A New Park

 Well, the park was at least new to me for a paint-out.  It's Burke Heritage Park in Alhambra, next to the Alhambra Historical Society.  I've driven by it many times.  But what always caught my eye was the block of "picturesque" tanks next door.  Maybe water tanks.  Usually some kind of construction seemed to be going on there.  Since I really enjoy industrial subjects like utility poles and storage tanks, I had wondered about painting there sometime, but considering that it's fenced I didn't think it would happen.  But our wonderful paint-out organizer scheduled the park next to the tanks.  It's a mostly green grass park with a small garden, and tanks across the street.  But from where I was I didn't see a good view of the tanks to paint.  Maybe next time.  I did like the view to the east which had some palms and utility poles.

Watercolor 5" x 7"

    

 

Caltech Gate

 This is my first plein air painting for 2022!  It was a bright, sunny day for our paint-out at Caltech.  Caltech is always a favorite place to paint.  The campus is beautiful and it's close-by.  Choosing what to paint usually requires walking around a little to see what view might make a fun and interesting painting.  On one side of Dabney Hall is a walled garden that looked appealing in the dappled light from the olive trees.  The gate on the east side of the garden caught my eye for my watercolor.  Just what I was looking for.

5" x 7" Watercolor

Last Paintout in 2021

 Our final paintout in December 2021 was at Arlington Garden.  It's always one of my favorite places to visit and to paint.  There are always wonderful views new to me to paint even though I've been there many times.  On this visit we were excited to see some beautiful fall colors.  And there is always something about the winter light through the trees that I really enjoy seeing and painting.  

Wishing you a very happy 2022!

6" x 8" Watercolor

The Wishing Trees

A new entrance for the garden

 

Christmas Berries

 Generously, every December our Saturday paint-out group organizer hosts a holiday get together.  I always look forward to it.  It's also a card exchange for anyone wanting to participate.  This year I had fun making my card of greenery and berries using colored pencils and watercolor.  I also added some glitter/glue dots on the berries which really made it sparkle.  

Last fall when we were not meeting together to paint, I painted some red Nandina berries in watercolor.  Nandina is also known as Heavenly Bamboo.  There is a tall plant next to our driveway that gets beautiful red berries in the fall.  I usually can't resist painting or drawing them.  Next to the green, background, bamboo leaves the red berries really stand out.

Approx. 5" x 7" Pencils and Watercolor

7" x 5" Watercolor

Beckman Auditorium

 I was recently contacted by an administrator at Caltech about my watercolor paintings.  Of course I was thrilled and excited.  They needed a watercolor of Beckman Auditorium.  It would be for a celebration of life occasion for the former general manager of event productions at Beckman Auditorium.  They would be giving the painting to his family.  What an honor to have one of my paintings considered for this event.  

I hadn't tried painting Beckman Auditorium on any of our many paint-outs at Caltech.  It's a very unique and difficult building by architect Edward Durell Stone (1964).  The two people I dealt with furnished some photos to use for my painting which they needed very quickly.  I chose to combine two photos, including some Jacaranda blossoms in the main photo I used.  It was enjoyable to finally try painting this special building for their special occasion. 

8" x 10" Watercolor

The Watering Trough

 Our South Pasadena watering trough is officially Cultural Heritage Monument No. 7.  Designed by Norman Marsh,  and presented to the city in 1907, it's titled "The Watering Trough and Wayside Station".  It was a rest stop for people and horses as they traveled between Los Angeles and Pasadena. 

I've painted many times in this location, once the center of South Pasadena, but I hadn't painted the horse trough before.  Two paint-out friends were painting in this area so it was time to try it.  It was nice day and the lighting on the stones caught my eye.

5" x 7" Gouache

   

Halloween House

I've painted at this South Pasadena intersection many times in my years of plein air paint-outs.  This building, The Century House (1888), is also known as Halloween House.  Two of the "Halloween" horror movies were shot there.  Appropriate for this Halloween weekend.  In 2012 I posted my first plein air watercolor of the local landmark, Century House.

5" x 7" Watercolor

                               

More Architecture

A recent Saturday paint-out was at Pasadena's new Desiderio Park.  Not only is there a spectacular view of the 1912 Colorado Street Bridge but there's a nice view of the 1920 Vista Del Arroyo Hotel.  It's extensive and has many windows.  Lots of editing required to do a quick sketch.  I tried sketching with the pens I'm enjoying using.  I also added some watercolor.  My previous watercolor of the old hotel, now a U.S. Court of Appeals, A New Park.

A few weeks before, we met at Eliot Middle School in Altadena, architects Marston and Mayberry.   Our pieces are meant for a future auction to benefit the school.  My previous gouache piece of the school is here, Some Architecture.

7" x 5" Pens

5" x 7" Watercolor

The Fountain and the Bridge

Two recent plein air pieces in gouache, both historical landmarks.  I've tried a few previous paintings at the Pasadena City Hall but never the Baroque style fountain in the beautiful courtyard.  It's over 22 feet tall with a 25 foot diameter basin.  I had to paint fast since my parking meter was running.  I would like to try it again sometime. 

Just last week we painted at the Oaklawn bridge in South Pasadena.  One of my previous watercolor pieces painted there, Greene Brothers' Only Bridge.  There was a lot of activity while we painted since it's time to get started on the South Pasadena float for the Rose Parade on New Year's Day.   It's fun to watch the Gold Line trains passing under the bridge as we paint.

                                                                                     

5" x 7" Gouache

Pasadena City Hall

7" x 5" Gouache

                                                        

South Pasadena Rose Parade float underway

Bailey and Hermon

Bailey and Hermon are two of our local parks.  I've painted at both parks quite a few times with the local paint-out groups.  Hermon was on the schedule for possible Jacaranda trees in bloom.  They were there at the south end of the long park.  Unfortunately I drove by that area, paying more attention to the busy Saturday park traffic, and missing the lavender flowers.  Instead I painted an interesting hillside at the north end of the park.  Now I know where the Jacarandas are!

We usually go to Bailey Canyon Park to paint the Matilija poppies.  It turned out not to be a good year for the poppies.  Maybe not enough rain last winter.  So I painted another hillside with some friends to chat with.  

5" x 7" Watercolor

A very busy gopher we enjoyed watching

7" x 5" Watercolor

Matilija poppies