RETIRO PARK FORMAL GARDENS DRAWING, MADRID SPAIN

At one end of this gorgeous park in Madrid are formal gardens. The trees are shaped in the most unusual way. Very fun to draw. There is a high arching wall and then a curving staircase down to the gardens and then out to the street if you continue on the path. I sat on top of the wall, looking down to draw this view. My sister did a watercolor painting. Here she is sitting on the wall. You can see her painting and her set up. Click on any of the images to get a larger, more detailed look.

Today I went with Chris Beck to a fabulous exhibit at the Old Mint in San Francisco. She had e-mailed me about this exhibit and I thought it would be a nice opportunity to spend some time with a new friend. Having another artist to discuss a show with is the best time possible. I have passed by this building (circa 1860's) many times but it is closed to the public. For a week is had been opened for this special showing. The artist, Elaine Badgley Arnoux, is an 82-year-old woman who started doing these portraits of 140 San Franciscans back in 1978. She used many different materials from graphite, colored pencil, gouache, watercolor, charcoal in various combinations. One was dated March, 2009 (Hot off the Press!) A very impressive body of work.