Go Warriors! Surf's up! Cattle call!

 It's been several days since my last post. So much has happened including so many people. I will mention a few for your entertainment. Let me start with some class mates and one that I went all the way through school with, Barbara Ann Young. She and I were in Ms. Constantini's First Grade class at Aliso School shown here (note: "Are we good helpers?" and "Our color friends").

Barbara Young is the blonde in the center and I am next to Ms Constantini.

Barbara has been my life long friend so when she came by the mural one afternoon and suggested we go have a drink inside Senor Frog's, what could I say? Love you, Barbarian.

On another afternoon our Senior Class President Tom Riemers showed up the day after his 60th birthday.

Chelsea and Tom Riemers

 And later that day another Carp Warrior from our Class of 1970, Mona Duarte dropped by.

Mona Duarte with Zorro

And on another day my classmate, neighbor and fellow artist Matt Moore stopped and gave me a little help shaping the surfboard.

Matt Moore of Rincon Designs

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.... we welcomed our first calf. An adorable, wobbly, silky black sweetheart reminding us that Spring has arrived.

And back down to Wullbrandt Way again.... I had the faces on the harbor seals painted so JC was able to paint on the whiskers. The rough texture of the plaster wall makes it very difficult to paint thin lines so he used a small brush and took his time before finishing the rocks at the rookery. Meanwhile I was overhead completing the top portion of sky that will have the Pelicans soaring across. This mix of Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White and Yellow Ochre is a more subdued and natural color than the "Kodachrome" Cerulean Blue of the "postcard" sky. Blending the blue from light to dark and back to light is challenging. I want for there to be some "life" to the sky as seen in  the maquette but the transition must appear to flow somewhat evenly. This expanse will be broken up when I add the Pelicans which will help conceal these transitions.

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It was not just the Class of '70 that visited WSB this week, there were plenty of Carpinteria Beautiful people as well.

cleaning the beach

 "Are we good helpers?"

Gayle Ward

"Our color friends"

The Mayor:

Al

Fellow Artists:

Marjorie

Judy

Neighbors that I lean on:

Bradley

And new friends:

Friday night I stayed in town so I could attend the ribbon cutting ceremony at Bartlett & Harrington, Jeff Moorhouse and Avocado Festival's new digs in the Bright/Powell building. Next morning my Mom treated me to breakfast at Cajun Kitchen before drawing the shore birds, then painting them the way Dorthy Tripp taught so many of us to do.... " with a flick of the brush".... and so on.

JC came to pick me up and we headed up to the top of Rincon Mountain for Graham's birthday BBQ.
Then back up the Chismahoo to Rancho Botello to feed the animals before dark.

"Daylight Savings" having kicked in this morning,  it's an hour later than I thought and I need the sleep if I'm going to get some painting done tomorrow. Word is that rain is possibly on the way later this week.

Don't forget to scroll down to "older posts" and go to "Feburary" where I continue to add to the sequence of updated progress shots. It's starting to come together!
Oh, and which ever one of you sent me that "halo" in the CVN this week........ I was touched.
Thank you.

Early Bird Special

It sure has been paint'n weather. We put a good number of hours into the mural this week.
Most notable, the harbor seals. JC blocked them in with a mix of Neutral Grey, Titanium White, Carbon Black, Cerulean and Cobalt Blues, Raw Titanium and a little Raw Sienna and Yellow Ocher. To get it to flow into the VERY rough surface we added small amounts of Matte Medium. After some repositioning and a little "fat trimming" on one, JC sped right through it while I focused on some detail work in the Salt Marsh. Again, too many visitors to mention them all here, but Foster came by for a photo op applying a few brush strokes.

And CHS classmate Freddy Olivas (catch him playing at the Palms) shown here with his wife and JC.

