Sandy Beach, Vallejo Ca.

Just a great hidden location to paint! Along the shores, we were limited to two areas to paint...that's because the jetty was fenced off. A few painters hiked up the hill for a better view while most of us stayed along the shores overlooking the San Pablo Bay. The sun was intense and the umbrellas were in full effect.

Lots of new North Bay members attended and met more painters from Benicia's "Da Group".

Artist: Win Hou (from Taiwan)

Here's Win Hou's first subect, Joanne (Benicia Group)(photo by Sue Wilson)

Artist: Win Hou (oil on canvas)

Here's Win's second subject, Rollie (Benicia Group) and Alonso.
(photo by Sue Wilson)

Artist: Win Hou (Oil on canvas)
(photo by Sue Wilson)

Artist: Gerald de Dios (gouache on watercolor board)

View across the San Pablo Bay.

Artist: Dixie (oil on canvas)

Artist: Maura (oil on canvas)

Artist: Ari Targownik (oil on canvas)

Artist: Ari Targownik (oil on canvas)
(photo by Sue Wilson)

Artist: Alonso Soriano (oil on canvas)

Artist: Aaron Holley (pastels)

Recent Wanderings (Janice L-H)

Middle Harbor Shoreline Park & Cathedral of Light, Oakland
I went out last Saturday with another group (East Bay Plein Air-Monday Painters now also on Saturdays) to Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland. I was early and ran into the Coastal Clean-up Volunteers and lots of walkers and bicyclists. The Park has lots of benches and picnic tables in the area and a few places with restrooms nearby. This park has a really expansive view of the Bay Bridge (and a little of the Golden Gate if clear enough) ,San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island. Three of the group assembled there that afternoon (Rebeca, Larry and Sunny) as well as another artist that was in the recent Antioch Rivertown Plein Air Paint-out (Thomas Glass Phinnessee).

Pastel is Bay Bridge in the Morning - Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
(Artist Janice L-H)

I slipped away during the afternoon for lunch and dropped by the Oakland Cathedral of Light (by Lake Merritt on Grand Ave & Harrison). The cathedral has a mausoleum underneath it and some interesting statuary and stained glass in the recesses. The image you see has a figure projected on the diffused "window" over the altar. There's another large baffled light diffuser at the top of the dome. The exterior of the church is roundish but is said to resemble the hull of a boat construction.

Rivertown Plein Air Paintout (September 12, 2009)
Two Saturdays ago one of the North Bay Plein Air Painters (Janice L-H) attended the Rivertown Plein Air Paintout in Antioch. It was a dark and stormy morning with big rain drops and lightning dropping from the sky throughout the early part of the day. Painters gathered at Lynn House Gallery to register their canvases and paper and spread out over a designated area of Old Rivertown (including the Marina) to paint. http://www.art4antioch.org/RivertownPleinAir2009.asp

Paintings were later displayed in the Lynn House Gallery (until October 3rd) and awards given out during the evening Artist's Reception. Many thanks to Diane Gibson-Gray and Mark Roberts and members of the Board of the Arts and Cultural Foundation of Antioch (special thanks to Karen James-Smith).

Janice L-H managed to take Third Place with her pastel of "Painters At The Antioch Pier" and both of her pastel works (including "View of the Antioch Bridge") sold that evening!!

Pastels: (above)

View of the Antioch Bridge

(below)

Painters At The Antioch Pier (Artist: Janice L-H)

Here are a few new pieces I did from the Fremont paint-out last Saturday. The opportunity to show wasn't handled all that well, but the area was beautiful. I've always liked Fremont, it reminds me of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park where I grew up. The surrounding hills are beautiful and fun to paint. The clouds were a big challenge too, because they were changing so rapidly. The creek painting was done at a small pond at the park in Lake Elizabeth.

11am - 3pm, Directions for the 6th North Bay Plein Air - Sept. 20,

We have a handful of our painters out of town on the 27th (participating in Sacramento paint outs). So it's in our best interest to bump up our plein air date to Sunday, September 20th.

