View from the Terrace

Our Thursday paint-out group had another opportunity to paint at a wonderful private home recently.  We were there a year ago and I painted this watercolor Private Garden of one of the lovely "garden rooms".  There are so many choices at this location, including a grand view of Pasadena landmarks, that I tend to walk around trying to decide what to paint for too long.  On this visit, for this time of year, the choices of view had more sun and fewer shady spots for me to paint from.  I like to sit in the shade.  From my last visit I remembered this view looking in the opposite direction from the terrace I painted then.  It still caught my eye with the dramatic, dark tree trunks next to a corner of the house.  Running out of time, I tried this gouache piece.  This might be fun to try in transparent watercolor too.  I had a second choice of view I'll keep in mind to paint next time. 

5 x 7" Gouache

 

The Stables

The Arroyo Seco Stables in South Pasadena (since 1906) is a pretty exciting place to visit or paint.  I was there twice recently and painted two watercolors.  One paint-out group was there a year ago and I posted that watercolor in The Truck.  That day a year ago, I wanted to return to paint and add some of the many chickens that run around the property.  If I was better at painting horses, they would be a good subject to add as well.  There's a challenge I'll save for next time.  I chose some dusty, old stalls for my views and added chickens.  While I was painting on the Arroyo trail side of the stables, two women rode up.  They were in crisp uniforms and looked very official.  I found out they were members of the Pasadena Police Volunteer Mounted Unit.  They patrol remote areas of Arroyo Seco Park and the Rose Bowl area.  Their horses are boarded at the stable where I was painting.  One lady was happy to pose for a quick photo.  Plein air painting is always interesting! 

8 x 10" Watercolor

8 x 10" Watercolor

The Boathouse

One of the plein air paint-out groups met at Echo Park a few weeks ago.  The lake there was drained three years ago, and after a two year, $45 million restoration project, it's been reopened for a year now and looks beautiful.  That day the park was very busy with a Telemundo news crew set-up, and workers hand picking invasive apple snails that have appeared since the lake was refilled.  It's a concern that the snails will eat the park's signature lotus plants. 

I was last there in August and posted that day's watercolor in Echo Park.  Our recent paint-out started off very overcast and it never got more sunny.  I was looking for a view I could paint from the shade but as it turned out I didn't need the shade.  I chose a view of the picturesque old 1932 boathouse to paint in gouache because the drying time is faster than with transparent watercolor.  Good for a dreary day.  I really had fun with this piece and it seemed to come together well.  Maybe I'm finally getting more used to gouache.  I'm looking forward to my next paint-out there which is in a few days!    

5 x 7" Gouache

Built in 1932

Telemundo

Workers hand picking apple snails.

Many Mallard duckings.

    

Two Bridges

A few Saturdays ago the group painted from a residential street with views of the bridges across the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena.  For our bridges views, we were all situated on a trail that goes down to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.  For my watercolor, I looked out to the main two bridges, the famous 1913 Colorado Street Bridge with its pretty light standards, and the Ventura Freeway bridge.  Kind of below me was the smaller Holly Street bridge.  Well, bridges are difficult I think, for me at least, with those arches and shadows.  In my view, the Ventura Freeway bridge is closest to me and the Colorado Street Bridge behind.  I widened the vista a little to include some homes below.  The Saturday paint-outs are always fun, interesting, and sometimes a challenge like this one.

8 x 10" Watercolor

Colorado Street Bridge behind the 134 Freeway bridge

Holly Street Bridge

Buster's

Buster's Ice Cream and Coffee Stop is possibly the most recognizable location in South Pasadena.  One of my first blog posts was about an early, for me, try at a plein air watercolor there, Plein Air Painting.  The group painted at the location in February and I posted that piece in Mission Station.  For this paint-out in April, a lot was going on at this busy intersection as always, well, for South Pasadena at least.  The walking man sculpture was wearing a festive necklace, photo below.  Two filmmakers were interviewing a couple of the artists for their One Day in Los Angeles project.  It was a perfect morning and there is a nice variety of subjects but I decided to try painting Buster's again.  This time a gouache.  A fun morning with the group!

5 x 7" Gouache

Frank was at Buster's with his well-known rat rod.  

Virtual Paintout - Southern Chile!

The Virtual Paintout for May 2014 was the southern parks area of Chile.  Created by Bill Guffey, artists use Google Street View in the month's chosen area to find their views to paint.  Just like plein air painting (sort of... no hot sun or dogs drinking my watercolor water, etc.) but online.  I really enjoy it since I'll never get to see all of these locations in person.  It's really fascinating.   I must say, I saved more views from this area than I have for any other virtual paintouts, and I only looked around two towns and a little countryside.  Almost everywhere I looked, the light was amazing.  I don't know if this was because of the time of day the photos were taken or the way the sun looks in southern Chile.  It was hard to choose just two views to paint.  Looking forward to the June location!

5 x 7" Watercolor

 5 x 7" Gouache

Brand Library

A few weeks ago I returned to paint at the Brand Library in Glendale.  It was two years ago when I painted a watercolor and posted it in Plein Air in Glendale.  At that time the library had just closed for a big renovation.  Two years and $10 million later the library is reopened and stunning.  The 1904 former private residence, called El Miradero, has always been an unusual building in Glendale with its exotic Eastern architecture, and now it's so exciting to revisit and appreciate all the improvements.  One of the painters in our group was on the architectural team specializing in authentic, historic, styles.  It was great to walk through with him for his knowledge of the renovation.  I painted a gouache because with it I can go back and forth with areas a little, which I thought I might need to do considering the fancy, notched arches. 

5 x 7" Gouache

The driveway entrance looking west from the library.