Mare Island, Vallejo CA

Oil on panel, 8×6″
Click to see larger

Tomorrow I’m planning to go to a paint-out on Mare Island in Vallejo with a group of plein air painters based in Benicia. The organizer of the event posted some photos and a map of where we’ll be painting and I thought I’d get a head start by doing a practice painting from one of the photos of possible painting spots. It’s a two day event that started today but after I did a bunch of errands was too tired. Now tonight I’ve developed an icky cough and I’m hoping that my tiredness this week wasn’t because I’m catching a cold. There were a couple of coughing snifflers at work this week (grrrr)….

While I was working on this little painting the three kids (age 5-10) from next door came over to bring me a plate with a slice of orange jellow and a piece of birthday cake (it was the little girl’s birthday) so I invited them in to paint with me. I set them up with paint, a 64 box of Crayolas, some Caran d’Ache watercolor crayons, and a pile of paper. They each did several paintings (most contained the same little peaked roof house, with front door, doorknob, tree, smoke from chimney and the words “Happy Birthday” on them) but one painting was all black.  (Once they left the cake and jello went in the trash…I’m still on my diet and not a big fan of supermarket cake and jello anyway).

Now for some vitamin C and some sleep!