Santa Barbara trip sketches

 Some quick pen and watercolor sketches.

Anything but "crabby"

 Got in one pastel with the group yesterday in Half Moon Bay. Got a call from Lisa that she and the boys and Tamir were down the street so we met up. Fun!

Crab apple tree: 9x12" pastel on Wine Pastelmat. B. Charlow 2021, Half Moon Bay, CA

Pescadero in the Mist

 Had real fun in the mist at Pescadero and the hole in the rock. Nearly got soaked in the rock tunnel at the end when the tide came rushing in! Beach painting came out well and video even better. 

9x12" pastel on Sienna (?) Pastelmat. B. Charlow 2021. Pescadero, CA. 

Meh....

 When you have nothing strong in your head, not much comes out on the paper either (unless you're into abstract.) So a gentle but not spectacular scene ends up being... meh. Yesterday out at Potrero Nuevo Farm, painted this one pastel on Buttercup Pastelmat, 12x9".

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

 "Path to the Tidepools". 9x12" soft pastel on dark blue Pastelmat. B. Charlow 2021. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Moss Beach, CA.

Fog on the mountain

Mother Nature faked out the painting group today. Weather on top of Skyline was foggy, blustery and cold, but most of us went anyway. I got two this time: deer skull (pastel on dark brown Pastelmat, 9x12") and forest fog effect (pastel on dark gray Pastelmat, 9x12").

Hidden in Plain Sight

 Had a great time today painting at Hidden Villa. Good turnout and perfect weather. Lots of interesting scenes and lighting.

B. Charlow 2021, 12x9" pastel on Anthracite Pastelmat, Hidden Villa Ranch in Cupertino, CA

Cattin' around Pescadero

 Out painting at a private ranch in Pescadero today. Really gorgeous place, lots of buildings, animals, scenery. Struggled with this one a bit.

TomKat Ranch flower cart, pastel on Siena Pastelmat, 9x12", B. Charlow 2021

Alviso

 Had a fun day painting in Alviso. Had to amp up the color, as the marsh was sere brown. Snagged two: 12x9" pastel on light blue Pastelmat; pen sketch of one of our painters painting.

Rockin' Away at Rockaway

 Out at Rockaway Beach today with at least 25 painting buddies. Lovely day and some good paintings. I snagged two, not well photographed, and a bit splotchy due to the fixative. But it was fun!

First one was of the rock headland in the waves: 12x9" soft pastel on light blue Pastelmat.

Second one was of the large colorful rocky jetty against the chocolate sands, 12x9" soft pastel on light gray Pastelmat.

Bluffing!

Had a great time painting in the sunshine out on the Moss Beach bluffs. Almost 30 painters! Everyone is eager to get going again.

Got this one, pastel on white Pastelmat, 9x12". Color from my camera is a bit off, but you get the idea.

Down on Bob's Farm

 Not my best, but it's been 3 months since the group was able to paint together. Lovely bright yellow oxalis all over the fields in Half Moon Bay. 12x9" pastel on Wine Pastelmat.

Farmer chased us all out.

Painters gotta paint paint paint paint, I'm just gonna shake it off

I don't usually paint in studio (home table) anymore. Prefer outdoors from life. But I did have this reference photo I took of large varied color pumpkins in a crate, so I decided to have a go at it. Came out OK. Still a bit exaggerated color and contrast, but it's a painting, not a photo copy. Was dissatisfied at first, but as I look at it properly as an interpretation, it has its merits. See what you think.

9x12" soft pastel on dark brown Pastelmat, B. Charlow 2020. From photo of colored pumpkins in a large box.

From Jailhouse Rock to Pigeon Point in the Mist

Was trying to capture the feeling of the light mist there early in the morning and the perspective is what you would get if you used a telephoto lens. 9x12" soft pastel on white Pastelmat. B. Charlow, 2020

Switheroo!

Strange day. Started out very cold, then quite reasonably warm on the coast where we were painting. Went early to paint at a trail in the redwoods and found that the authorities had blocked almost all the parking alongside the road, making it impossible for my 15+ painters. Couldn't reach most of them but two of us switched to another location and painted.

Not bad. Soft pastel on Anthracite Pastelmat, 12x9", Cypress tunnel in dappled sunlight and deep shade.

Down on the Farm

 Had a really good morning painting at Hidden Villa Ranch in Los Altos Hills. They opened just for us (most venues are still closed due to Covid.) Painted a 12x9" pastel on Sand Pastelmat of the white barn area. Lots of perspective; not easy to discern but there are two buildings, one large white work house in front of the barn, which is set back. The lighting was changing constantly but interesting light and shadows in the foreground and middle, while the forested hills behind stayed in bright sunlight.

Pacific Groooooove

 Loved returning to the beautiful scenery of Pacific Grove. Covid notwithstanding, you can't take away the views!

Painted two, only one of which is worth bothering with. Quick small pen and watercolor sketch. (The other started and ended with nothing in mind and nothing of value on paper.)

Portola Vineyards

Portola Vineyards fruit tree, 9x12" soft pastel on Siena Pastelmat, 2020, B. Charlow, Portola Valley, CA

Second time I've painted this tree, with the large wood pile in background that I've also painted before. Strong backlight and dappled lighting.

Shark Fin Cove

 Good time painting at Shark Fin Cove in Davenport, CA, today. Weather was fine, though we drove through some of the fire area that was a bit smokey.

Got two: a nice pastel 9x12" and an ink sketch 4.5x8".

Reference photo early morning.

Can it get any weirder?

Weirdest weather today, but went out painting anyway. Started with the rarest of all storms middle of the night - heat lightning and thunder. Continued through morning. Light rain.

Clearing, so we all went out to coast to paint and try our luck. Overcast but clearing at first, then cooler, then serious wind gusted up nearly turning over everyone's easels, so I ended up painting with some hard pastels in a little set in the car. Lighting and thunder, light rain again. Finally clearing up just as we were leaving.

9x12" Nupastel on Siena Pastelmat. Wavecrest, Aug. 2020.