One of the San Diego views that I particularly like is the view of the mesa beyond the cactus garden at Balboa Park in San Diego. We are in the middle of our dry season here in San Diego so the non-irrigated vegetation is predominantly rich tans and browns.
I painted this mid- morning before the fog has fully lifted.
I liked the way she was standing, looking down and holding one of her arms with the other. It made her look like she was thinking something over and planning some kind of action.
An Expression of Concern
I was able to join back with my figure drawing group today and it felt great to work for three hours with such an amazing group of artists.
It may only have been that the strong light flooding the model’s face caused her to squint, but during this pose in particular she seemed worried about something. Her head was down just a bit, her brows were drawn together, and her shoulders hung down. Whatever the cause, the pose was an interesting one to paint.
I have been finishing up some sketches I did on our recent trip to Colorado. I liked the light that came across the forest floor during our horseshoe game.
When I was camping on my brother’s land earlier this month, I came across a weathered piece of wood that had a large knot. I thought right away how the grain of the wood and the knot looked like the kind of sunset my brother gets to see most nights.
The piece of wood is on the large side for a woodcut, 22 x 9 inches, (56 x 23 centimeters). I carved it while I was in Colorado but had to wait to print it until I got home and could buy large paper. I spent the day today printing different versions of this woodcut. This one is printed on black Bristol paper painted with gouache which I let dry before printing.
Sneffels Mountains in the Morning
I got up very early to paint one last Colorado scene from a favorite viewpoint that includes the meadow, pond, and Sneffels Range. The lighting at dawn changes rapidly, and this sketch shows the sun as it lit up bits of the clouds, snow, and vegetation.
Be Safe, Dear Cabin!
I have been at my brother’s cabin in Colorado for the past week. Even though it has been a wet year, fire prevention is always on everyone’s minds. Every year, the area close to the cabin needs to be raked clear of burnables such as pine needles, cones, and branches. This morning while the others were raking and burning the rubbish, I made a quick sketch of cleanup action. May all the work keep the cabin safe another year!
Deliberate Sketching 