Virtual Paintout - Malta!

I always enjoy participating in the Virtual Paintout each month.  For July 2017 the location was Malta, a small island country in the Mediterranean.  Due to its strategic location it has had an interesting history, and a succession of powers including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Moors, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, French, and British...wow.  Malta got independence from the United Kingdom in 1964, and became a republic in 1974.

Malta is a popular tourist destination so I saw cruise ships and yachts in the harbors.  There are also architectural and historic monuments including seven prehistoric temples.  I found the islands to be beautiful and so interesting to virtually look around for my painting views.  I like to try a watercolor, and a gouache piece.      

5" x 7" Gouache

5" x7" Watercolor

The Park Bridge

It's lotus season at Echo Park so we were there recently for our Saturday paint-out.  It's such a pretty park with its lake, trees and flowers, downtown view, and the bridge.  My previous post on Echo Park was Ice Cream!  It's interesting to see what appeals for a painting with each visit to the park.  I didn't see much of the ice cream vendor this time.  But the old, steel, footbridge really stood out.  The bridge's gates are locked.  It must have been fun to walk across at one time.  It's such a wonderful blue green color which stood out from the yellow plants blooming below it, and I hadn't tried painting it before.  I'll try painting the lotuses maybe next time.

8" x 10" Watercolor

Friendly ducks looking for a treat from this family. 

Ranch Afternoon

One of the painting groups decided to meet in the late afternoon to try a piece with the sun going down.  We decided to go back to Ward Ranch in Sierra Madre since there is a nice view of the mountains which would change with the changing light.  It was last December when I was there last and painted this gouache piece, December at Ward Ranch.  I ended up painting from almost the same spot this time and did a watercolor.  Well, the sunlight was certainly changing fast on the mountains.  What a challenge to decide how to chose which shadow pattern to go with.  We all had fun at this challenging paint-out.

8" x 10" Watercolor

Some of our group, photo by Shinji Isozaki

Virtual Paintout - Guatemala!

The Virtual Paintout for June 2017 was Guatemala.  I like participating in the Virtual Paintout and always enjoy virtually looking around the month's location for my views to paint.  Guatemala has ancient Maya archeological sites, and the beautiful old colonial city, Antigua Guatemala.  There is never enough time for me to see everything using Google Street View.  I usually try to choose a city scene and a country scene.  And I'm always trying to improve my watercolor painting, so the Virtual Paintout is good practice time.  Looking forward to the July location announcement.

5" x 7" Watercolor

5" x 7" Gouache

Cattails!

On Saturday the group visited the Audubon Center at Debs Park.  My previous post from there was a watercolor over two years ago, The Audubon Center.  I painted there last year but didn't like the way the painting was going, never finished.  It was a very busy morning at the Center.  Quite a few people were getting the courtyard space ready for an evening event...setting up tables, stringing lights, and trimming plants.  I decided to try the view I could see from the picnic table I found in the shade.  It was a lovely view of the raised pond of waterlilies and cattails.

7" x 5" Gouache

A peek behind the Staff doors.  

Mchillinda Park

As usual I'm behind on posting paintings from local paint-outs.  I'm prompt on this one though.  It was painted this morning at Michillinda Park in Pasadena.  I've driven by the small park many times but had not visited.  Since the area is close to the local arboretum where hundreds of peacocks live, many seem to have overflowed into the lovely neighborhood surrounding the park.  There was one young peacock checking us out while we painted.  We've heard a heat wave is coming but it was cool in the shade of the beautiful park trees, painting with friends.

5" x 7" Watercolor

 

Return to Oxy

I've always had a nice time painting at Occidental College in Eagle Rock.  It's such a lovely campus with many great views and buildings.  A year ago I painted this watercolor, Study at Oxy.  I returned last fall with another group.  Unfortunately I couldn't find the other painters for quite awhile so when I finally got started I felt sort of rushed with my painting.  Maybe that was a good thing since I like the way this piece turned out.  I haven't posted it until now since, as usual, I couldn't decide whether to add a figure.  I might still be a little undecided but "no figure" for now.

8" x 10" Watercolor