Here I am again, back in another 5 day event!  I had a week “off” (working at Wells Fargo last week), but I think I can use some more.  Nothing I can do about it, so time to press on.

This wasn’t a great day.  I spent a lot of time driving around Alameda, trying to get a feel for the place and find something inspiring to paint. I finally did, although the spot isn’t typical at all of the town.  It’s Bay Farm Island, a smaller island connected to Alameda by a bridge and famous as female aviator Amelia Earhart started many of her flights from the nearby Oakland Airport.  I’m happy with the feel of this one, very fresh. Other than the tops of the grasses, which I defined a bit, almost every stroke is the first I put down.  Over-working a painting muddies it, and the color in this one is fresh because I really pushed it and I didn’t mix other colors on top of the original strokes.
I’m happy to get one of three expected for the show out of the way.  I think tomorrow I’ll paint a Victorian home/garden, which is somewhat more typical.  Enjoy!

Bay Farm Island (Alameda) – Oil on Linen – 12×16″

5 thoughts on ““Jewel by the Bay”, Day 1

  1. I like it Ed. It has something restraint in it. Maybe because you feel a bit like you could have used a week off, but that might have resulted in a calm mood, reflecting itself in the painting. It has a sophisticated balance between clear and subdued colours. Did you use more black than usual?

    It might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I think it has quality.

  2. Actually, Bart, I didn’t use black at all in this painting. I sometimes use it to subdue the rawness of colors, but decided to keep this one fresh and lively! The darkest darks you see are a combination of Alizarin Crimson and Sap Green, sometimes with a little Ultramerine Dark added.

  3. Joanne McCormick Mathews says:

    Ed,

    HI!!!! Is Mike Estrada, possibly, a Bruin?

    I really love your work!

    I have looked everywhere for Mike and really miss him – I hope yours is “the one”.

    Please let me know.

    Joanne McCormick (Mathews)
    UCLA Class of ….

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