The light yesterday afternoon were pretty fantastic. I had some time before driving back down to Marin so I swung by the winery to paint the view looking south. It started raining on me about an hour in and I had to wrap up earlier than I would have liked.
Painting next to the footbridge behind Kent middle school. The tide went out faster than I expected and I saw the water drop about two feet. I had to retool the composition a few times just to keep up. Probably should start checking the tide charts before heading over to the salt marsh.
Downside of having a really light painting kit: The wind got me again. It blew over the painting and chipped it this time. I had to scrap my first pass to get all the rocks out. ugh
Big deal here in drought stricken Marin CA, it actually rained! Excitedly I took my gear across the street and started to paint a soccer/football game over at Kent Middle school. It was just a drizzle at first then the wind picked up and it turned into a proper storm. I had to fight to hold onto the canvas. The match across the marsh got called around the same time my umbrella crumpled in the wind and took my painting for a ride. Drenched I pulled my pallet from the mud and ran back home.
The Canadian in me mocked my retreat back to the warm apartment but the American in me enjoyed finishing the painting while drinking wine and watching movies with the kids.
I couldn’t sleep so I drove over to the bay to paint. I set up on the north side of the estuary looking south across Corte Madera Marsh State Marine Park, aka the running trail behind Trader Joe’s. While I was roughing in the underpainting, the high school running team passed by on their morning loop and then the sky exploded into a brilliant wash of pink and lavender. It was a lovely sunrise.
The wind woke me up around four this morning and after a fruitless effort to go back to sleep, I grabbed my painting gear and rode over to the marsh inlet. I painted until the sun crested the trees and couldn’t see anymore. After a short stop at the bakery I headed back home and finished this up over coffee.
After my morning coffee I stepped across the street to paint the salt mash. I like how shadows from the trees off to the right cut across the landscape early in the morning.
Freezing and windy, that about sums up this mornings painting session. It’s was as if an invisible hand flipped a switch on the weather. The morning started out pleasant and then the temperature dropped and what was a light breeze turned into a roaring gale.
Twice my painting nearly flew off the easel. At one point my pallet caught the wind just right and flipped over upon itself, splattering the oil jar across my working space. What was my reserve jar of medium was then carried away by another tempest and emptied itself into the hillside. I painted till my hands turned blue then called it quits and ran for coffee.
Lunch painting. Looking north behind the track by Kent Middle School next to Corte Madera Creek
This mornings painting of the salt marsh across the street. About 2hrs.
My internet was down so I stepped across the street to paint while I waited for it to return. I set up next to the College of Marin soccer field in the heat of a bright mid day sun. The after school soccer program was in full force to my right. It was funny to hear the difference between the 7rd grade girls soccer practice and the boys. One was was nothing but cheers of positive encouragement and the other team swore like sailors.
