Pinole from El Sobrante 2006

This watercolor is from Carol and Diane's deck in El Sobrante, I made it yesterday after lunch, looking east north east, or perhaps more north than east, looking out over the oaks in the yard to Pinole, the houses, the urbanizacion, then the hills to the Sacramento Valley. The painting is not finished, but I pulled the tape. I want to work on it, post the changes; we'll see what happens. It felt very good to drop the wet brush onto the paper.

It's a wonderful view, the palm and Italian cypress only make it more romantic. The blue stretch, the finger of San Pablo Bay at the far left is Carquinez Straight. There's a new bridge there, it's unseen here, it's elegant; then the Delta is just past.

You stand there on Carol's deck and imagine Lola Montez coming down from Sonora for a song and dance on Grant Street...a game of Faro at the old Capri, champagne and clams at The Savoy Tivoli, and I stand wall eyed with you, happily drunk in the light of your spectacular beauty.