We will be joining the Benicia Group and coordinator: Sue Wilson at Sandy Beach, Vallejo CA.

Location
Sandy Beach

597 Sandy Beach Rd

Vallejo, CA 94590

Directions (Click here for Google Maps)
Highway 80 north from the Carquinez Bridge. Take Sonoma Blvd exit. Turn left off Sonoma Blvd.onto Sandy Beach Rd. in Vallejo. Go to the end of the road. Look at the pictures/movie from last years trip to Sandy Beach.

Finding us
We are available anytime by phone/text: (415) 342-6764 or (707) 304-3265, email: nbpleinair@yahoo.com Please don't hesitate to contact us if you are lost or can't make it...even if it's the middle of the day during the paint out. No worries :)

Time
11am - 3pm

Entrance
Public access to the entrance and walkway.

Parking
Only residents can drive directly in. The public must park outside along the side street. So bring your carts and/or backpack. Please respect the place as private residences.

Presidio, San Francisco CA

(gouache on watercolor board)
Artist: Gerald de Dios

Here's a painting of one of the two doors to the Presidio Film Centre. Great cafe inside (only open M-F), large ballroom for weddings and events, and private screening room in the basement level.

Paint Burlingame Results

Sergio Lopez and Gerald de Dios attended the "Paint Burlingame" paint out back in August. Sergio set up at two locations behind the Burlingame Train Station.

This oil painting shows a corner building off Burlingame

Avenue and E Lane, known as "The Candy Store".

Here's another fantastic oil painting
of the Burlingame High School.

Gerald planned on painting an old historical house or maybe a Market corner, but continued driving around and came across the Burlingame Library. He found a cozy spot across the street and spent a couple hours painting under some nice shady trees.

(gouache on watercolor board)

It was a great event ran by the Burlingame Historical Society. Gerald managed to sell his gouache painting and Sergio sold his "Candy Store" oil painting. That same painting helped Sergio take home the "Best in Show" Award.

Sergio's painting will be printed as next year's "Paint Burlingame" poster!

Paint Burlingame on August 25, 2009

"Paint Burlingame" was a big success (from the "Burlingame Voice")
Over 35 artists of all ages and skills participated this Sunday. Strolling around Burlingame, one might come across a group of easels and painters painting renditions of the library or the train station or bucolic scenes on Lorton Avenue and East Burlingame Avenue.
Start practicing as The Burlingame Historical Society will most likely host another "Paint Burlingame" Day next year.

Here's a pick of one of the winners, Sergio Lopez
http://burlingamevoice.typepad.com/.a/6a00e553e178e988340120a51e90ab970b-800wi

Congratulations to Sergio! Please show us your other paintings.

Point Richmond, Ferry Point Tunnel

Fran is the first to arrive and gets a head start at the Miller-Knox Park. After grabbing my supplies out the car, I began walking around to find a spot to paint. I ran into Sergio and continued walking along the shoreline. Great views....The Richmond bridge to the right and the Ferry Point & Angel island to the left. Janice L-H arrives and starts on her pastel paintings. The morning was so chilly I decided to find another location to hide from the cold winds. I remembered passing this RED tunnel on my way into the park.

So I set up on the sidewalk and against a chain link fence. It was just enough room to allow pedestrians and bikers to pass. Just when I began applying my first layers of paint....the sun comes out! The winds stop, the sky is clear and the temperature...much warmer.

Miller-Knox Park, Richmond, CA.

Artist: Fran

View from Miller Knox Park, Richmond CA.

Looking towards San Francisco from Miller Knox Park, Point Richmond, CA.

Small oil sketches from a session yesterday painting with the North Bay Plein Air Group in this lovely park near Point Richmond, in the east bay. Lots of space, activity on the water and wind. Painting No.1 began when the light was murky and overcast. Painting No. 2 happened later on in the day, when the clouds had burnt off, the wind had dropped and the temperature rose considerably.