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I hope to see Dorise and Bruce join with me on this Sketchcrawl so we can include some scenes from Gualala. Anyone else out there from the Plein Aire or Life Drawing groups?

Count me in from the Gualala group...Arna

Only managed to complete two sketches this time, but it felt like a good day. The rest of our group will post as their images are available. My first sketch was a view of the overflow crowd outside a funeral Mass at our small Catholic church in Point Arena. The patriarch of an old coastal ranch family, Lester Giacomini, died last week and a host of friends and family turned out. The Mass was followed by a gathering and BBQ at the local Veteran's Hall; a grand sendoff for Lester.

The second sketch is of a fairy tale-like tree house, built high up in an ancient cypress tree located in the gardens of Bev Thompson in Manchester. Inside the tree house are wood carvings of Garden of Eden figures, including Adam & Eve, and the animals, all done by Bev's late husband, Jim. A plague installed on the tree by a historical society reads:

Monterey Cypress, Cupressus macrocarpa
Circumference: 341 inches; Height: 93 feet; Crown spread: 83 feet.
Nominator: James B. Thompson
This tree has been listed as a champion in the American Forestry Association's National Register of Big Trees. This tree was the largest recorded living specimen of its species as of 1991.

Following is the sketch of a wild duck pond, done by Arna Means, one of our group who worked alone during SketchCrawl day on the wooded ridge line behind Gualala:

gaelwriter
thank you for sharing your sketches and Introductory comments.
good work.

Ah, the southern Mendocino coast - one of my favorite spots on earth.

Really great sketches. Can anyone go visit that Cypress?

Thanks to Becco and Redhen. Redhen, I think the owner would allow you to visit. Send me a PM and I will give you directions.

Dorise, another one of our Sketchcrawl party, has checked in with the following two sketches:



The closed mouth of the Gualala River with the Pacific beyond taken from the Gualala Bluff Trail.






Fog tree, a second growth Redwood in my back yard over looking the Gualala River Valley. Shrouded in fog at the top it is over 100 feet tall and about twelve feet wide at the bottom where it comes together with two other second growth trees. Sentinel of the Pacific Coast.

O.K., here's our final SketchCrawler posting by Bruce Jones, done at the mouth of the Gualala River on Sketchcrawl Day. He's a little late, having been teaching a watercolor pencil class to kids at our Gualala Art Center this week:



Mouth of Gualala River at Pacific Ocean outfall

Good work Jack, Bruce, Arna. Looking forward to many more Sketch Crawls. Dorise

gaelwriter
A fairy tale-like tree house is amazing Make me believe that there live Adam and Eve like fairies inside.

Arna Means
Beautiful colors, Lovely woods.

Dorise
Both have different charm; both are great.

Bruce Jones
What a gorgeous view! Made me want to visit this place.

Very nice work everyone!