Then a little later Tony Brown and his daughter stopped by for a good conversation.
The sun was setting so JC took the ATV back up the Mountain (animals to feed) and I was off to a meeting with Foster and Donna to talk about the mural dedication, some chile rellenos then spent the night on Walnut Ave.. The next morning my Mom and I went to Esau's for the Early Bird Special. I noticed the dolphin image at the top of their menu had the slender look. I needed to correct my plump mural dolphins so the cook gave me a piece of wax paper and the waitress loaned me a pen and I traced it for reference later (pens do not work well on wax paper). After our yummy breakfast and 1/2 price coffee we headed to the Salt Marsh for some yummy photographs.

We then checked out the main beach or "City Beach" as they call it now. Such a beautiful morning to have it almost all to ourselves. I needed to see some seaweed and get a feel for the sand. Turned out to be a good way to celebrate what would have been my Dad's birthday.

Then began the day of painting and blabbing on Wullbrandt Way. Early in the design process, Brian Mootz requested I put a "Beach Babe" in the mural. This one's for you Brian:

Carolyne Mootz does WSB

Seems like there are plenty of beach babes to go around in this town however:

Back to painting faces on the seals and then another CHS classmate Carol Koehler with her Dad, Lester Koehler (now 93 and still living on Palm Ave. a block from where I grew up).

Some more detail work on the seals and another Brown (Steve) drops by. Really appreciate his opinion since he is also an artist and a descendent of the family who once owned the entire Carpinteria beach.

No sooner was I back into the seals when Donna shows up with a white chocolate mocha latte and a camera to take this shot of me painting, just in case you were thinking all I do is chat and take photographs:

Now those who know me have heard me tell of my third grade teacher and how I credit her with really encouraging me to make art. Well, here she is looking way too young to have been my third grade teacher, don't you agree?

 

 

 All and all it was a great day on Wullbrandt Way. Foster is now speeding out of town in an Airstream for Spring training while I'm loading up to head back up the mountain. As I piled the paint and ladders onto the truck a young lady named Evelyn arrived for a close look at our happy harbor seals. Her approval meant the world to me and reassured me that I got the smiles just right.

Happy Birthday Ernie Wullbrandt

Grey, Blue and Sand. John and Mary Wullbrandt on "WSB"

Loyal followers, please stay tuned.
These have been busy paint'n days for JC and I, leaving no time to blog.
(Thanks for filling in with your letter in CVN, Bob H.)
To keep this blog alive I share shots of my Mom and I visiting the "World's Safest Beach". Needed to get another look at it before heading up the street to paint. Notice how similar the grey color of the wet sand on "WSB" is to the sidewalk on Wullbrandt Way?

Happy Birthday Dad

A Windy Wullbrandt Way

Spent time this morning in the studio pretending to be a real artist working on a secret project. JC, Zorro and I finally climbed in the truck and made it down the mountain. The wind blowing through Wullbrandt Way was not only unpleasant but made it next to impossible to paint. I managed to sketch in the harbor seals before calling it quits. I want to thank Al Clark for sending some great photos of the seals some time back which I am using in the mural.

For Purple Mountain Majesties...

Hail! Hail Freedonia! Groucho Marx in "Duck Soup"?

Shortly after posting yesterday, Casita Botello was pelted, no clobbered with hailstones.

And then some more hail. We made the right call, not going to paint a mural.

And then it was all over and Rincon Canyon sparkled in the late afternoon sun.

This morning I loaded our paints and ladders and drops back in the truck while JC fed the animals. Down the mountain, to the Post Office, Mom's, Bank, Post Office again before grabbing my favorite parking spot on Wullbrandt Way and snapped this shot:

And before I got started painting I snapped the next shot of Mina, Vera and Ray Goena following a fun chat about the "old days" and shared stories, some of which I can't share here, sorry. Mina remembered my Grandma Claudie (born here and never to be forgotten in this town) and her fantastic doll collection she started in my Grandpas shop on Linden across the street from "The Palms" and down the block from our mural.

When I finally climbed the ladder with some paint and a brush, Members of the "LLLLA" showed up.

(Little Leading Ladies Luncheon Association). Hi Mom! (center) Look what I can do!

And Yes, of course, I would love to have my picture taken painting the Purple Mountain Majesties.

This is a good time to tell you what my Mom always said to me as a kid when I had some crazy big idea, "Show me, don't tell me!" 

