Showing posts with label San Francisco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

"SF Palace of Fine Arts" (oil on stretched canvas; 11" X 14")


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If you live in the the San Francisco Bay Area, you don't need the explanation for this painting. It depicts the Palace of Fine Arts on a fine day. In addition to hosting art exhibitions, it remains a popular attraction for tourists and locals and is a favorite location for weddings.

I had a lot of trouble painting "SF Palace of Fine Arts" so much so that it took several weeks to finish it.  It all had to do with the dumb idea of working with at least three photos: one for the colors of the main rotunda; the second for the colonnades; and the third for the lovely shadow shapes on the rotunda, and so on!  I was a nerve wreck.  Eventually, I redid the drawing and finished the painting based on one photo.  Aargh.  I hope it was worth all the trouble.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

"California Beach Kids" (oil on stretched canvas; 18" x 24")


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The family vacation to California back in 2007 concluded with a few days spent in San Francisco.  This trip led to so many paintings; "California Beach Kids" is the latest.  The setting is the beach at the Maritime National Historical Park, which includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, and a maritime museum.

After checking out the historic ships, we were people-watching.  Some brave souls swam in the cold water.  This group of kids, all decked in bandanas, were testing out how cold the Pacific Ocean water was.  A couple of boys were a bit more adventurous than the others. I hope you feel the fun atmosphere of the day.

Friday, October 24, 2014

"Golden Gate Bridge Nocturne" (oil on linen; 9" x 12")


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From the Marin Headlands, one can see a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline.  It is even more spectacular at clear night.  Look at the reflections of the brightly lit bridge in the San Francisco Bay!

Saturday, August 17, 2013

"Guarding Alcatraz Island" (oil on linen; 8" x 8") sold


sold
A seagull takes a break, while eating the famous San Francis sourdough.


Alcatraz Island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles offshore from San Francisco.  It is home to the abandoned prison, the site of the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast, early military fortifications, and a seabird colony (mostly Western Gulls).  Today the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service.  As far as I can tell, due to the recent budget cuts, the island seems to be guarded mainly by the seagulls!

By the way, the seagull population is skyrocketing and the birds are taking over San Francisco. Don't feed the gulls and pigeons!

Monday, July 1, 2013

"Golden Gate Bridge on a Stormy Day" (oil on stretched canvas; 12" x 16") sold


sold


From the Marin Headlands, one can see a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline.  It is even more spectacular on a windy, stormy day when there is a break in the sky.  I did another Golden Gate Bridge painting recently, as you can see below.  The earlier painting shows the famous red suspension bridge from Baker Beach, which stretches a mile below the rugged cliffs on the Presidio's western shoreline.  You can see the Marin Headlands in the distance.

I casually mentioned to my husband how I wished I had had more references of the bridge.  He said, "Really?  I have some."  He went to his computer right away and showed me the pictures he took while visiting San Francisco on a business trip last year. That's how the second painting above came about.  I don't know what I would do without him!


"Golden Gate Bridge" (oil on linen; 9" x 12")
sold

So which painting of the Golden Gate Bridge do you like better?  By the way, I am counting today's painting as one of my June Challenge series because it has a ship in it!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

"Golden Gate Bridge on Sunny Day" (oil on linen; 9" x 12") sold


sold


The famous Golden Gate Bridge on a sunny day.  Fluffy clouds float by in the sky.  A red ship in the distance is about to glide under the bridge.  The red bridge casts colorful reflections in the choppy water.  I thought of Claude Monet's "The Bridge at Argenteuil" when I was working on the above painting.  I wrote about how much I admire Monet's painting three months ago.  Something about a bridge, boat, clouds in a blue sky, and reflections in the water makes a happy painting.  Don't you agree?

Thursday, July 19, 2012

"San Francisco's Painted Ladies" (oil on linen; 11" x 14") sold


sold


Reference photo

I love San Francisco.  It is the city through which I entered the United States back in 1984.  For whatever reason, the moon was huge that evening.  I thought that in America even the moon was magnificent!  San Francisco has got to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. 

You've seen these houses in postcards, right?  According to Diana Hollingsworth Gessler's Very California: Travels through the Golden State, hippies in the 1960's began painting some of the Victorian houses in Alamo Square in wild colors (up to 20 on one house), thus the great nickname.

I meant to paint the above scene for years, but didn't.  The assumed difficulty in architectural drawing was the reason.  I can be such a chicken sometimes.  Yesterday I finally felt brave enough to do it.  That's the beauty of having a goal of working on a series.  It really gets you motivated.  "Painted Ladies of San Francisco" is No. 3 in my new series-"California Colors."  California, here I come.