Sunday, May 13, 2012

PLEIN AIR PAINTING AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE INDIAN MUSEUM

Yesterday our plein air group went down to Sacramento to paint this lovely Indian Museum grounds.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera!  But, fortunately, I brought enough art supplies to fill a store.  I did not know what to expect to see, but it turned out to be surprisingly very lovely for just a block of where the museum was occupying.

There were water features, such as a small lake and several large fountains, teaming, surprisingly with a blue heron, turtles, all kinds of different species of ducks and fish (koi) when the blue heron doesn't get at them. 

Next door was Sutters Fort, which you had to pay to get into.  People didn't know where the entrance to this fort was, including myself.  There was a door on each side, but which one was the entrance?  I guess that's why they call it a fort.  There was an entrance that did have it's name over it, so I guess that was the entrance.

The ladies sponsoring the paint out at the museum were so accommodating with setting up tables and chairs for us painters.  They had two lovely little girl helpers do the physical work.  They gave out a set of very nice charcoal pencils to the painters who attended.  They were supposed to have refreshments, although I didn't see any.  Maybe they were in the museum, which I didn't go into because I was excited about getting started, since I found the scene I wanted to paint.  I figured the museum would be Indian baskets, pottery, clothing, jewelry and what you usually see in those kinds of places.

I met a lot of interesting people, some of which were not in our group.  As I was set up to paint a scene, a young black man approached my table and told me about his wife who is in a nearby hospital and he had been sitting in her room for hours which turned into days.  She had, which they believed, was food poisoning.  He said he just had to get out of that room and is doing the sights.  They were from out of town.  He told me he went to old town Sacramento yesterday.

I also met a painter who was not with our group, but painted in a geometric style and was going to go on a three weekend class with a famous painter and a group of other painters.

Of course, the people from our group were there.  There were supposed to be 14 of us there.  I probably only saw and met up with about a half dozen.  We were spread out all over the place and I am sure some came later.  The temperature was rising as the sun rose in the sky during the morning hours.  I only spent an hour and a half there, and that was enough.

The photo of the fountain, light post and gigantic tree scene is a preliminary pastel of something I'd like to try later in a different medium.  Too bad I forgot my camera.  I DON'T DO THAT!  But as I was leaving my house, these old gossipy people here just get my craw, upset me, and my mind was diverted to these old people complaining about their health, their neighbors and just anything that is so petty and childish, it's ridiculous.  Again, neighbors putting a damper on a day I had been looking forward to for weeks and just stamped the hell out of it...in the beginning.  I just gotta get otta here!

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