San Francisco-cable cars, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge

 This 16 X 20 oil painting preserves a memory from our July trip to San Francisco for our daughter's and new son-in-law's wedding reception. We stayed at the Mark Hopkins hotel right up the street from this intersection.  From here we took the cable car to the waterfront. The view includes the bay, the bridge, Alcatrz, the hill and the cable cars. I knew this was a spot I wanted to paint! When there were 2 cars I quickly snapped a photo (hoping not to get run over). The cars were always stuffed with passengers and it took several coming to the stop to get up in line far enough to board. I wanted to give the sense of overflowing cars, beautiful weather and the feel of the city. I eliminated a buiding and some of the complex details on them to keep the focus on the cars and to make the composition work. The flags on the building add  color help lead the viewer into the scene. Given the dark days we are experiencing in 2025, I chose a high key palette to brighten up the painting and the mood. Our family time together on this trip is a memory I want to preserve.  I love San Francisco.

Cousins

 James and Emerson are cousins, born 2 months apart. They are inseparable. I did a painting of the two of them running by the Lake in Dillon, Colorado. ( see my April, 2024 post). With both boys in the painting I couldn't decide who should have it so I gave the painting to my brother who is their grandfather. My brother and his wife care for them while the parents work. The family is incredibly close both in proximity and relationships. Then I realized I should probably do a painting of each of the boys for my neice and my nephew. On the right is James out with his parents on a hike in the Rockies. Below is Emerson. His parents opened their restaurant, Wildflower BBQ last year, so I decided to put Emerson in the wildflowers. He loves to help my brother in the gardens. Each setting was chosen to reflect the boys in their natural settings. 

The paintings now reside in Colorado.

Memories preserved at TIMBER COVE

 

12x16 oil

Timber Cove in Jenner, CA is where our daughter and new son-in-law got married. High on the cliffs in northern CA, overlooking the Pacific. they exchanged vows. We stayed  across the cove  in a glass house overlooking the site. The Benny Bufano statue stood clearly silhouetted on the edge of the promontory. (https://www.sebastopoltimes.com/p/the-forgotten-peace-monument-of-the) Visiting the statue and learning about the artist was a favorite experience The beautiful "naked ladies" added a pink accent along the edge of the cliff in our yard. I made watercolor sketches and took several photos to note color and to capture the feeling I wanted to convey. When I returned home I created this painting for them as a gift. I wanted them to have something  special to commemorate their special day. I  was drawn by the diagonals leading the eye from the bright foreground along the cliffs to their marriage setting. The land mass encompassed the bright waters of the cove and Pacific beyond. I gave them the painting for Christmas.