spring are long gone along with their colorful flowers. This slough was the only water and only bit of green nearby. The eucalyptus trees are dull green and the banks of the slough are brown with reeds. Standing above the slough on a bridge, I tried my skill at painting the many reed islands. The blue sky added just a hint of blue water which was otherwise, muddy. The water was shallow and calm. I used a dry brush technique on the reeds but it was difficult to differentiate reeds. I rewet after drying and scraped some lines with my palate knife to indicate reeds. A trucker stopped and wondered whether I was fishing salmon. Not sure I would eat any fish out of this muddy water.