Teahouse in Twilight
˚
“Teahouse in Twilight” 9 x 12 watercolor in Raffine sketchbook.
It should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog that I’m a very big fan of the California watercolorists of the 20s, 30s and 40s. The colors they used, the free use of color, line, shape and value and the sheer exuberance of expression fill me with a feeling of giddy enjoyment. Maybe it’s because I’m a native daughter of the state and I can still recognize some of the landmarks that they painted. Maybe it’s nostalgia for a time I never knew. Recently, my husband and I visited the Pasadena Museum of California Art to enjoy the fourth in a series of watercolor exhibitions featuring painters like Zornes, Kingman, Brandt and many others. Most of their work was done on-site, plein air style, within a limited window of time, which means simplifying shapes was a must. With my head filled full of all that inspiration, I decided to try a quick painting in that mood as we sat at Descanso’s teahouse today in the fading moments of the afternoon. The sun was still gleaming through the oaks and casting light on a cherry tree that had just burst into bloom, but inside the teahouse it was dim, and massive Japanese lanterns were glowing for the benefit of the customers.
My favorite part of this very rough and spontaneous sketch is the oak trees, frozen in mid-dance.
Oh, and yes, there are two more nudes coming. I just thought I’d post this one while it was fresh off the sketchbook …
Oh I just love this. I love the colors; the pink, blue, yellow. And the tree trunks are awesome.
I like the oak trees, too