Sunday, July 15, 2012

Over and Under

Saturday's painting location was the Lower Arroyo Seco in Pasadena.  I found some shade just a short walk from archery range.  I always thought the archery range was the coolest place (at least since I was 19 and a boy took me there at night and played his flute for me.)  So I was pretty surprised to hear a year ago that the range was in danger of being shut down by the city.  What gripe could anybody possibly have with this marvelous old lightly used archery range among the oak trees in the Lower Arroyo?  The archers who use the range seem largely a good bunch.  Out of generosity and love of their sport they offer free lessons.  This was all for the good until the Hunger Games phenomenon.  Now every little girl and boy in Southern California wants free archery lessons, and their indulgent parents pack the parking lot starting at 7 a.m.  I arrived a full half-hour early for painting, and I had to park way up Arroyo Boulevard, and trek my wood easel and painting paraphernalia down the road, down the long driveway, and through the entirely full parking lot.  All the while muttering to myself as the curmudgeon I'm becoming.  It's summer for heaven's sake.  Those children aren't even in school, so couldn't they play out their bow and arrow fantasies on some other day?  Couldn't they leave some open space on Saturdays to those of us who are stuck in office buildings all week, and, when Saturday comes, just want to paint bridges, walk dogs, cast flies, or sleep in before archery?  It will pass I suppose.  Just like the casting pond boom after A River Runs Though It.

In spite of the difficulty arriving, painting was good.  I painted the Colorado Street Bridge.  I was distracted from my crankiness, and the walk back to the car seemed easier, even though it was up hill and much hotter.  In the evening I went to Pasadena Heritage's bridge party and celebrated the bridge on the bridge.  The bridge is 99 years old, spans 1486 feet in a graceful curve 150 feet above the Arroyo.      

14 comments:

  1. The tranquil curves of the painting are lovely, and I would have been even more cranky.

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    1. It's good the painting came out nicely, otherwise I'd have blamed the small archers and been more cranky.

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  2. Nothing wrong with curmudgendom. It is a most excellent painting. I admire your choice NOT to exclude the water channel

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  3. I wanted to tell you about this local blog. Not so much for art but because it's really funny. A shared sense of humor

    http://talesofcastlegreen.blogspot.com/

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    1. Added to my list, happily. Some of the bloggers i used to read have disappeared. One became markedly less funny.

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  4. Seriously??? Who would have thought.... Although I loved the series, it never occurred to me that the movie would spark a new crop of archers... but now that you've said it... it makes sense.

    Love your bridge and all of the paintings I see on this blog. One day... maybe... I'll venture into the demanding realm of watercolor.... maybe..

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    1. Thanks Marian. I think I gravitated to watercolor because the clean up is so much easier, and it's harder to overwork.

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  5. Hello I'm finding your blog really interesting especially as I've just taken up plein myself. It's not easy painting outdoors. Great bridge painting with the wide variety of green foliage too.

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    1. Hi Laura. Thanks for visiting. Painting outdoors is the greatest. Lots of challenge and adventure, and once in a while a pleasing painting.

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  6. This is a really terrific painting - I love the depth of space you have created, and the lovely palette of colors you have used.

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  7. With the bridge having its 100th anniversary next yr, I'm wundering if PasaHeritage is gonna have a bridge party next yr too??

    And, Yes, Rebecca's TalesOfCastleGreen.blogspot.com is a wonderful blog! Everyone who is familiar with Pasadena's Hotel/Castle Green should ck it out.

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    1. I don't know. I feel certain they'll do something brilliant to celebrate the bridge. And with luck, we'll be there.

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