PAAR Paint Out - Day 3

Day 3, we arrived at Martha McLean/Anza Narrows Regional Park to find that the entrance had a detour. If you had not been there before you may take the wrong way. We were telling everyone, if you go over the train tracks, you have gone too far, unfortunately with all the work they were doing on the road, you would be over the tracks before you realized you had missed the turn off. Since I had been there before I knew where I needed to go so was able to find the entrance with no problem. Unfortunately some of the other artist were not as lucky! Louise and I arrived a little past 8 a.m. We drove down by the Santa Ana river and looked at the view (breath taking views of the mountains to the Northeast and an old Union Pacific bridge to the west) and oh my the wind was blowing like you wouldn't believe. We sat in our car until another artist came. When we went past the entrance earlier I could not figure out where to pay my fee for the day and nobody was there, so Judy Schroeder said she was going to go back up and pay hers and would take my fees also. Louise and I sat out the breakfast in the back of my car and lift the hatch, another morning of bagels, cream cheese and Louise's jam and of course hot coffee. The artist started arriving, enjoying their breakfast and talking about the days before. I just could not believe that we actually filled up the parking lot with artist. The wind didn't stop anyone from coming, may have stopped them from staying, but they all came. Just before I started to get set up, I realized Eddie had left a message on my cell phone. He said that one of the artist was lost and she was quite upset and getting car sick. Just as I tried calling her, Rita Pacheco comes walking up, white as a sheet and very upset from her 2 hour ordeal. I calmed her down, got her some crackers and sprite and told her to sit down and relax. She wanted to go home, but we managed to get her to settle. Not too long after this Rita comes back to see if anyone can help her, she has locked her keys in her car. It was not Rita's day. After a few sticks to reach the keys and the luck she had left a window cracked, Alan Nowell had figured out how to get her keys off the seat and out of the window. By this time we were all laughing and just so relieved that Rita could now stay and paint. We put all the breakfast away and set up to paint down by the river. I didn't realize I had set up so close to the cliff as I was trying to find a spot in the trees to get out of the wind. When I realized this, I took a bungee strap and then strapped my easel to one of the tree limbs to try to protect it from the gusts of wind, just incase I had to let go. My easel tripod is very good in the wind, but I wasn't taking any chances. Oh the wind was so bad. I later learned that we had 60 to 70 mph winds that day, the life of a Plein Air Artist! After I finished my painting, Louise was waiting in the car, she was ready to go. It was just too much to try for another painting. Some of the artist had taken cover down under the bridge. I know someone took a photo of my easel attached to the tree, when I find out I will see if I can post it to this post on my blog. Until then, here is the painting I did at Martha McLean/Anza Narrows. Enjoy the art! Terry