Sunday, June 15, 2008

21st century diary

Welcome to the 21st century! I finally made the move from hand written diaries to blogging! This blog will be mostly about plein air painting adventures and the animals in my back yard, but I might also find room for the occasional rant or political musing. We shall see what develops!

To start here are two of my plein air sketches. The first was done at Mclellan Ranch Park, Cupertino. I wasn't particularly looking forward drawing at this site, but I found a very quiet spot by the stream and started drawing. After a few minutes three ducks paddled up the river and joined me. Ten minutes later the peace was broken by some crashing noises in the undergrowth and a doe tentatively poked her head out of the bushes just upstream on the opposite bank. I kept sketching, but otherwise remained still as she came down the bank and drank from the stream. After drinking her fill she wandered along the bank in my direction. She kept stopping and looking at me, and I tried to think invisible! Eventually, when she was about 10 feet away from me she decided that something wasn't right and she made her way back up the bank and disappeared into the undergrowth. On the way back to the car I bumped into a doe and her 2 spotty fawns just off the path. Amazing what you see when you move quietly through the world.
My second sketch is from Thursday - done in a lovely private garden.