And so as the saying goes, "Be careful what you ask for Mom" 

My "Chalk Gallery" buds Liz and Duane (and "Superfans" from the start) invited my up the block for a cup of coffee. If you have not been to their gallery, you must go. Thank you fellow artists. This gave me a chance to stand back and see if my mountain colors matched the mountains behind town. Nailed it. Dioxazine Purple, Neutral Grey, White, Yellow Ochre and Raw Umber. Lightened it as it stretches back toward Santa Barbara and warmed it up as it came toward Carpinteria. Want to capture the feel of the mountains and their relationship to the crescent of sand we call WSB. Will leave the nooks and crannies to Google Earth although very tempted to paint in Oprah's house in Montecito, The Big Yellow House in Summerland (future post), and Joe's Cafe on State (the original one with the Perrys). LOL

JC arrived on Wullbrandt Way after walking Zorro over to Palm Ave. and back. Brought me a great tuna sandwich and asked if he could jump into the ocean with some blue paint. Smiles. 

"Go for it!

 Working with Cerulean Blue and Titanium White, he left the narrow strips of gesso that will be painted white for breaking waves and I came back in with some of the "mountain colors" to blend into the blue water for a subtle reflection. Also mixed some of the mountain color into the chromium oxide green with some Yellow Ochre and Cerulean Blue for the trees in the foreground to the right. Continually joining the colors together helps the painting to appear harmonious overall.

The day was filled once more with the faces of new and old friends. Following is a photo of a creation brought to the mural site today by a member of the LLLLA... see above...LOL. I think she is considering entering Gallery 855's "Faces" show and I'm all for it. See www.artscarp.org

Some folks came with cameras, some with compliments, all with smiles. A shout out to Gloria, Leland, and The Mural Committee Chairman Mr. Foster Markolf, of course. Matt Moore did a "drive by" and the Von's Babes did walk by's. Saw you scoot past, Martha Hickey.
Here are a couple shots emailed in from Andy:

Two unknown art critics. photo: AN

photo: AN

We knocked out several square feet of surf and sand and wandered into the Salt Marsh before the light began to fade. Then, out of the blue appeared "The Bag Lady" with her "Bag Partner" celebrating the passing of their "Bag Law". What a Day on Wullbrandt Way.
Good night Carpinteria.
Artfully, JW

grey skies, nothing but grey skies

Like most of you, I too did not receive an Oscar last night although we have had Carpinterians nominated in the past (miss you Dame Judith Anderson). And no, I was not "The Artist" at the 84th Academy Awards who did. I appreciated the Art Deco "old movie house" theme for the set design very much.
A few of you know that in the early 1980's, shortly after moving from Carpinteria to San Francisco, I created sets for a good number of shows in many venues and received the Bay Area Theater Critic's Circle Award for Best Set Design. Also I worked with my friend Steve Silver on his signature and long running spectacle "Beach Blanket Babylon" around the same time he did the set for an Academy Awards show (but my work never made it on stage in Hollywood). Not surprisingly many of my public murals are theatrically based in some way, including our very own "WSB" with a "center stage" and "proscenium arch" in mind and in a style which Josef Woodard (journalist/critic) once called "no-nonsense flamboyance"(SBNP/ Art Scene/ Art Review of my exhibit at Casa de la Guerra/ July 28, 2006). Love that line, thank you Mr. Woodard.

This may be helpful to those of you still challenged by my WSB "picture within a picture" composition. ( I'm still digging for the photo of me holding 2 Oscars on loan from Edith Head for a later post.) Also in the early 80's, The City of San Francisco commissioned me to create a mural only steps away from the SF Civic Center in "The Tenderloin", an area that had once been peppered with film studios, night clubs and small theaters. On the side of the 222 Club (site of the old "Blackhawk") I painted my version of the City's symbol which is the Pheonix rising from the flames. I painted a trompe l'oeil classical Greek revival facade that mimicked the surrounding structures, rising from the rubble (a nod to the "Great Quake of 1906") in a most theatrical way. Since we are part way through "WSB", I include a photo of "222" when it was 1/2 completed back in the early 80's. Painted in the Spring of the wettest year on record. 2012 may turn out to be the driest, however it is raining at the moment. Great for the forest, bad for mural painting.

