Night painting at the historic "Mission Inn" Riverside, CA

Last night my friend Terry d Chacon and I went to paint the lights at the historic Mission Inn Hotel, in Riverside, CA. This has become quite a tradition for our painting group, PAAR who have enjoyed the night Christmas lights at this wonderful hotel. We set up slightly before dark on a far corner, away from the crowds. Soon the lights were on, and folks started to come by, and comment our our paintings or to ask questions and directions for happenings in the area. We of course knew nothing about any of the local events, but enjoyed the evening and the lights. Night painting is quite an experience, and something that I know I need much more experience. But never-the-less, this is my attempt of "Christmas time at the Mission Inn" 11x14 plein air pastel. The Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn will run though the new year.

Painting Indian Canyon - in Honor of J. Jordan

On Thursday last, my friends, Joan Coffey and Terry Chacon, went to Palm Springs to visit another artists who has been ill for some time, and then to paint at the Indian Canyon. When we arrived at our PAAR artists' house in Palm Desert, we were meet with very sad news, she had passed away the day before. So with sad hearts and thoughts of a lovely person and artists gone to soon, we decided to go to the canyon, and paint in honor of our friend, J. Jordan. After lunch we drove to Indian Canyon and went to the San Andreas Canyon area. There were beautiful fall colors in the canyon, and I attempted to capture the wild desert grapes along the banks of the creek that flows through this area. Of course the large palms are something to always paint, which are majestic statues of long ago residents of this beautiful canyon. When we finished painting, the three of us, went up to the gift shop to see the sights from the top of the canyon area, and a photo opp. Joan, sent me this photo she took with her handy dandy auto shoot, camera.