PSGC Plein Air Day at the King Gilette Ranch

What art offers is space ~

A certain breathing room for the spirit.

~John Updike

Santa Monica Mountains by Lynn Simon

Last fall Pastel Society of the Gold Coast had a wonderful day of plein air at The King Gillette Ranch, in the Santa Monica Mountains. What a beautiful place to create art and spend the day!

Above, a view from a little hike, down to the Ranch below.

The artists scouted the beautiful ranch, taking photos and getting inspiration for an afternoon of creating art! The morning was beautiful but windy, but it all worked out, as the afternoon was lovely and perfect for plein air.

After some visiting and an early lunch, they settled into their locations ...
Below, Lori found a beautiful spot!

Donna Vis' lovely view of the bridge ...

And a wonderful, colorful path by Nelda Gruenthal ...

A watercolor underpainting of the old 1920s stables (now visitors center) by Lucinda Keller ...

And then, pastels over the top!

Below, Donna Vis, Patrish Kuebler, Emily Goldfield, Lynn Simon, Lori Corradi, and Nelda Gruenthal. What fun!

For more information on the King Gillette Ranch, please click here.

For information about the visitors center, click here.

If one really loves nature,

on can find beauty everywhere.

~Vincent van Gogh

New Series: What Art did you do this Summer? Part 1 ~ Provence

Donna Vis's Summer Vacation - Part I

Lavender Fields in Provence. Sault, France.

 

Do you remember back-to-school in elementary grades when your teacher asked "What did you do over the Summer?" We usually spent the first day doing a project that covered this subject.

So today I'm going to share with you my design inspirations over the summer. Some ended up in finished art, some as beautiful photos for future work.

Here is the beginning of a few posts to come.

 

I have ALWAYS wanted to paint the rows of lavender in Provence. A month ago, that's what I did!

 

And, I took a million photographs to reference for future studio work.

That's me!

Should I paint the scene vertically?

Or should I go horizontal? (After drinking French hard cider I went horizontal back at the farmhouse!)

I chose this scene for my field study...by then I only had about 2 hours left of good light.

Here is my set-up! I just couldn't grow an arm long enough to photograph myself working alone!

For the trip I bought a new Heilman box, their smaller easel and a very good, lightweight tripod that is wonderfully easy to use.

I borrowed the umbrella. Usually I have the umbrella separate from my box because I don't want everything to fly away with a gust of wind.

The weather cooperated. What a day!

This is where I left it. No sun left!

But look at this beautiful sky!

Next post, a glimpse at our French farmhouse - where I was stung by wasps... at my easel!

Until then, all my best.

Donna Vis

Some spots are the cradle of genius.

Provence is one.

~Lawrence Durrell, 1959

Passion for Pastels 2013 ~ in Thousand Oaks!

Our biggest show of the year just opened at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery! If you are in our neck of the woods, please come by and see us! The show runs until July 28th! And, don't miss the reception! It's on Sunday the 14th of July, from 1- 4:00pm. 

Here is a sampling, of the beautiful variety, that you will see at the show ...

Meli Caulkins Pomegranates

Terri Taber Almost Spring (chosen for our postcard and invite!)

Carrie Givens Winter Blooms

Marsha Mac Donald Eucalyptus 

Our invite with all sorts of pertinent information ...

Open monday through Saturday (closed July 4th)

11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Reception Sunday, July 14th

1:00 - 4:00 pm

2331 Borchard Rd., Newbury Park

For the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery website, click Here

Art is more than a product of your efforts 

it should be about feeling, 

life,

attitude,

soul.

~Sergei Bongart

Joel McCrea Ranch Pastel Paint Out!

In the 1930s, actor Joel McCrea established a working ranch, in Southern California. It's in a beautiful area, in the Santa Rosa Valley, in Ventura County. Joel McCrea and his wife, actress Frances Dee, raised their family here and built a home for themselves and their three children.

280 acres were aquired in the 1990s, through a donation to the Conejo Recreation and Park District, and the Joel and Frances McCrea Ranch Foundation helps to raise money, to maintain the facility.

Our group, the Pastel Society of the Gold Coast, was lucky enough to be the first artist group, invited to come to the Ranch for a plein air "paint out," which happened to be on Saint Patrick's Day.

At the start of the day, when I arrived, there was quite a bit of cloud cover, and fog rolling over the hills and through the valley. Of course, with plein air, the most important thing is to figure out where to be and what you want to paint!

Pretty sure this was Lynn Simon's set up and her watercolor underpainting ...

Working on field sketches, you have to start new pieces when the light changes, and perhaps take reference photos if you want to finish them at home, or use it all as reference for a studio piece.

Lynn Simon, on to another piece ...

There were so many lovely spots, it was hard to commit to a location!

All of the lovely buildings here, are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lovely sketches, at the ranch, by Judy Koenig 

Oh, there's Judy Dietch, over on the left!

Judy Dietch's set up ... a great piece, and wonderful view of the chicken coop!

The Visitors Center

As you can see ... another light change. The sun came out!

Yep, back at the chicken coop! That's Donna Vis' set up on the left. 

From Donna's point of view ... a lovely composition!

From my point of view (below) ... and that is about as far as I got, with my field sketch on location. More to resolve, in the studio!

Lori Corradi, at work on a beautiful landscape, with a lovely Oak tree.

Just a few of our members that enjoyed the lovely day at the Joel McCrea Ranch!

Judy Dietch, Donna Vis, Lynn Simon and Emily Goldfield

We were also joined by Delia Menes, Judy Koenig, Nelda Gruenthal, Lori Corradi, Erna Braun, and Kathy Coleman.

And a couple of finished pieces!

Joel McCrea Ranch by Lynn Byrne Simon

Joel McCrea Ranch by Lynn Byrne Simon

A couple of nice ladies, Stephanie and Jennifer, came out from the Thousand Oaks Acorn paper, to interview us and take photos. You can check it online!

Our article in the Thousand Oaks Acorn HERE!

If you'd like to visit the Joel McCrea Ranch, at this point it's only open during scheduled events and programs, which you can visit the website to find out about! 

Click Here for upcoming events. The people there are friendly and helpful.

To find out more about the the foundation and the Joel McCrea Ranch, click Here.

If you ask me what I came to do in this world, 

I, as an artist, am here to live out loud.

~Émile Zola

posted by Lucinda Keller