Sketches from Sobrante Ridge 28 July 2008
With the three dogs in tow I headed up the ridge with my paints. This time I remembered to bring paints and not just the paper. The poison oak is at it's absolute best red color right now. Scarlet and orange everywhere. I see the most dominant parts of the ecosystem and wonder what's in there that I can draw in the hour of time I have? Perhaps just the odds and ends that I get an immediate interest in... no thinking or planning...just sit and draw what's in front of me. Coyote Bush is a plant everyone sees but it's pretty drab. Not so! It has a wonderful strength to withstand the wind and rain and relentless heat of noon. It has a small leaf and the leaves create a fullness when added all together. A perfect place for me to gaze into. What will I find?
At the top of the ridge I thought... time for a quick landscape. Boy it was hot. The dogs had retreated to the shade and were panting. Off towards the hills I could see way distant lands.. a magical scene of overlapping planes and less and less contrast until you finally get to the top summits of Mount Diablo. The faint green mountain is Mt Diabo. The foreground is actually a subdivision called "Carnage Hills". I chose to not put the houses in and instead drew what I imagined the slope looked like pre-development. This painting looks like it was draw on a european vacation... no it was just here in my backyard.
At the top of the ridge I thought... time for a quick landscape. Boy it was hot. The dogs had retreated to the shade and were panting. Off towards the hills I could see way distant lands.. a magical scene of overlapping planes and less and less contrast until you finally get to the top summits of Mount Diablo. The faint green mountain is Mt Diabo. The foreground is actually a subdivision called "Carnage Hills". I chose to not put the houses in and instead drew what I imagined the slope looked like pre-development. This painting looks like it was draw on a european vacation... no it was just here in my backyard.