Sketches from a short trip in Idaho

Watercolor pencil sketch @ Shoshone falls park
Watercolor pencil sketch @ Shoshone falls park.  105 degrees in the afternoon...

August was a busy month, though we took several days for a short vacation after the Alameda Plein Air event. It was our first time in Idaho, and my first trip since the pandemic. Landed at Boise, rented a car and drove for hours to Ketchum. One of my husband's brothers Stephen just retired and his girlfriend Laura rented a beautiful apartment for one month and invited us to visit them there. Arrived around dinner time, and they had a welcome dinner well prepared with everything was from the local farmer's market. Of course it included the most famous Idaho delicious potatoes, barbequed lamb shoulder, and fresh vegetable salad as well. A yummy apple pie, introduced by Opera Winfred. We had our own bedroom, with a decent size bathroom attached. The quality of the building was super-good compared to California construction. Later we found out that the beautiful while house just across the street was Ernest Hemingway's daughter, she only lived there once or twice a year.
It was a small town, and was very quiet. After a good sleep, we went to a local restaurant for breakfast. We hiked on the North Fork of Big Wood River, and had a quick sketch there. It was hot, almost 90 degrees. I didn't bring my regular Plein Air set, only had my watercolor pencils and a sketch book, challenging to figure out how to create a landscape from the limited colors. The result was unexpectedly acceptable.
We had lunch at a local restaurant with beer and salad. Sounded healthy, but I gained 5 pounds after 5 days trip. Great to see Stephen and Laura were happy together after he retired. Two brothers caught up across all the years. All we did was eat, drink, chat, fish, sketch, and hike... What a wonderful visit! Only the days we were there were too hot.
On the way driving back to Boise Airport, it was 105 degrees. But we still visited the Twin Falls, and I did another sketch at the Shoshone Falls park.
We tried to eat healthy, but there were only a few restaurants opened after we arrived Boise. Found a nearby hotel restaurant and had a delicious pizza. Next morning we had the beautiful Boise River Greenbelt walk, went to Farmers' market, bought Elk sausages, one for us and another one for our friends.

First time trying watercolor pencil sketch the landscape @ North Fork Big Wood River, Idaho
First time trying watercolor pencil sketch the landscape @ North Fork Big Wood River, Idaho



@sun valley, idaho
Plein Air sketch @sun valley, idaho



Sketch while drinking, chatting & eating...
Sketch while drinking, chatting & eating...

Stephen sharing what he learned from another artist...
Stephen sharing what he learned from another artist...



sketch @ bald mountain idaho
sketch @ bald mountain idaho



sketch @ bald mountain trail, idaho

sketch @ bald mountain trail, idaho

a dog visiting me, while sketching @ bald mountain trail, idaho

a dog visiting me, while sketching @ bald mountain trail, idaho
a dog visiting me, while sketching @ bald mountain trail, idaho

sketch @ bald mountain trail, idaho

sketch @ bald mountain trail, idaho

Airport sketch

Airport sketch
Airport sketch

met my first friend in the rental car @ Boise Airport Idaho
met my first friend in the rental car @ Boise Airport Idaho

Arrived Ketchum after hours driving 80mile/hr speed for hours.
Arrived Ketchum after hours driving 80mile/h speed for hours.

Tasted the freshest famous potatoes from the local farmers' market
Tasted the freshest and most famous potatoes from the local farmers' market.

Delicious apple pie was introduced from Oprah Winfrey
Delicious apple pie was introduced from Oprah Winfrey



Had a good sleep in a beautiful and quiet room attached with a bathroom.
Had a good sleep in a beautiful and quiet room attached with a bathroom.

Breakfast @ a local restaurant
Breakfast @ a local restaurant

Breakfast @ a local restaurant

a wood bridge on the North Fork Big Wood River Idaho
a wood bridge on the North Fork Big Wood River Idaho

Hiking along the North Fork Big Wood River trail, Idaho
Hiking along the North Fork Big Wood River trail, Idaho

Ketchum is a small town, using a flag for crossing a road.
Ketchum is a small town, using a flag for crossing a road.

Beautiful tree eyes, wish I could understand the message....
Beautiful tree eyes, wish I could understand the message....

Beautiful tree eyes, wish I could understand the message....

Two brothers, one flies fishing, one was watching...
Two brothers, one flies fishing, one was watching...

Feeling hot, everyday was almost 90 degrees.
Feeling hot, everyday was around 90 degrees.

