Country roads by Cezanne

Im at car dealer for some vehicle maintenance so cant paint this morning.    But I can look at some art....   here are two country roads I found in a book I brought with me.

Mixed media day. Weaving.

Our mixed media group has one fantastic weaver/basketmaker member in long standing.  For some unknown reason we have never had her lead us in a weaving project. 

 I had seen a short promotional video by Laly Mille called "Woven Dreams" .   I sent a link o Marilyn asking if she would lead us in a similar project.   We waited for her to get back from a sea shell related trip, and yesterday we did our own versions of wrapped frame weaving. 

 She stepped it up and had us do the top row with a basket makers twist.    Since then I added more above that row.   This piece contains old yarns,  palm seedlings, fresh thyme and oregano. Fabric scraps,  Cheese cloth, old hymnal torn strips, etc.   

  It was a lot of fun to do, except for that tricky first row.   We almost had a mutiny on our hands, but Marilyn was so patient and encouraging.... we got through it.  And at the end we could understand the importance of that first row which stabilized the piece.       Thank you Marilyn.  Well done.

The long lonely road

Across Nevada high desert.      Heading East.     Or West, or North or South.    With few landmarks its hard to tell.     Lots of subtle color changes in this dusty, sandy alkali soil.    This is when cruise control comes in handy.   

Ebbetts Pass road

Twists and turns.     Not for trucks or pulling a trailer, however for beautiful forest views and vistas it was a family favorite.     In my fathers later years, I was the designated driver, as he could not drive distances or challenging roads... and my brother's eyesight had deteriorated to the point he could not drive in the mountains. 

  We made an annual visit to our home town, Silver City which meant we had to go over the Sierras.   My dad would pick the route and turn the keys over to me.     This was not my favorite road.     

Monitor Pass was even more challenging.   Heaven helped us if we met some ill informed driver towing a trailer around a  steep hairpin curve.    Someone had to back up...that was me.   I didnt want to see them backing over the cliff....    even stupid people deserve to live.     Mind you there are road signs advising no trailers or trucks over a certain length..... but you know there are those who think they are above such trivial details.   The invincible ones.   

Those days are behind me now and I can no longer drive across the Sierras or even far into the foothills.   So yesterday I painted this memory road.   Missing was the crisp fresh pine scented air.    My family is never missing, I carry them in my heart wherever I go.

Coast highway

This highway is subject to landslides so is sometimes closed for repairs.    It is fun to drive with the windows down to feel the cool sea air and to look at the spectacular views.   

Homeward bound

Traveling on Highway 4, West of Angels Camp presents some challenging twisting curves on a narrow two lane road. . Its actually pretty scary making a sharp curve and immediately dropping over a crest into an opposing curve.    Might be fun in a sports car, like my old 1956 baby blue Porsche.     But now in a relatively large SUV its more nerve wracking than fun.    However, there are other sights so beautiful and awesome along this stretch of road, its worth the few uncomfortable moments.   This is one route I could take between my country place outside of Avery, and home in Stockton.   So seeing this meant the mountains were behind me and home was ahead.    A transition I loved, whichever way I went.   

  Two of my grandchildren are bus drivers.    While they were in training, their instructor had them drive this road.    I can't even imagine how it felt to drive a school bus around those curves.   But they did.  I guess that was the ultimate test..... 

This sketch is farther west as the road ribbons over the descending foothills dropping down into the San Joaquin Valley vineyardscand farmlands.    I drastically  foreshortened the valley so I could include Mount Diablo on the other side. 

Desert road

This is a slighty latger version of a painting exercise I did lasr year.    My early memories are of the high desert country in Nevada.     Silver City -  East and a bit North of Carson City,
below

 Virginia City and Gold Hill.    Purple hills.   Dry, windy, with colors sunbleached and vegetation parched.       Sage brush and scrub pines and occasional cottonwoods if there was any ground water.       Strangely I have no memory of any birds.    But I remember lizards, horned toads, and spiders.   The air is quite wonderful. Dry.   Hint of sage odor.     Here is a desert road.  Can you smell the sage?

Starting here

The California foothills are so beautiful.   Rolling hills layer by layer, leading up in elevation to the higher hills and finally to the high Sierra mountain crests, peaks and summits.       I hunkered down in the back seat of the family car as a child with my brother,  watching the scenery change.   At some elevations on some roads the soil is very red.    We learned to tell where we were by observing the soil, the vegetation and the trees.   There was  an altimeter mounted in the car, and we watched the needle move,  marking elevations.   We also had a compass mounted there which taught us to be acutely in tune with our bearings.   It made travel more of an adventure.  There was no Map Quest or GPS.    But we always got to our destinations..

How life has changed. Now children are texting and watching videos wherever they are.   How much they are missing.   

This is a painting I started showing the rise in lower foothills.   I love when the road disappears and then you drop down again, and there it is.     It totally delighted me as a child, and still makes me smile.   Its like a peek a boo road.    Now you see it, now you dont.   

Then there is the joy of roads curving off around a hill.   What will you see there? Will it be straight, or will it wind around another hill?         Like life.........

Traveling on

More of the morning paintings.    It is Labor Day weekend,   not a good time to be out on the roads.... there is never any traffic on my painted  country roads.     

I did this scene last year with a stream coming through it.   As much as I loved the colors, i painted it again with a road, trying to capture the same colors and atmosphere.