Petaluma Paint Out

The next painting opportunity was September 20…the first Petaluma Paint Out.  Several artists gathered around the Petaluma Turning Basin to paint all day.  At the end of the day, we all showed our paintings at the Theater District Square.  I chose to paint watercolor on specially prepared canvas, my second attempt to do watercolors on canvas.  This particular canvas took the color slightly better than regular canvas.  Here I am sweating away (not really) at my painting…what a gorgeous day!

You can see some of the other painters across the Turning Basin.

I’ll show you this painting…I still need to make some adjustments…

The Petaluma Turning Basin

Painting with watercolor paints on canvas is challenging because, unlike paper, the canvas refuses to absorb the paint.  It’s a mixed blessing.  You can make changes easily and you can change the painting too easily!  

Adding to the pleasure of the day was the sound of Taiko Drummers in the background, helping to celebrate the opening of the new Petaluma Art Center.  At one time, I was very involved in creating that Art Center.  Mary Dooley, a local architect, donated her time to design the center, which is at the Petaluma Train Depot…she did a beautiful job.  I hope it will become a true communal center for people to find creativity in their lives.

Last week in August

I’m looking forward to leaving on September 7 for Abuiqui, New Mexico and Ghost Ranch for a watercolor workshop in Georgia O’Keefe’s country.  I hear nothing but glowing descriptions of this desert and the surrounding hills, colors, crisp clean air..I look forward to the inspiration. 

This week I’m sharing one of the commissioned paintings hanging at Petaluma Valley Hospital.  It’s one of my personal favorites in this series of seven, depicting the Seasons of Petaluma.  It speaks to my nostalgia for buildings, like barns and old warehouses, that have seen their better days.  They hold our history and they hold the history of the men and women that filled them with the fruits of their labor.

Hope you get a chance to go by the Riverfront Art Gallery and see the new show.

End of July

I’m gearing up to change my exhibit at Riverfront Art Gallery in Petaluma.  This will be my first all OIL grouping…I’m enjoying oils and hope to learn more at a class I’m taking this Saturday.  I hope you enjoy this painting.  It’s called Peace and is the largest I’ve done in oil..24″ x 30″.  Don’t mind Herman, our cat, as he pauses in front of the picture as I photographed it.

The reception for the gallery show will be August 16th… we’ll have live music and the usualy good food.  Hope you’ll join us.

Heman pausing in front of Peace, 24" x 30", oil on canvas

Grace

Grace

Walking at Schollenberger Park in the early morning, I am awestruck by the beauty of the sun as it emerges from the hills…the swans glide gracefully across the water and I am humbled at my small place in this world.  The original painting hung at our store in Sebastopol, Hendricksen Naturlich Flooring, but recently sold at the WASCO Aqua Areas Show in Santa Rosa.

End of July musings

We’re nearing the end of summer, which in Petaluma means that we have cold mornings and very wam days.  I’m hoping to do some plen aire painting this weekend.  Here is my latest plen aire oil painting from Schollenberger Park in Petaluma.  (I’ve not yet mastered the art of photographing oils…The original is brighter.)

Peaceful Morning

Greetings to the online world!

Well, I’m bloggin’ and we’ll see how long I can keep it up.  (It’s an Awesome Dawning Day…below, which hangs at our store in Sebastopol, Hendricksen Naturlich Flooring)   I’m currently working on getting my art work website up.  A few of my old pictures are posted at www.sonomareflections.com.  I’ll post my new paintings here as I move toward getting the new site up and running.  Hope you enjoy them!  Marilee

Awesome Dawning Day