Mt Diablo Project

This is the hill we climbed up Sam’s paintings Judith’s painting  Nancy’s painting 

Sam's painting and setup Judith's setup and her subject  Color selection  First drawing, proportions First washes and second drawing in blue Two contrasts: values, marking the dark and complimentary color  Unfinished because wind and heat interrupted the painting process. We'll have to go back there and try again!

Nancy and Judith met in Clayton, at the end of a road, facing Mount Diablo. There was a family of wild turkeys, many smaller birds in the trees, deer, and probably lots more wildlife that we didn't notice while painting. It was overcast when we started painting. Then we quickly painted an interesting sky with lots of clouds, before it was just plein sunny. This was Judith's set up and work in progress.  No colors were mixed wet, only by painting wet over dry color. To keep the colors fresh and show the topography, big washes were laid down, then modeled by small dots of color to make the landscape coherent. Some dots are trees and texture, some are "abstract elements", which are not representing any thing, but harmonize and support the topography. Mount Diablo from Rialto Drive, Clayton, © Judith Kunzlé

It was a sunny but very windy day. We set up our easels in the Acalanes Open Space near Beacon Ridge. Samantha and Nancy with Mount Diablo. Sam's painting in progress. Sam's painting, another progress shot. Sam's painting. Nancy weighing down her easel with her backpack and holding her canvas in the wind gusts. Nancy's painting in progress. Nancy's painting at the end of the afternoon. "Ridge Top Vista", acrylic on linen 16" x 12", © Nancy Roberts. This is Judith's painting: "A Windy Day", Watercolor, 12" x 16" © Judith Kunzlé It was challenging to control the brush in the wind gusts, pushing and yanking from the back. There was no choice but to dance with the wind.

All three of us set out at the North Gate of Mount Diablo Park and took the first spot that we could pull over and paint. We could have painted the amazing scenery in every direction! 81908, -121.97099 7.881908, -121.970998 Judith and Nancy Sam's painting from day 4, looking West "North Gate Road", watercolor 12" x 16", © Judith Kunzlé Samantha at work. Judith at work. Judith again. Nancy's painting on the easel, Judith beyond. Samantha's painting in progress. Nancy's painting in progress. "North Gate Ascent", acrylic on linen 16" x 12", © Nancy Roberts

Nancy and Judith found a stunning spot on the Eastern slopes of Mount Diablo: Round Top view point. View South-East from the Slopes of Mount Diablo, watercolor 12" x 16"  © Judith Kunzlé Nancy's block-in. Nancy's finished painting at the end of the afternoon. "Diablo from Round Top", acrylic on linen 16" x 12", © Nancy Roberts