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

 

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

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

Succulents!

 Succulents have been an interest of mine for many years.  It seems that they are more popular than ever now because of their relatively easy care and drought tolerance.  Of course they are also beautiful and have an amazing variety of shapes.  

I have two gouache pieces to post.  When we started painting together again I tried the wonderful fountain of succulents at Arlington Garden.  During our painting at home time I did a gouache piece of one of my aloe plants.  The challenge was a "close-up".  The aloes display some wonderful shapes and shadows for that theme.

7" x 5" Gouache

Succulent fountain past the Wishing Trees

7" x 5" Gouache

Dabney Hall

One of my favorite places to paint is Caltech in Pasadena.  The Saturday group has painted there many times.  I was happy to be back there a few weeks ago.  The flowers were blooming, and people were there walking their dogs, some people cycling through the campus.

Dabney Hall (1929) always catches my eye.  It's sort of pink, just beautiful with its plantings of agapanthus surrounding the jacaranda trees.  My first gouache piece there was painted in 2013.  I painted another gouache of the building since two painting friends also decided to paint the view.   It's always fun to chat while painting!

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5" x 7" Gouache (2021)

7"  x  5" Gouache  (2013)

Beckman Auditorium (1964)

Beckman Auditorium (1964)

 

Roses Five Years Later

 It's so nice to be plein air painting again with friends.  In June we met at the Wrigley Mansion Rose Garden hoping to paint some roses of course.  The roses were beautiful as always.  It was almost exactly five years ago for one paint-out there, Wrigley Roses, when I painted a watercolor.  I tried a version in gouache this time.  

6" x 8" Gouache

Wrigley Mansion, north side

The Other Bridge

 About two years ago Pasadena got a new park, Desiderio Neighborhood Park.  It's small and located right under the spectacular and famous Colorado Street Bridge (1912).  I've painted there twice before A New Park and Some Architecture.  There is also another bridge that's very close to the Colorado Street Bridge, the Ventura Freeway Bridge (1971).  It isn't as spectacular but that's okay and I had a good view to try a painting.  I wanted to use gouache since it's a little more forgiving than watercolor.   

5" x 7" Gouache

Colorado Street Bridge

The First and The Last

 It's been over a year of no plein air paint-outs for me.  A few friends have gone out but my two favorite groups had not planned any group paint-outs.  Now since we are vaccinated and looking forward to paint-outs, some are being planned again.  I've been anxious to see some spring scenery.  So this month I joined a group at Pasadena's Lower Arroyo Park area for my first paint-out in over a year.  It also happened to be the same location as my last plein air paint-out with the group in January 2020.  It was great to see friends again.  Getting used to plein air painting again might take some practice.  

8" x 10" Watercolor  May 2021

8" x 10" Watercolor  January 2020