Does this furry Puli feel hot in Bailey?
Does this furry Puli feel hot in Bailey?

Cooling down after a glass of Thai ice tea @ Bailey, ID
Cooling down after a glass of Thai ice tea @ Bailey, ID

Too hot to bike there...
Too hot to bike there...

Interesting painted car
Interesting painted car in Bailey, ID

Wonderful Perrine Bridge
Wonderful Perrine Bridge, 105 degrees that day...

Twin falls, idaho
Twin falls, idaho, so hot...

Delicious pizza dinner @ Boise, ID
Delicious pizza dinner with beer @ Boise, ID

Posing in front of Freak Alley murals, Boise ID
Posing in front of Freak Alley murals, Boise ID

Interesting Mural @Boise, Idaho

Interesting Mural @Boise, Idaho

farmers market bought elk sausage @Boise, Idaho
farmers market bought elk sausage @Boise, Idaho

Wonderful lunch bento box on the way back to the airport.
Wonderful lunch bento box on the way back to the airport.

Goodbye Idaho! Want to travel soon again
Goodbye Idaho!  Want to travel soon again...






San Francisco Bay Area CA Idaho, USA
Storytelling artist Xueling Zou who works in ♦️ watercolor & ♦️ oil mediums on ♦️ original art Plein Air paintings. Ship worldwide since 2010 @ https://about.me/xuelingzou@ about.me/xuelingzou or http://xueling-zou.pixels.com

Original Art Story

A female model's first sitting

Image
It was a rainy Saturday this Easter weekend.  I went to an evening live model session at Lynn's studio by chance that I found through Instagram, also it was very close where I live.   About 10 artists showed up, and one came all the way from Oakland on such a rainy weekend.  Painting and photography are unique arts. As we see in the work of old masters, great painting captures instead the outward molding of inner feeling that is truer to the individual than any momentary expression.  Because artist adds emotion into the painting it is unique to the individual.  Different color palettes, brushstrocks, or different perpectives to catch the likelness of the model.   Painting a model in realistic style isn't as important to me as capturing the essence of the model's expression.  I don't use a reference photo to copy a model, instead I use my eye and my hands to capture the expression from life, practise during the precious moments of the painting session. Of course, I use r
Read more

Plein Air @ Santa Clara University Santa Clara CA

Image
Nice weather in the afternoon, I wanted to do something different and escape from my current "bottleneck" situation. But I realized half way to the location that I didn't bring my tripod. Lucky it was not far away to go back and get it. All the students were on school vacation, so it was perfect timing to paint on the campus.  And the winter lighting is always especially beautiful. Found a corner of the garden and noticed that one side looked more complicated than the other one.  I chose the easier side to paint, and focused on a monochromatic expression to see what could make it look different.  In the end I added a small amount of color to certain objects, my work really looked different.   I decided to stop, but might continue this way of practicing... Started the new year without any resolutions, but frustration that I won't able have my home studio time undisturbed, I can not get 30 minutes of meditation time in. No one is perfect for sure. Who likes having argum
Read more

Sketching @ Apple Park Cupertino CA

Image
Thought to do something different, Apple Park was a good place for sketching and not far from where I live. and some of our local artists were meeting up there today.  Sun came out this morning after weeks of rain. I was not well prepared for it. Found my pencils, sketch book, eraser and outdoor chair in a rush. Felt I should have more hands to carry each of them, why didn't I grab a bag and have everything in it? Warm in the sun, but not in the shade. There were many young olive trees, I guessed that they were the same age as the Apple Headquarters. Tried one sketch that had architecture, and one very stylish artist I drew her into my work. Then I started to draw other artists. Walked through the Apple park's "mirage" sculpture takes shape as iridescent glass pillars winding through trees. Chatted with several artists to catchup, left after in the afternoon. (January 25 2024)
Read more

Six hours study with the same sitter

Image
I thought I would paint a head portrait, but instead did a figurative study again on a used 16"x20" panel. Had to work on his legs more. Continued using my leftover Veridian Green.  Anyway the lighting system in the studio was cooler.   He was a very professional model, and we had him again for our evening short pose three-hour session.  He read a book instead of using his smart phone during each break, seems usual these days.   Pages of drawings I did,  and I was tired after two sessions total of six hours painting and drawing the same model. I was wondering if our sitter was exhausted too.  (March 19 2024)
Read more

