Old Oak at the Annex
Cuesta Park Annex

14" x 18"  oil on canvas

nfs

This is an older piece, which I have placed up for auction. When I painted it, the future of this park (in Mountain View, seemed to be in question, with many of the trees - like this one- slated for removal. Through much effort on the part of the community, plans were changed and the annex (a "wild" part of a big city park) has been left as it is. It is a wonderful little piece of the California landscape left just as it is.

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at the Daily Paintworks. Thanks for looking!

Cuesta Park Quickie

9" x 12" oil on canvas
 Sold

It was a beautiful spring day and I had the chance to get out and paint, so I headed over to Cuesta Park Annex, here in Mountain View. Because my time was limited, I needed to paint as quickly as possible and get it done in just one session. It was really fun, but I felt like I was racing the clock!

This piece is painted on all sides of the canvas. It can be framed up, or you could hang it just as it is.

 

To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery pages at the Daily Paintworks, see my plein air work on the Plein Air Artists website, or find me on facebook.

Approaching Storm

Cuesta Park Annex

11" x 14" oil on canvas
 $110.

This pistache tree and the one behind it were showing their most vibrant colors. The sky was changing, sun to clouds, clouds to sun, shadows would come and go, and occasionally a few drops of rain would fall. It was a terrific day to be out painting at the Annex at Cuesta Park!

This painting covers all sides of the canvas, it can be framed traditionally, creativly, or you could hang it just as it is.

To purchase this painting, simply click on the Paypal "Buy Now" logo, or The Daily Paintworks logo on your left. To see more of my work, please visit my Gallery page at The Daily Paintworks. You can also see more of my plein air work at Plein Air Artists, a wonderful website devoted to plein air painting.

Late Spring at the Annex

16" x 20" oil on canvas

framed, 19.5" x 23.5" 

 $295.

In late spring, the almond trees have finished blooming, time has moved on. The grasses are growing long and drying out but everything still has that feeling of being fresh and green.

I love painting here at this small part of Cuesta Park - called the Annex - because it still has a feeling of wildness and space. Once an old orchard, now a bit of open space, it is a reminder of how things "naturally" are.

This piece has been exhibited, so it is framed - in wood, with a painted boarder, ready to hang. Here's how it looks:

If you would like to bid on it, or see more of my work, please visit my Gallery at The Daily Paintworks.

  

Almond Trees in Bloom

Almond Trees in Bloom

Cuesta Park Annex

11" x 14"  oil on canvas

sold

 The almond blossoms have once again put on a great show at Cuesta Park Annex. Even though it's been said before, we worry that this will be the last year we have such a lovely display. The city would like to "change" this undeveloped piece of land and make it "better". Put in a basin, in case there's ever a flood, build paths and tear down trees, etc. Progress.

Those of us who spend time there understand this is a beautiful place that should be valued, protected, and left as is.

This piece is available from the Daily Paintworks, or may be purchased directly from me. I hope you will visit my Gallery at The Daily Paintworks. Thank you for looking.

Autumn

Cuesta Park Annex

16" x 20"  oil on wrap-around canvas

$300

Cuesta Park Annex is one of the few remaining tracts of natural land left in our ever growing little city. City planners have assured us that what we really want is for it to be built up and improved upon, despite the majority of people who think that we should leave it just as it is. But lately it seems that this lovely little piece of open space has gotten a reprieve - the big basin the water district was considering digging has been put on hold, and now the proposed history museum was just voted down. 

That's the good part! The bad part is that the concept of keeping this lovely, natural  little piece of land "as is" is probably still in question. Eventually the economy will improve and the powers that be will look to this place with new eyes and reconstruction in mind.

But till then we still have a chance to walk around and enjoy the land, left pretty much as the early settlers found it.

This painting is painted on a thick wrap-around canvas, in a beige color similar to the dry grass. No need for framing, it is ready to hang.

This painting is available directly from me, or from The Daily Paintworks.

 Before It's Gone

Cuesta Park Annex
16" x 20"  oil
Framed in redwood lath.

$120.

This week Cuesta Park Annex might have gotten another chance to exist. Long story short: official powers want to develop one of the last natural pieces of land around here - a beautiful spot - but now are reconsidering how much they will do. I've posted paintings and opinions so many times about this that it would be overkill to do it again - I'll just list those posts below.

So, another painting showing how beautiful this place is, how wonderful the many trees are, how lovely the whole area is - and what a great place it is for plein air painting! Dare we hope other development plans could be reconsidered as well?  It would be nice to save this place, leaving it as it is, so our children and grandchildren will have some idea of what the land looked like before we came here.

To see my other posts about Cuesta Park Annex:

http://patriciamusgraveapaintingblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/cuesta-park-annex-summer-oil-on-canvas.html

http://patriciamusgraveapaintingblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/mid-spring-at-annex.html

http://patriciamusgraveapaintingblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/oak-tree-at-cuesta-annex.html

http://patriciamusgraveapaintingblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-landscape.html

http://patriciamusgraveapaintingblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/almond-trees-at-cuesta-park.html

But wait! There are more paintings of the Annex to come - stay tuned.

Cuesta Park Annex - Summer

Oil on canvas, 16" x 20"

sold 

I love summer. I love the heat, the light and all the flowers and vegetables that grow now. I love the way the the fields turn golden and the shadows seem to dance with color.

Cuesta Park Annex is one of the last "natural" pieces of land left in our city. It is easy to stand here and imagine how the area looked a hundred years ago. Before the powers that be step in and change things ("for the better," they say), it is good to walk here, listening to the birds, the squirrels and the daytime crickets. Very peaceful.

This painting is on wrap-around canvas, painted on all sides. No need for additional framing.

Mid Spring at the Annex

Mid-Spring at the Annex

11" x 14"

oil on canvas

100. 

Spring is so slow and reluctant to arrive around here, that you would not believe it is midway through the season.. still, we were able to get out and paint last week, and I caught this tree in it's "lacy" stage of leafing out. With no actual rain, the grass in the field was quickly going dry, only green where the deep shadows were.  

This painting is also posted on my Plein Air Artists Page

Oak Tree at Cuesta Annex

Old Oak at Cuesta Park Annex

14" x 18"  oil on canvas

$250. 

Massive, majestic but endangered ! This beautiful old oak sprawls over a large area at the Annex - a lovely undeveloped part of a big, local park. 

Parts of this large oak are in a sad state of decay, yet many limbs are new and vigorous... It's been here for such a long time, but the city wants to build here. No guarantee this magnificent oak, or others near it will get to stay. This tree should be treasured and protected, as should the whole Annex itself.

To learn more about the Annex and the efforts of local citizens to save it, click here. 

A Little Landscape

Cuesta Park Annex

oil on canvas  

11" x 14"

$100.

First landscape of the season! The birds were singing, the sun was finally out.

This beautiful, peaceful spot will soon be built on, so enjoy it while you can, the days are numbered. 

Also shown on my Plein Air page.

Almond Trees at Cuesta Park

Cuesta Park Annex, Spring Blossoms

24" x 24" 

NFS

Welcome to my Blog! Though not my first post, it is my official "Welcome"! 

I have started this blog to share work, my love of painting, and many of the ideas and sites that I have found. I hope you enjoy it. It is a work in progress! It will, like me, be evolving.

Thank you for visiting. In my great pleasure of spring's approach, I am posting this tribute, although the painting is no longer avialable.