Uncle Bill's - Manhattan Beach

Uncle Bills Morning

Walking around town on a Saturday afternoon or  Sunday morning with my husband I often come across  quite a lot of places to paint! --- Here are a few examples from the last few days.  A little bit of history on Uncle Bill's - and if you are in Manhattan Beach most certainly have breakfast at this local haunt - great pancakes and omelettes. You can enjoy these out on the patio with a sea view or inside which is real quaint with a very small diner bar at the north end. This great little building was built around 1908 as a home on Highland Avenue. It has been used as a flower shop and real estate office before Uncle Bill McElroy opened Uncle Bill's in 1961 - the southend was still a barbershop! - Paul Allen Van Amburgh bought the restaurant in 1973 and expanded it into the barbers and opened the patio. Uncle Bill's remains in the same family today ---- and it still has that cosy family run feel.

 

Corner of Uncles Bill's Pancake House

Witches Walkstreet Morning

 Last Sunday morning we took a stroll and passed one of my favorite walkstreets down to the beach - I have painted it before at dusk - but liked the different feel it had in the early morning. This is a made up name for this street - but suits it well because it is always decorated for Halloween with corn husks wrapped around the many gas lamps dotted along the street...

Dusk

Bay View and the Strand

Bay View Drive

work process

I am going to post the words of two talented artists that I admire to go with todays  artwork! I don't pretend to be a writer on my blog - I much prefer the work to speak for itself. I wonder if this is how most famous artists felt? Their words always seem so clever and profound to me.....

ANDREW WYETH on watercolor
"The only virtue to it is to put down an idea quickly without thought about whaat-you feel at that moment. It's one's free side. Watercolor shouldn't behave!---Andrew Wyeth

The Strand Looking North

Sketch

"Colors and line and shape seem for me a more definite statement than words."
Georgia O'Keeffe

The Strand Looking South

DOWNTOWN  BLUES

Down Town Alley 5x6

Using different color tones this week - It's good to move into a palette that makes you look at your work and change it up! --- Why is tone important? Here is what the master Henri Matisse had to say on the matter...
"Painters Notes 1908" - "When I have found the relationship of all the tones the result must be a living harmony of all tones, a harmony not unlike that of a musical composition." - Henri Matisse

Sketch

16th Street Mail Box 4x6

Sketch

11th Place Alley-toward the pier

Yosemite Oak
2012 Twitter Art Exhibit #2 organized by David Sandum - a Charity Art Exhibit to raise funds for a women's refuge center. The exhibition was held in Moss Public Library in Norway. I am pleased to announce my painting above has sold! ---- Good Luck to all the women involved in the refuge......

EL PORTO

Sketch

       

Sea View 8x6

You will find this little seaside town just south of  LA International Airport on Highland Avenue. It was built around 1911 on land owned by developer GH Peck. At first the streets had no names and were built on sand dune hills. Although thought to be Spanish El Porto translates "The I Carry" - the Spanish word port should have been spelt Puerto - however the name obviously has some Portuguese influences.  El Porto is probably the only community in the State that was built with no gardens or yards - with two houses to a lot space is tight! The community has a very individual look  - and always reminds me of the streets of San Francisco in miniature. Today it is very much the quiet surfer town only coming alive at night along Highland where you will find some great bars and restaurants!

El Porto Street 5x6

Sketch

Lemon House on Ocean 6x4

Two Worlds

Small sketches in my moleskin- my two worlds-the beach and the mountains of California.

Corner of Gull St

Sketch

Nevada Falls Springtime

Sketch

Strand looking North

Alpine Spring

Shadows and Trees in Black

Sierra Mist

I enjoy using black paint - even though I use watercolors I am so attracted to linocuts, woodcut prints, textiles and screen prints. May be some day I should try my hand at all of the above! Meanwhile examples of trees and shadows in black creating a graphic feel to my work.

*** Some fine examples of wonderful wood cut prints can be found on Tom Killion's website www.tomkillion.com - and Angie Lewin has done some beautiful wood engravings, linocuts and screen prints - www.angielewin.co.uk - please check out the work of these two artists!

Yosemite Falls

Ragged Point #3

Wawona Dome Night

SPRING PATTERNS

Ragged Point Big-Sur

A few sketches of Spring - all showing patterns in different ways. - I always try and find patterns and designs when I sketch or paint. Here are a few examples - patterns in shadows - using flowers to create a Fabric Design? - Shapes of clouds grasses or trees and tree trunks. Spring is in the air in California - it's subtle but I have learn't over the years to seek it out and recognize it.

                                       

                                           Poppy Design 

Ferns

Riseley Church

Yosemite Spring

Ragged Point #2

Spring Leaf Patterns

Silver Birches