Plein Air @ Downtown Campbell Light Rail Station CA

Image
Planned to Plein Air in the morning, but there were some household things that interrupted that plan . It was about 4pm when I set up to paint at the Downtown Campbell Light Rail Station,  I've painted near this Light Rail Station several times over the past two years and have found it a very interesting place to paint from different angles in the morning or in the afternoon. For example just this red warehouse I painted from the other side in the morning on the last day of 2021.  This building had a "for sale" sign on it.  Today the sale sign still was on the fence, but the messiness I saw around before was all cleaned up.  It is unusual that a property could be on sale for so long in Silicon Valley. Many times I've told myself that I should not copy what I see exactly, so  today I slightly moved things around or implied things a little bit.  Slowly but surely I will get there for sure one day. There was a condominium behind where I was painting.  The residents had a
Read more

Plein Air @ Mission San José Fremont CA 加州風景寫生

Image
I didn't plan where to paint today until driving down the road, I thought it should not be more than 10 miles driving, but I missed the turn and had to u-turn a couple of times. I decided to paint at Niles in Fremont again. I was surprised that there was almost no traffic on #880, but the traffic started after I got on the Mission Road. I waited inside the car patiently, noticed it was 96 degrees outside. Felt the waiting time was much longer than the travel all the way here. Passing through the Mission San José, suddenly I remembered that I wanted to paint this gorgeous historic building each time I passed by, why not today? Got off the main road, parked my car, then saw a better shady spot and parked the car.  Walked to see where I could paint.  Then walked back to my car and re-parked near where I painted. It was really hot, I set up my station under an old pepper tree that gave me the most shade. It was almost 4 pm by then and I had to buy bread, the shop closed at 6pm. I did
Read more

Capitola Plein Air 8th Annual Art Festival 2023

Image
Laurie Hill, the organizer of Capitola Plein Air Evert, gave me a personal orientation before I started.  Weather was perfect, I was in a rush and felt excited to start working, but forgot my parking permit.  No worries, I saw a flower stand on the corner of Monterey St and Park Ave.  A Mexican Lady carried a baby, and two others looked like teenage girl helpers. Surprisingly, their business was very good.  Every several minutes someone stopped by and bought flowers. Not mention it was Tuesday.  I thought people usually buy flowers before the weekend. After my work was done, the younger teenager asked me if it was OK to take a photo, the lady with the baby she talked to me in Spanish, which I didn't understand. They took photo, then we had photo together. Next day, I met a newly wed couple from Texas while I was painting outside Zelda's on the Beach.  They seemed very interested in my work.  I gave them the Sunday exhibition info, hopefully they would come. Last year I almost m
Read more

Plein Air @ Ed Levin County Park, Milpitas CA

Image
It was not a warm morning, but the rain finally stopped. My husband drove me to the location, then he visited a friend who lived nearby. My first time coming here to paint.  Peaceful morning with the other artists, only could hear birds singing.  It is still our winter time in 50's and partly cloudy, I did several sketches.  Tried a German made fountain pen lent to me from another artist.  It was really a nice one, I might buy one. Sun came out later and brought the temperature up a little bit, then I did a quick watercolor sketch. Saw our friend and had nice chat with her, she introduced us to another park nearby. I would try to paint next time. (February 12 2024)
Read more

Live study of a young model in a red dress

Image
We had a young girl sitter today who was wearing a red dress. She sat on a piece of greenish color cloth. I liked it, because I finally got to use some "left over" colors, expecially Veridian Green which I had a huge tube of for over twenty years and had only used a tiny squeeze of. Started sketching on a 16"x20" used panel, I painted in a more comtemporary color scheme by using Cadmium Red and Veridian Green together as complementary colors. I painted her full figure, just because I liked her black shoes. During each break, she studied with a pack of flash cards cards in her hands, seemed like she was in school and preparing exams. Three-hour sessions are never enough time for a portrait, so I went home to correct and add a few more details after. Happy with the result. (March 5 2024)
Read more

Plein Air @ Old Mission Adobe Wall Santa Clara de Asís CA

Image
It seems that the rainy season is over.  The spring blosomes are beatiful but my allergies are back.  Carefully I started painting outdoors.  The campus of Santa Clara University looked gorgeous, painting the the old mission Adobe wall was on my mind. I guessed that the students and professers were in classes.  Quietly, I found a shady spot to set up my gear.  Started with a thumbnail for a black and white study, than proceeded to my work. Once in a while people passed by.  Roughly finished the painting, I will be back again soon. (April 18 2024)
Read more