Bringing a much-traveled book home

This weekend I had a very important mission, to return a book (Runaway horses by Mishima Yukio) that has stayed and traveled with me for the past 8 months back to the East Asian Library. My progress through the book was so slow so I insisted on taking it with me on every trip because of the guilt. In the end, I estimate that it has clocked up 6 round trips to Asia with me. 4 of them to China, 1 to Taiwan, and 1 to its homeland in Japan. The book probably has never returned to Japan since it was published in the Showa period...so it is always interesting to think how the book might end up after this.

I picked my previous spot along the slopes of Hearst Avenue. Even though I walk pass this location every day on my way from between my apartment and the lecture halls, the way the streets split up and curve up never fails to captivate me. The shadows casted by the greens and colours of the retro apartment buildings are also fun to watch.

After my emotional farewell with the book, I noticed the long shadows behind the East Asian Library itself (the dark shape to the left) and the building behind it. The Sunday is quiet at Berkeley because it was the last day of Spring Break and students usually don't come back until late evening. As I had the walkway and warm sun to myself, it was truly an enjoyable moment...except that I am starving (it was close to 1pm and I didn't really have breakfast) So I was glad when the sun helped out and dried the paints for me with extra swiftness! Then there was the long walk downhill to where I parked my car (I was still recovering from my trauma the day before venturing into the hills of San Francisco downtown)

Rehabilitation time!

Coming back after another 2-week stint out of town. I usually bring all necessary painting supplies with me on trips, never giving up on the hope that I might, just might, have a day or two down time that I can wonder around town and sketch. Unfortunately two weeks went by again with my brush un-wet and palette untouched (the only day I got off work was spent lying sick in bed) Even though the glamour of Macau is only 20 mins away (according to the locals), I could only gaze upon its lights from afar...

 For rehabilitation of course, I biked to my usual spot, Los Gatos Creek Trail, so I could exercise my body and brain at the same time. As with suburban life, you could never get away from trees from this part of town.

An overview of the Vasona Reservoir that the bike trail loops around

Coming back home after a long trip

After an exhausting 3-week long trip out of town, I finally got to paint some more now that I actually have time to roam around on the weekends. 

I always try to combine biking and sketching in the same outing so I save time and can get some rest during my exercise (although I usually end up shivering the shades) This one is a tiny plaza a few blocks away from my apartment. As usual, not much foot traffic around this area so I get to have the corner all for myself! 

The next day I headed up to SF to attend the annual History Day at the Old Mint. Really it is less of an event, more of a convention, with groups from all over tabling and holding panels. While I was waiting at the front door, I sketched the 2 gentlemen greeting visitors in their fancy coat and top hat. The building behind with the clock tower is SF belongs to SF Chronicles.

I remember I didn't have the confidence to draw the wonderful corridor of the Old Mint during last year's event and ended up drawing Westfield shopping mall instead lol. This time the inside was much less crowded than last year (because it wasn't raining this time) and the chandeliers are too enticing to reject. Maybe next year I'll gather enough courage to draw the people in costume up close!

Experimenting with Virtual Pleinair

After coming across the #virtualpleinair tag on Twitter, I decided to give it a try. All daily pictures from mapcrunch.com

Geylegphug, Bhutan 

Rockaway Park, NY

Oakland Museum of California, 2nd round!

 I headed to the Oakland Museum of California with the SF Sketchers meetup. I've only been here on a previous sketching trip with the SF Bay Area Urban Sketchers, but the quality of the exhibitions left a good impression on me. 

While I was waiting for a friend to join me, I started sketching on the roof (although technically it is also the ground floor since the entrance is on the roof-level and everything else is underneath), which offers a good view of Lake Merritt. (Since last time I came it was after dark, so I had no idea it had such a good view) there were also a few people practicing skateboard in the small square to the left. When I showed this piece to my parents, my dad could instantly tell that the hills in the background are the East Bay hills, even though he's never been to Lake Merritt...only possible after years of driving up and down Berkeley

This was my most memorable exhibit from...I think 2 years ago? I'm glad to see it is still there :D

The intense expression on the animals were so captivating that I decided to do another sketch of it, this time in B&W with my new favourite brush pen.

Just off the Highway: Gate Vista Point

I drove through I-280 between San Jose and Millbrae almost every weekend. At first it was just small hills one after another, but when I reach around the intersection with Highway 92, the mountains open up and from the highway you can see to the distant costal mountains (in their misty blue colour) as well as the reservoir between the valleys. The scenery gets even better when the morning fog moves through the valley in the sun (but I haven't got a chance to paint that yet)

 I did my extensive research on Google Maps the night before and had my eyes set on this parking lot right off 280. It was very spacious and a few people were already there enjoying the scenery from inside their cars. You can see the highways in the distant. Because of the clouds, the sun disappears and reappears frequently, but long enough for me to remember where the shadows were~ When I was drawing, an elderly Asian gentleman walked up to me, asking if I'm Chinese. To which I replied sure, yes I am. Then he told me he is Japanese. So I started talking to him in Japanese, telling him that I've worked there before. Quickly both of us realized that his Japanese is nowhere close to my proficiency (since he said he moved here when he was 6, I'm guessing he didn't have much chance to use it afterwards) Since he had to use a lot of English words to complement his Japanese, I then switched to entirely English, thinking that will make it easier for him. However, he looked surprised that I suddenly switched to English...then I found out that his English was broken too...The conversation was getting difficult and he was also starting to get to some personal questions, so I just packed up as I was finishing up my first piece and moved to different spot. America sure is a strange place :P

The way the sunlight breaks through the mist and lights up the fresh grass in the front really caught my eye. As I was working on this piece, an Indian family came up and all took a look at my drawing (the dad even took a picture of it~) And then a little girl and her mom walked by, and the little girl told me excitedly that she found a cat in the bushes on the right. 

One fine afternoon in Campbell

 After exhausting my options at Santana Row, I thought I was probably done with all scenic architecture to draw near my apartment (which unfortunately situates itself in a bland suburb) Campbell, a town few miles away, came up as an option when I was planning to go biking again at Los Gatos Creek Trail (also in Campbell) And Google timely suggests the Campbell Heritage Theatre as a point of interest. The slanting sun, the red roof, and the calm fountain; I wish there's more of these places near me! There were also very few passer-bys on foot, so I can spread out my stuff and worry about blocking anybody.

After that I headed to my usual biking spot, Los Gatos Creek Trail. The sun setting over the reservoir was so stunning I convinced myself to paint another piece. Just as I was admiring the pink hue and taking my time to mix the colours, the sunlight disappeared from the trees to the left, then the walk way...I thought it was a cloud covering the sky, but it turns out that the sun is just about to set beneath the hills to the right. (Now I understand why people living in valleys complain out short daylight periods!!) I was scrambling for my darker paints and filling in the shadows for the trees when the sun completely disappeared on me...so I ended up relying on my memory to finish the reservoir and reflections. This was probably the most intense sketching sessions I've done...thanks Mother Nature, appreciate the lesson