Watercolor in Shades of Purple

Patti and I trekked off to Valley View this morning to do some painting at the at the Key's Creek Lavender Farm. It was a windy trip the way we went. We arrived just before opening and were the second car to arrive. The first thing we saw was two yoga-panted guru-guys with their little ponytails sticking out in back. They must have just completed a yoga session on a platform by a Buddha statue under a bougainvillea draped archway. Bowing to each other one walked into his tiny tent. Okay, whatever...to each his own! We weren't there for the yoga positions, but we were pausing from the everyday norm to nurture our inner artists. I'll be leaving in September, so these gal-pal artist adventures are important to pack in. Patti is getting quite good and probably owes that to the fact she's been concentrating on tonal studies and sketches. Whatever it is, it's working! After doing an oil painting at Crystal Cove, she's now falling in love with oil medium.

Today we set up in separate locations and started creating a composition. Patti had to imagine the lavender blossoms on the newly planted rows in front of her. After asking, she learned it takes 2-3 years for new plants to become fully-mature flowering producers of the every-so-lovely-smelling lavender. Sitting in the shade at the top of the hill looking down on the lavender fields was actually very comfortable with a generous and cool wind. The wind was definitely affecting our watercolor dry time. We painted from about 10:30-1:30 before heading back down the mountain. We sadly missed the peak season in March and April so Patti's going to put that on her calendar for next year. Judging from the photos on the Farm's website, the location is quite spectacular just prior to harvesting.

Here's my painting, which is unfinished here. I'll post the finished when that's done. Patti's lovely painting will be posted shortly.





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