Cadel Evans, Tour de France 2011

Cycling 3

6x6 original oil painting

50-50 Show, Sanchez Art Center

On Sunday, Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France. Two days prior, Andy Schleck launched a staggering 60km attack on two of the toughest mountain climbs in the Alps.  The aggressive ride put Andy in the lead by 57 seconds and he claimed the yellow jersey for the stage.  But on Saturday during the individual time trial Cadel Evans ended the day over a minute and a half ahead of Andy Schleck to win first place in the Tour de France.

I hoped that Andy Schleck would win this year.  As brothers, Andy and Frank Schleck execute some great tactical maneuvers that keep the race interesting.  I believe they are coming to the US for the Tour of California next year.

Above is another painting of cyclists.  I like the contrast of the dark background with the brightly lit foreground.  I used ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson for the asphalt under the cyclists.  I think it works well in the composition.

Cycling, Tour de France

 

Cycling

6x6 original oil painting

50-50 Show, Sanchez Art Center

The Tour de France is in it's third and final week.  On Sunday July 24^th, the cyclist wearing the yellow jersey (maillot jaune) will ride the final stage along the Champs-Élysées in Paris escorted by his teammates.  The tour typically has 21 days of racing and covers approximately 2,000 miles.

 

This year's race has been unpredictable and exciting to watch.  There have been many crashes. Spanish rider Juan Antonio Flecha was clipped by a car during a breakaway in Stage 9. Before tumbling over his handlebars, Juan slid into Johnny Hoogerland, who flew into a barbed wire fence along the small country road. The duo managed to finish the stage despite their injuries.  Hoogerland went to the hospital in Saint-Flour on Sunday night where doctors used 33 stitches to close the deep wounds in his leg. These guys are incredibly tough athletes.

Woodside is a very popular cycling spot. On the weekends along Canada Road, it often looks like the peloton from the Tour de France. I've been wanting to paint some cyclists, so here's my painting that was inspired by the Tour de France. 

Sailboats on the San Francisco Bay

Sailboats on the San Francisco Bay

6x6 original oil painting

SOLD

Sailboats are a common sight near the Golden Gate bridge.  In the summer, SF Bay sailing is interesting because we get winds up to 30 knots. The water around "The Gate" can get very choppy and very dangerous...not a place to hang out at if your sailing skills are not up to par. You also have to worry about huge shipping tankers coming in through the Gate since this is the main shipping channel. Along with the strong winds are the tidal currents of up to several knots.

I had an opportunity to sail in the bay when my brother-in-law, Jeff had a sailboat in the Bay area.  My husband went out with his brother, but I was afraid to sail with two farm boys from Iowa.  Now that I've been painting sailboats I see the beauty in the graceful lines of the sails and the boats skimming across the water.  I'm looking forward to the America's Cup in 2013 in San Francisco.