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

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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.

Sunset at Pleasure Point

 

Sunset at Pleasure Point

8x10 original oil painting
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Pleasure Point is a world renowned surf location on the northern Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz County. During Prohibition the speakeasies gave the area the name Pleasure Point.  Through the development of the surf culture, this area has been a place of distinction along the California coast.

Pleasure Point has been the home and training grounds for many great American surfers, including Peter Mel, Jay Moriarty, Robert "Wingnut" Weaver and Flea Virostko to name a few. The early big wave rider Fred Van Dyke and the inventor of the wetsuit, Jack O'Neill, are historic figures associated with this area.

Almost every weekend I look at this beautiful view of Pleasure Point.  I've painted it several times. I've tried different compositions and color palettes.  It's been a challenge to paint.  I like the warm tones of this view at sunset.

Endless Summer

Endless Summer

6x6 original oil painting

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A couple of weeks ago I made a quick trip to Ventura to paint for two days with my friend Chris Beirne.  We were lucky, it was sunny in Ventura, so we spent the day from 9:00-5:00 painting at the beach at Surfer's Point.

Although the water temperature is around 62 degrees at this time of year, there were quite a few people on the beach and in the water.  "Obviously tourists" as Chris said.  Locals would only be in the water with a wetsuit this early in the summer.

This painting is for the 50-50 show in August at the Pacifica Art Center, my theme is "Endless Summer."

Pacific Heights 2

Pacific Heights 2

8x10 original oil painting

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Pacific Heights offers panoramic views of the city, with all streets leading to the San Francisco Bay.  I want to paint large street scenes of San Francisco, so I'm practicing with small paintings to try out different compositions.  Not all small paintings make good large paintings, but it's the best way to start.

Last week I was chosen to participate in an exhibition at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, CA.  The show is called "50-50 Show III."  Each artist will paint 50 small 6x6 inch paintings in 50 days and then exhibit the paintings in August.  My theme is "Endless Summer," so expect to see some beach scene paintings during the next couple of months as I prepare for the show.

Cable Car on Hyde Street 2

Cable Car on Hyde Street 2

8x10 original oil painting

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My mom and sister were visiting recently and we made a trip to San Francisco to ride a cable car.  It's a very popular attraction for tourists and since it was a beautiful day, the lines were long.

When the cable car was first introduced in San Francisco in 1873, it was state-of-the-art public transportation. Through the early 20th century, the system expanded until buses were introduced and support for the cable car system waned. The cable cars were almost shut down in 1947.

This composition shows the Powell-Hyde line with its views from Hyde Street, with the San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz in the background.  The line, one of three still in service, begins at the Powell-Market turntable and runs over Nob and Russian hills before ending at Aquatic Park near Ghiradelli Square.  It's still worth the price of admission just for the view, even if you really don't have anywhere to go.