When the King tides photography project came up, I remembered these rocks painted during a normal high tide. It was a foggy, grey day, but these rocks jumped out strongly while everything else was in the background and soft. I felt a little bit of color would make it feel more “welcoming”. Hey-it’s my painting, I can do whatever I want with it!
#landscape #landscapepainting #waterscape #oilpainting #hightide #contemporarypainting #californiacoast #bayarea #shorebirdpark
Ha! Shadows can be so much fun – something not really there which is visible! In this case, the Carquinez Bridge provided the structure to obstruct the sun. This bridge is composed of an old trestle-ish looking bridge for going North, and the new graceful Southward bridge. I might add a few more pencil lines.
Vineyards frequently plant these rows of poplars as a windbreak. These are young trees, but will eventually grow to very tall and can reach to over 100’. I love the way the wind ruffles the leaves and light catches the occasional leaf and these glow brightly. A celebration by nature.
While recently in Scotland with a painting group, plein-air painting in the walled garden of a castle in the cold with every layer on I could find, a message came to me in a text in my pocket congratulating me on my award! I was mystified, as I had not heard of this. A short time later another friend sent a photo of a painting I had entered in a Bay Area show, with a blue ribbon! This explained it, and what a fun way to find out!
You can see this painting and the other award winners at the El Cerrito Public Library at 6510 Stockton Ave, El Cerrito CA until December 10.
I love the old Monterey shrimp boat at China Camp, and pretty much every time I go there I have to do a painting of it. The old flat-bottomed row boat has a really interesting color-texture on the bottom, so it became the focus of this painting. I started this sketch late fall and just got back to it today, working on the shadows and highlights, correcting colors and changing the sky from grey to blue. It’s always fun to play around with color, so at one point I tried purple shadows, but that drew too much attention–now, maybe a little too dark. The sky is not actually that blue, that’s just my camera’s interpretation!
I am getting excited about open studios — coming up June 7 & 8, and 14 & 15, with special preview evening Friday June 6th from 6 to 10 pm. Here are two recent, small paintings from the Mendocino area at Jughandle Beach.
We have moved location this year to just a block away at Market Hall in Jack London Square. Check out the Market Hall group at https://www.facebook.com/market.hall.artists web: http://markethallartists.com
A few small studies of boats – some more local than others.
My alla prima sketch from today’s trip to Capay Valley. The Almond Festival was in full swing, and Esparto was full of people. I started a larger sketch as well, but will have to return to finish it.
This tiny painting I did a few years ago. Small boats are just a lot of fun, though colorful ones are hard to find. Don’t ask me about the red ball, I don’t recall what it was, or maybe I never knew! Hoping to paint at Noyo Harbor soon!
here’s a preview detail of an unfinished painting of a house on Lincoln Street just a few blocks away from the Frank Bette center in Alameda. I think I’ll call it “Island Living” – it’s really all about the speed limits, 25-35 mph all over the island!
Come to the show and sale at the South Shore shopping center if you’re nearby, it’s on THIS COMING SATURDAY, all day, pretty much.
Micaela Marsden 