Bel Marin Keys

Bel Marin Keys 

 I met a friend and we painted at Bel Marin Keys this morning.  I've never been up there before to paint, so I was mighty surprised by how wonderful it was.  It has pretty much everything: Eucalyptus EVERYWHERE, marsh, reflection, distant hills, wildlife (not painting that), and utility poles! I think I can spend a lifetime up there, and after looking at today's painting, I may need to do just that. Augh.
The photograph makes it look worse than it is. In fact, when I was finished, I didn't think it was half bad.  But now it looks muddy and the reflection in the water looks like a black hole, and I'm going to stop here.
Oh well.  I'm headed back up there Thursday and can do it all over again.

While we were painting,  a man stopped and started chatting us up.  It turns out he was a Marin painter, Thomas Soltesz.  He showed us the painting he had done up the levy and I must say, I was quite impressed.  He said he spent ONE hour - not two like the one below.  Jill and I decided we need to work faster (and better). We also decided to focus on painting a Eucalyptus tree, and are both going to follow this instructional chapter on "How to paint a Eucalyptus tree" in Elizabeth's Tolley's book before Thursday.

8" x10"
Bel Marin #34
There were no less than a dozen white swans swimming around in the marsh while we were painting.  But, the black hole that I painted, sucked down all the swans with its super intense gravity forces.  That's why you don't see them here.

6" x 8"
Roadside #35
ONE HOUR (like Soltesz)

I walked back to the car and ate lunch while deciding to paint another painting in EXACTLY an hour - nothing like a little friendly competition; if this Mr. Soltesz can do it, so can I.   I even challenged myself and included a Eucalyptus.  Here it is.  It's actually better than the first one I labored over, but not quite as good as Mr. Soltesz - but no matter - I did it.

My critique is tomorrow, so I hope that Tim will enlighten me somehow, and I will be painting master pieces up at Bel Marin Keys later this week.
Stay tuned.