Virtual Paintout - Puerto Rico!

Each month I enjoy participating in the Virtual Paintout hosted by Bill Guffey.  Bill chooses the month's location from places covered by Google Street View vehicles.  Artists can virtually "walk" around the location to select their subject to draw or paint.  I always learn something when I virtually visit cities and countries that I'll never get to see in person.

For January 2017 the location was Puerto Rico.  It is an archipelago of islands, and an unincorporated territory of the United States.  I always run out of time looking around.  And I didn't realize until after I finished my two paintings and saw other artist's submissions that I forgot to look around Old Town San Juan.  Disappointing.  Of course I can still look around there with Street View.  Where will next month's location be?  

5" x 7" Gouache

5" x 7" Watercolor

The Villa Revisited

As I mentioned in my blog post last month, Villa Del Sol D'Oro, we would be returning to the villa at the private Alverno School.  This 1928 Wallace Neff villa in Sierra Madre is special to see and our paint-out group is happy to have the opportunity to visit and paint there again.

I chose a view of the west entrance this time, painted from the wonderful Mediterranean style garden.  On this watercolor, I probably pushed the terra cotta color of the building a little.  It's so pretty to see here.  And as usual I'm undecided on adding a figure.  Our group liked this piece as is so I've left it for now.  Looking forward to a third visit.

8" x 10" Watercolor

West entrance

 

Winter Light

A break in the January rain we're having here in Southern California made for a beautiful paint-out day at Arlington Garden.  It was chilly but the sun was out.  The many garden paths, plantings, and charming furniture really provide many surprises and a hard choice of what to settle on for a painting.  My previous paint-out there was in September, New Umbrellas!.  Some striking backlit, leafless trees behind a table and chairs at the end of the bocce court caught my eye.  I used gouache since I thought it would dry faster than transparent watercolor on such a chilly day.

7" x 5" Gouache

Another view I liked, maybe next time

First For 2017!

I'm finally getting to a painting and a blog post for 2017.  I haven't painted out since December 10.  There were the holidays and rain here but today the sun was shinning and I was anxious to see if I remembered how to paint.  The group met in the Angelino Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.  We were there in January 2016 as well and I posted my watercolor in Another Neighborhood.

Angelino Heights is such a charming area.  Five streets meet at an island covered with succulents, lavender, and rosemary.  Bob's Market, 1910,  is the centerpiece in this historic neighborhood of Victorian homes.  This would be my fifth painting in the area and I decided to put Bob's in my painting again.  I haven't included Bob's since my first visit.  It seems there is always a cat watching the dog walkers and painters from a window.  It was fun to be out painting with friends again.  

10' x 8" Watercolor