Six: The Downtown Sticks

November 30, 2013 / By

I spent my teens and twenties in a small town in the piney woods of East Texas, around the environs of Big Sandy to be exact. Back then most people considered us ‘living out in the sticks‘, or way out in the country or backwoods. I had friends though, that lived even further “out in the sticks”.

This painting is out in the sticks right by downtown San Jose. I painted it from under the Taylor Street bridge near Guadalupe Parkway (Hwy 87) just on the northern edge of downtown San Jose. The creek is a side channel of the Guadalupe River as it flows through downtown San Jose. The fall color is still hanging around a bit, and I will continue to look for spots with color.

In case you missed it, I started a map you can follow with all the locations painted which you can find here.

Under the Taylor Street Bridge
Under the Taylor Street Bridge
My easel with the almost complete painting. By the time I finished, the sun was almost set, and of course the light totally changed.
My easel with the almost complete painting. By the time I finished, the sun was almost set, and of course the light totally changed!

You can see Guadalupe Parkway in the back (have to touch that up a bit!), and the Taylor Street bridge and support column.

The Downtown Sticks 8x10 oil on board
The Downtown Sticks 8×10 oil on board

I am starting to introduce man’s mark in the Valley of Heart’s Delight, which is one of the points of this project. Sometimes people (or at least a lot of city folks) don’t realize the natural beauty right below the freeway bridges, in back alleys and other ‘hidden’ places.

I am already about 3 paintings ahead of schedule but have some prior commitments the next few weeks so may not do anymore for awhile. Stay tuned!

BTW, I hadn’t originally planned on using the cutsy titles, but will keep it up when appropriate.