A Sunny Day By The Bay

Saturday was the So Cal PAPA Back Bay Art Show in Newport Beach.  It was really wonderful to get down there and see the great work.  This painting was done from a photo I took that day as my husband and I walked down to the Muth Center where the artists were exhibiting. 

10x20 oil

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When In Back Bay...

9x12, pastel

When I think of the back bay, I think of this bluff.  It jets out into the bay and can be seen from the south shore very well.

Walking In The Back Bay

12x9, Pastel

Back bay has so many beautiful vistas.  I love paths to lead into a painting.

From the Bluff at Back Bay 24x12 oil

Finally got to do a painting. I decided to work from a photo on my computer. I can't tell you how many photos I have taken and sit there on my hard drive. I am sure many of you can relate. I wanted to work bigger than usual and start using up canvas' that I have collected. They take up lots of space when just sitting there blank. Best to commit to there fate and move them along.

This came from a photo of a much larger view. The thing with the Back Bay is that it is a subject that gets a lot of attention. I wanted a different view and format then typical. My friend Cindy lives close and we went out painting on her bluff. I painted the other side of this with a house structure and tree with a path, "Breezy View Point". I was quite taken with the bougainvillea and wanted to work it into a shot of the bluff. It is tricky when having such a predominate and recognizable subject in the background of a busy color area like bougainvillea. I am still studying it to see what else needs to be done or not. Any in put would be appreciated.

Breezy Viewpoint 6x8 oil SOLD

Doing the things I love are usually in conflict with the things I need to do. All summer I have been trying to get out and walk as much as I can. I walk in the morning and I love to paint in the morning and I love to hang with my husband and family in the morning too. So I have been making myself get out to walk a little early so that I might get the exercise (a must) and then have time to visit with Bob and have a cup of "joe". The thing that has been the most difficult has been getting my act together to paint in the morning because I didn't want to give up my time with husband and family. I am the best in the morning and the rest of the day is down hill.

So today I walked, had coffee with Bob and then went off to paint with my friend Cindy. I felt complete.

This little painting was done out behind Cindy's house in East Bluff. We were on a beautiful green belt over looking the back bay with a cool breeze. The struggle was the overcast to sun and sun to overcast, so the light does not seem right. I like it anyway. I had fun with being loose and just brushing on the paint and leaving it alone.

So...walk, fam, paint, friend. It was a very good day.

Hillside Overlooking The Bay 8x10 oil

What a lovely day down in the back bay.  It was fun to get out and paint after almost a week of not picking up a brush.  I have been rolling paint on my wall, but it is just not the same.  

This is a view opposite the bluff I did last weekend.  I have always liked the way these apartments sit on this hill top.  It was challenging as green was the main color going.  The question is how many greens are in the paint on my palette?  The other thing I wanted was to stay as loose as possible without fragmenting the composition.  Not that one effects the other, but I know how I get loose and have fun with paint and abandon values and well, structure.  I was happy with the time and enjoyment of the day.  It was my day to do whatever I wanted and I got to paint.  That, being the best birthday gift in the whole world.   Of course dinner with my fam is the very very best gift.

Patty 12x9 oil

This was an afternoon model session.  It is more a study than anything finished, but I was happy to get her down on canvas as quickly and loosely as I did.  If I had all morning and afternoon I might have tightened up.

3101 Lake Ave. 12"x 9" pastel

Took a ride down to Newport Beach to paint the canal behind my sister's house.  Well, I looked at the water and all the boats docked and went into visual overwhelm.  So I turned around and there was a red car.  So as you can see the red car won out.  While I was painting I had a few visitors.  One of which knew about this old yellow house and the 100+ year old woman that owned the house and just died 2 weeks ago.  It is a house with much needed work and will probably be rebuilt in the next few years by new owners.  So I feel pretty good about this house that called out to me.  I am sure its days are numbered.  I love these old California  simple box houses.  

I also wanted to share that 3 of my oil paintings are on display at the Orange County Fair.  I also will have 3 pastel in an all pastel exhibit in September at the Santa Ana College Gallery in the Santora Building in Santa Ana.  Both of these exhibits were juried and I am very happy my work was accepted.