We are in San Pancho, Mexico, for a winter vacation with my extended family. We have a large five-bedroom condo with beautiful views in every direction, and lots of space for our art materials. This is our first full day, and we eased into it slowly. One of my sisters, a birder, sat in bed, identifying and drawing the local birds. She made a perfect subject for my sketch. I like that my painting captures her focus and the scene beyond the balcony.
This morning I gave a demo for the San Diego Urban Sketchers at Marian Bear Park. It was a beautiful spring day, and the greens were particularly vibrant. I knew ahead of time that I wanted to show the inner connection between the park and someone who uses it. And, since it is hard to paint while explaining, I chose a simple composition with a few bold shapes and limited color. I painted quickly with strong color and little detail.
This evening, I adjusted the piece by smoothing some brushstrokes and warming up the foreground.
Our Thursday group painted from the patio of one of our members. The sky in the west was heavy with clouds, and the coastal sage scrub and new greens seemed happy from our recent rains.
A decade ago, the hillside just below the cluster of homes might have been covered with the coastal scrub. Now, it is cleared and covered with low growing, fire resistant plants, in what is called a defensible space.
It was my week to set up the still life for our weekly online art group. I liked this one quite a bit because it was simple yet had so much pattern.
Mission Trails Park in San Diego has miles of dirt paths for runners—and for the artists who want to paint there, too.
I set this little still life up by the patio door and enjoyed painting both the indoor and outdoor settings.
I liked the contrast between the somber winter colors and the pink rose.
Deliberate Sketching 