Bodega Head, mid day study of rocks with those blue-green phthlo-influenced waters….compelling cools vs warms….
scraped off thick foreground, like how the linen looks better now-
Bodega Head Rocks, 11×14
Schoolhouse Beach yesterday, with the Monday Morning Painters, (Linda, Marjorie, Carolyn, Kath, Cindy, Les, Char, Henry, Joyce)….
Though some of you painted at adjoining Sonoma Co. State Beaches, it was a great day with steady light and no/low breeze(s)….light fog….
….I brought a lot of sizes, and went for a 15×30 for the view south that appealed….time to try larger, I had an canvas that I’d painted in various leftover toned oranges akin to sienna, worked nicely….the lay in is first photo, at about 1-1/2 hrs….the second, when I stopped working on it, some 3 hours in? 
15×30 Alla prima
Then I went to the coast, Carmet pullout, north of Bodega Bay-
Uhoh, forgot the name, almost to Duncan’s Landing….I liked the rocks on left that would help anchor the tapestry of ice plants, clay soils, & rocks on right….
Beautiful fog draped the scene, & shifted slowly, letting me choose optimal light to attempt to freeze….alla prima, like the Mom Cows, will see if they need editing, or repainting on very large panel?
Thalo-green Waves, OMG, 9×12 oil on oil primed panel
Bodega Head Annual Iris painting, Friday, May 11th-
16×20-Bodega Head
16×20, still out of medium….arrived just after 1oAM perfect conditions, then the fog gently settled around, though wind wasn’t much….until it did set my whole rig face down IN the iris bed behind me, which improved the piece, kind of wanted to let attached blossoms/grasses stay, mixed media?! Figured the violet petals would brown though…..
January 30, 2012, Porto Bodega
6x12 oil on panel
Ala prima, it needs work, I SO struggle with obtaining level, and am reminded of Kevin MacPherson saying to have a T-square, we need to have straight horizons, and jeez, we have enough to struggle with without having crooked, off-kilter paintings, so I see this one, among other problems, will be edited.
The LIGHT was so gorgeous this day, ranged from electric teal waters, to icy violet skies reflected in waters with cool yellow-orange moments vibrating off those changing blue influences. oh my. AND chowder lunch break and new year’s chats with members distracted me, all good.
Bodega Head-looking north-
This was more appealing than Lucas Wharf, at least at 9AM what was happening with light, and I KNEW conditions were calm at oceanside, which I’ve never managed to finish a piece alla prima, though held on to easel & canvas & gave a good fight one time, hah.
8x10 oil
Uhoh, decided to enhance focal point with more saturate yellow-
albeit lemony, so it wouldn’t be as much the same as other areas….but NOW I think I’ll try and scrub it off…
Path to the beach?
Final on location-
done?
LOVING the fog, yesterday at Spud Point….
Nancy's Phalo canoe, 16x12
Consistent light to work under is a huge benefit of the foggy summer days for sure. Though the hay bales in Freestone were tempting, when I awoke at dawn I seemed to be thinking of boats on the bay and chowder for lunch.
HAY Bales in Bodega today!
July ranchlands looking like June vistas this year….
11x14" oils ala prima, "Hay Bodega"
Spud Point January 17….
SO cold did sketches of boats in the car for awhile….but that low tide beckoned….(HEY and the sunken boat is gone now), a bit of blue sky HAD vibrated on eastern hills, quickly encompassed with gorgeous fog….those “pewter fogs,” Henry V said. Monday Morning Painters were scarce. Only heard subsequently that 4-5 of them had been there, spread out.
OH that pewter fog!
Duncan’s Landing Monday…..
Low Tide Colors!
Monday Morning Painters largely a no show, but for Laura, Pat S. & Kathy R….the conditions were PERFECT! As fore-casted, no breeze in the AM, warm….did this, & headed to Spud Point for Chowder and a looksy. OH perfect tide conditions, and I KNOW the story about this boat….have already edited this, smearing thick paint around….may update in reality & herein. Low Tide, entitled “Tapestry” sold this week, NOW July 9, 2012, at Healdsburg Center for the Arts Juried show, “Rivers and Streams,” thank you Ms. Nolte of Portlane, Oregon!
Were you all hunting down vineyard color? It IS vexing, the rare coastal day with fab weather & subtle autumn lighting, vs obvious autumnal scenes.
*Bad, as in invasive, non native. Good, for its saturate color use for depth in field, ah, painting.
*BAD Ice plant vs the Rocks
OH, & another Monday piece, 9/27 probably, hot inland, went to SPUD POINT-
….and it was one of those calm, perfect temperature coast days, could not join Monday Morning Painters who were east, perhaps in Sonoma Valley, too hot.
Bodega Bay, the conditions had me frozen-like-a-deer-in-headlights; I walked out on fishing platform, Bay Hill reflected in glassy waters, had it to myself, whoa, couldn’t decide, finally trying to get the energy of some of those boats, HAH….what I am looking to do, gosh, always, is get the FEELING of a scene, not the visible reality, at least not TOO sharp, “It’s a Jumble out ‘Thar,” OH and a man came out to platform an hr into it with 2 german Shepard’s, I asked him if I was in his way, he told me he was deaf. Fabulous plein air experience, as I crave silence, being too distracted when we humans talk.
It's a Jumble Out 'Thar
A better image of the Duncan’s Landing piece
Best of Medium
Last Day of Summer afternoon painting
Simplified image of boat, sun made brief visits, fog was back in when I called it done at 4:30 & went to take a 1 hr walk around Bodega Bay head in that gorgeous fog. The paths up there being installed seemed to uproot the dwindling deer food supply….more deer & young bucks than I’ve seen. Uprooted iris beds, dang, I hope they know what they’re doing.
16 x 12 wb oils on panel
Given to cousin, Reed Sammet, Thanksgiving 2010, a memorable, all inclusive event;^D
Bodega Bay Last Day of summer
Did two paintings yesterday….1st painting in the fog of the busted pier, Cormorants “rule” this area, I neglected to take a photo of finished piece and it’s too bright today. 11 x 14 water based oils on panel Porto Bodega
MarcySilveira 