Post from Siena

Dear group. I am going to post these two last sketches before definitely moving to USK Italy. I have enjoyed sketching with you. It was a delight to be part of the group. Continue posting your beautiful drawings, I will follow! Thank you very much for your warm spirit and your openess for sharing.

Siena, Piazza del Campo, dip pen and ink and watercolor

Duomo di Siena, dip pen and ink and watercolor.

Yo-Yo Ma at the Greek Theater, UC Berkeley.

The Greek Theater at UC Berkeley sold out for this event, 8500 spectators. Yo-Yo Ma played three of Bach's cello suites. Magnificent.

Yo-Yo Ma at the Greek Theater, pen and ink, watercolor and digital darkening, 16x5in.

Emeryville Civic Center, Park Avenue and Hollis

Late afternoon at the crossing of Park Avenue and Hollis in Emeryville. The new Town Hall, the old one and the perfect late night diner, Can't Fail Cafe.

Emeryville, dip pen and ink and watercolor, 24x9in.

Saturday around Marin County

Saturday around Marin County, dip pen and ink and watercolor

Every year the Marin County Firefighters spend a day doing free CPR hands-on training around the county. Last year I did it in Tomales, this year I happened to stop at the Rouge & Noir cheese factory and I did it again. Later in the afternoon I was having a cup of tea by the main road in Stinson and this gigantic pick up truck parked in front of me. The perspective made it even bigger looking.

Tierra Mía Coffee, downtown Oakland

Tierra Mía Cafe, dip pen and ink and watercolor,  9x12in

The new Tierra Mía Coffee is located at the corner of Broadway and 20th Street in the former Magnin Building. It's a perfect corner to sketch and have a good cup of their specialty coffee drinks.

Margo Elberg's Miniatures at Lux Estate Liquidation

I enjoyed seeing Margo Elberg's miniatures together as they might  go separate ways after next weekend's sale. They are exquisite.

Margo Elberg Miniatures, 16x5in, pigment liner and watercolor.

The Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, California

We spent a warm and beautiful May 1st evening sketching in the The Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland.  Also called the Oakland Cathedral, it is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland. When we arrived someone was playing the organ and later the choir was practicing. The space filled with light and the voices in the incredible acoustics of the building made a perfect sketching day. The design of the building is by the architect Craig W. Hartman

Cathedral of Christ the Light, dip pen and ink and watercolor, 9x12in

Cathedral of Christ the Light, Tombow marker and waterbrush, 9x12in

Diesel Bookstore, Oakland, California

Diesel Books, dip pen and ink and watercolor, 8x5in.

We enjoyed our sketching night in Rockridge in a good independent bookstore. The neighborhood has everything that makes life in a city so attractive, lots of people walking, restaurants, cafes, and a great bookstore.

Castle in the Air, 4th Street, Berkeley.

Chinese Lanterns, ink, watercolor and gouache, 9x12in.

We have been enjoying indoor sketching in the East Bay area during the winter months thanks to the welcoming staff and owners of many stores. This time our group met on a rainy morning at Castle in the Air on 4th Street. We could have spent the entire day sketching the beautiful and interesting items in the store. I chose the Chinese lanterns hanging from the roof because they will eventually sell. I would love to have them in my own house! At least I have them in a sketch.

The staircase at the Berkeley City Club

I tried a wide view of the main entrance of the Berkeley City Club. The building is an eclectic mix of styles and materials, they all work together very well. Nothing was left without a decoration.

Berkeley City Club, 24x9in.

Serrahna Boutique, Oakland

I used my complete palette to color the sketch from our night at Serrahna. The colors were overwhelming, a real delight and it was hard not to buy something beautiful!

Serrahna, ink, gouache, watercolor, 9x12in.

Small Japanese paper doll

Japanese paper doll, pigment liner and watercolor, 8x5in.

I found this small (5cm) paper doll that my mother bought at a crafts fair. She was told that it was made by a lady in the outskirts of Buenos Aires where many Japanese immigrants settled to establish nurseries and flower businesses. I was curious about their history and from what I read most of the came from Okinawa. There is a  bilingual newspaper and several cultural centers.

Flor del Ceibo, Erythrina crista-galli

Flor del Ceibo, ink and watercolor, 8x5in.

The "Ceibo", Erythrina crista-galli is the national tree of Argentina and the national flower of Argentina and Uruguay. It´s easy to identify them when they bloom by the deep red-violet flowers.

Little Japanese vases

Japanese Vases, pigment liner and watercolor, 8x5in.

I enjoy looking at these delicate tiny vases (5cm tall) and just in case they break I sketched them.

El Tero, Southern Lapwing

Tombow marker and watercolor, tiny.

From Wikipedia: the Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) is a wader in the order Charadriiformes. It is a common and widespread resident throughout South America, except in densely forested regions (e.g. most of the Amazon), the higher parts of the Andes and the arid coast of a large part of western South America. This bird is particularly common in the basin of the Rio de la Plata.

Tero, Teru, Tero-teru are the common names given by the guaraní people and they are onomatopoeias of the sound they make.

Citroën

Citroën, Tombow marker and watercolor, 8x5in

Perhaphs the cutest car ever made, at least for me. It looks like a frog and it runs jumping up and down like a frog. It`s fantastic to drive in muddy roads. I am not sure when it stopped being made but in Argentina it`s a cult item. This one was just painted with anti-rust paint.

Oh, I forgot to mention, in this case it`s a convertible.

Ferry Barge, Puerto Maní - Bella Vista

The Mirlo, dip pen and ink and watercolor, 9x12in.

The Mirlo crosses the Paraná river from Puerto Maní, Argentina , to Bella Vista, Paraguay. I imagine that it fits two cars or a small truck. It`s a very friendly border crossing. I sat by the "Prefectura" (Coast Guard) building while they were listening to their radio communications and a paraguayan music station.

Viejo Almacén, General Store

Viejo Almacén, dip pen and ink and watercolor, 16x5in

This is an old general store in the middle of nowhere. It`s the only group of buildings at the crossroads of two unpaved roads. It must have been a busy intersection around 1900. I saw it one day late in the afternoon and I returned in the morning to draw it. The ladies that live there were very kind and told me what they know about the buildings.

Animal kingdom

Cat and dog, watersoluble Parker ink, Tombow marker and watercolor, 8x5in.

I have some some little furry friends around here. The state of affairs among them is a very flimsy equilibrium. Every now and then a cat gets too close to the dog`s food and things turn ugly, but sometimes it looks like the world is in perfect harmony.

Cats, Tombow marker and watercolor, 8x5in.

The house and the garden

House and dog house, dip pen and india ink and watercolor, 16x5in.

Garden and run down garage, dip pen and water soluble Parker ink and natural earth pigment, 16x5in.