"222" half way shot, 222 Hyde, SF, CA

Woke up to slight drizzle up here on Chismahoo Mountain. My bedroom is "the mural room" here at Casita del Botello. Surrounded by dark, naively painted panels of old Chismahoo and scenes of early Santa Barbara by Juan de Pacco in 1926 (more in future posts), I can peek through the multi paned century old windows down Rincon Canyon past the Point and see the dark grey clouds sweeping across the Santa Barbara Channel.

Window, Mural Room, Casita del Botello, Chismahoo

The road is still dry enough to drive down but no way I can paint if the wall is even "damp". Working with Acrylic Paint (water soluble) has it's advantages and disadvantages. The surface MUST BE DRY. I include a great web site here that will give you more info on murals than you could use, but will answer your many questions including "why are they not painting when there is a chance of showers?" < http://www.cpag.net/guide/2/2_pages/2_1.htm > . We ran out to offload paints and drops etc. from the back of the truck just in time. Here comes the rain.

Rincon Canyon, 2/27/12

Dogs, cats, cows and equine fed. Fire going in the old wood burning stove. Oatmeal please, JC.
This is going to give me chance to draw some of the images full scale on paper for transfer onto the wall once things have dried out. It also gives me time to describe here a little more about the "post card" central image of WSB. I have already painted the lifeguard tower loosely based on a photo by Rick Joy,  "Fourth of July at Carpinteria State Beach" that appeared in the Carpinteria Morning Rotary Club's 2008 Calendar. Thanks Rick Joy. One day last summer when I was photographing Main Beach I was pleased to notice that rainbow colored umbrellas were the most popular. Then on page 12 of CVN Jan. 5, 2012 there appeared a photo by Adam Caira of a lone rainbow colored umbrella subtitled "The first beach umbrella to shade a patch of city beach in 2012 bloomed early on New Year's Day..." Propinquity?
Most likely the post card we Carpinterians think of first is the one published in the late 70's by Casitas Hallmark Shop. This photo was taken by Carpinterian Virgil Cooper.

Back side of vintage postcard

Recently native Carpinterian Lou Panizzon (who grew up a few doors away from me on 8th St. and one block from our mural) took me to meet with Mr. Cooper, now a very young 94. I asked his permission to use his photo in our mural. Permission was graciously granted. I asked him how much he was paid for the photo. He donated it. I assured him I was following his lead. He spoke of knowing my Dad, Ernest, back when Mr. Cooper was helping to establish "The County Bank" where "Jack's Bagels" is now 1/2 block north of Wullbrandt Way. He had followed my career and was living in Mountain View, CA. when I did one of my largest public murals there (6,000 sq. ft. see future post). In his "WSB" photo sits a family of four near an umbrella down near "Jelly Bowl" with hand painted lettering "Carpinteria- World's Safest Beach". Scooting along in the background is the commuter boat returning from the oil platform.

Pannizon Family near Jelly Bowl by Virgil Cooper

Now try following this one: The Carp High Yearbook is called the "Chismahoo" (sound familiar?) In 1969 it's Editor was Silvia Echeveria (yep, Carp Beautiful Mural Committee Member and City Employee). Susie Christie and I worked with Silvia on the yearbook and the following year Susie and I became Co-Editors of "The Chismahoo". Still with me? Eventually Susie married Lou Panizzon, had a couple kids and posed for Virgil Cooper's postcard photo.

rough sketch for "WSB"

Also in our "Class of 70" was Matt Moore who is now my neighbor and fellow painter on Chismahoo Mountain. Got a surfboard in the mural for you Matt. Your logo was on the board in the rendering when it was approved by the ARB who approves City murals (and all signs) so it is not considered advertising!

MM logo on board from the beginning

GO WARRIORS!!!!!!

To follow progress, go to "Older Posts", scroll to: "World's Safest Beach" at bottom for updated chronological shots.