Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Overlook to San Lorenzo River, Boardwalk and Municipal Pier:
Pictured here are Melita Israel, Shirley Motmans and Joanna Jarvis.
Melita Israel and Shirley Motmans have been the stalwart core of the plein air group, which paints together on Thursdays, weather permitting:
Here is a statement from Melita:
“I started out doors painting with watercolorist/teacher Dave McGuire- He took his classes at Cabrillo to many places to paint. This was in 1977. One of the class members told me about the Santa Cruz Watercolor Society; and, I joined. One lady ran everything for $7/year- She did this until her 80’s when she resigned and Jo Jeutt took over the group. We had about 15 very active members. All the jobs president, secretary, treasurer, newsletter committee, and painting sites, were given to members. I had the job of finding painting sites. At the annual meeting various members would sign up for a month of sites-except in December and this information was in the monthly newsletter.
Crits were done at the end of a painting session, if we got that far.
Old members moved away, grew too old to paint outdoors or passed on.
Bernie Waymire had started a crit group which was in need of officers. I suggested that the two groups combine. Many new members tended to paint in their studios. I was unable to get all the months covered at the annual meeting. For a while I was painting with few members.
In the meantime Bernie’s group grew. At Bernie’s death, Linda Lord took over and moved the Crit group to the Art League.”
And from Shirley:
“I have painted plein-air for over 25 years with various groups: Santa Clara Watercolor Society, Yosemite Annual Watercolor Workshops (for about 10years) International painting trips with Dave McGuire Workshops, 5 or 6; and the Santa Cruz Watercolor Society.
Painting in the outdoor environment provides the spontaneity that is important to me; I want to see the nuances of light that is impossible any other way.”