After coming back from the 2-week work trip in Asia, I joined a small group of artists on their annual retreat at Donner Lake the following weekend. Since I already told my boss that I'm ready to leave my job, the trip was also a rare chance that I need not to think anything about work, which was on top of my mind since the beginning of the year.
I thought I left early enough on Friday afternoon, heading east towards Lake Tahoe, and boy was I wrong. I hit 5+ min solid traffic jams in at least 3 places heading out of the Bay Area, the worst of which was Walnut Creek, followed closely by Vacaville and Sacramento. At first I was driving hoping to catch dinner, after clearing Sacramento all I was hoping for was to reach my destination before nightfall. I grabbed a quick bite to eat in Auburn (quaint little town, but somehow the proprietor of the only Chinese restaurant in town refused to speak Chinese with me...) and barely managed to get there before the last light disappears. (A wise decision because the parking lot does not have lighting, neither does the uphill trail leading to the lodge) The lodge itself was nice and cozy. Despite the initial crisis of finding out the staff forgot to leave my key out, I settled in smoothly. The ancient heating system produces a thundering noise overhead, but heck I lived across from the I-280 for 2 years, so after a little getting used to the rhythm and I fell right asleep.
The next day was packed with unusual sceneries to admire. The old train sheds ran miles along the mountain. It was difficult to find my footing inside the dark (and wet) tunnels, but exploring it without artificial light and simply letting the eyes slowly adjust definitely felt like the right way to do it!
Another casein-dominated piece done while sitting next to the train track. A train actually came along and I waved back on the passengers. (Since it is a rare passenger amtrak train, I assume it is California Zephyr?)
A final one before heading back to the Bay. I wanted to do one with the classic lake-mountain-reflection and this tiny pond is located conveniently next to a parking strip.
And yes, I do need more hiking practice to aspire to be an artist.
I thought I left early enough on Friday afternoon, heading east towards Lake Tahoe, and boy was I wrong. I hit 5+ min solid traffic jams in at least 3 places heading out of the Bay Area, the worst of which was Walnut Creek, followed closely by Vacaville and Sacramento. At first I was driving hoping to catch dinner, after clearing Sacramento all I was hoping for was to reach my destination before nightfall. I grabbed a quick bite to eat in Auburn (quaint little town, but somehow the proprietor of the only Chinese restaurant in town refused to speak Chinese with me...) and barely managed to get there before the last light disappears. (A wise decision because the parking lot does not have lighting, neither does the uphill trail leading to the lodge) The lodge itself was nice and cozy. Despite the initial crisis of finding out the staff forgot to leave my key out, I settled in smoothly. The ancient heating system produces a thundering noise overhead, but heck I lived across from the I-280 for 2 years, so after a little getting used to the rhythm and I fell right asleep.
The next day was packed with unusual sceneries to admire. The old train sheds ran miles along the mountain. It was difficult to find my footing inside the dark (and wet) tunnels, but exploring it without artificial light and simply letting the eyes slowly adjust definitely felt like the right way to do it!
It was overcast most of the morning, and the sun just barely poked through the clouds close to lunch time. I quickly put the shadows on the cliffs in place before the sun disappears again (unfortunately along with its fleeting warmth)
Back in the cabin after dinner, I decided to give my newly bought casein a proper trial (I blended some in the first painting, but didn't go far with it) Unlike my normal sessions that are usually subjected to weather and constantly changing lighting conditions, drawing an indoor scene gave me much more freedom in spending as long as I wanted on a certain detail. Even more so that it is with opaque paint, because I'm often able to go back and paint over areas that I'm not happy with. Also the room was warm and cozy so why not take my time?
Another casein-dominated piece done while sitting next to the train track. A train actually came along and I waved back on the passengers. (Since it is a rare passenger amtrak train, I assume it is California Zephyr?)
And yes, I do need more hiking practice to aspire to be an artist.
