The model for our Zoom sketching session yesterday had the air of a thinker. His eyes were wide open and he looked directly into the camera. His left hand in front of his face seemed to hold an idea that he was pondering. And then there was something about the way he sat upright, not leaning on his arm, that conveyed a readiness to consider principles and render judgment.
It was early, but already hot, so I went to paint in the deep shadow beneath the Coronado Bridge. At first, it seemed too industrial, and I thought I might move on. But I began to look at the big shapes the columns made, and then at the way the shapes of the sky, sea and bridge complemented each other. The limited colors appealed to me too.
I used flat blocks of color to convey the massive strength of the structure, and contrasted it with the more organic sky and sea.
Yesterday was so hot. We went to paint at Inspiration Point in Balboa Park but before we knew it, it was too hot to paint in the sunshine. One by one, we made our way down to a shaded pool across from the maintenance office.
It was a beautiful old reflection pool, surrounded by gnarled cypress trees. Shady and cool, lovely in its greens and blues, it was a perfect place for plein air on a hot day.
The challenge was painting the statue of the nymph in the center of the pool, who looked like a baby playing with water. I ended up with a dreamy young woman. Regardless, it was a treat to be there painting.
Eucalyptus trees have made a home in San Diego and can be seen just about everywhere around town. They are invasive, messy, brittle, and incredibly beautiful with their mix of dusty pastel colors.
In the early morning light today, the eucalyptus grove in North Park was particularly stunning. Some of the foliage seemed to be backlit and that set off the colors in the tree trunks even more than usual.
The colors of the orchids on a table across the room command my attention. Is it a form of meditation to sit and dwell in the colors or is it just a way of passing time? Probably both, but in either case the net result requires a sketch with gouache.
Our model wore a gorgeous Hawaiian shirt for the Fresno Zoom sketching group tonight. He topped his outfit off with a canvas bucket hat and a bright yellow lei and I had lots of fun trying to capture it all. I thought the model had a wistful look and wondered if he might have been thinking about pre-covid days.
I brought this sketch home on Friday from Balboa Park, thinking I would rework it. I painted it in the middle of a sunny day, but it looks like it was painted at night. There was a paved sidewalk curving through the bottom right side, but it looks like a suggestion of a creek or a small slope. And the one oval tree in the middle of the painting seemed distracting.
I put it up on my home easel and stood back to study it. I was full of indecision so I kept putting off changing it. Yes, it was not really true to the spot where I painted it, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it the way it is. So, here it is, with no changes.
Deliberate Sketching 