Sausal Creek, Dimond Park, Oakland

This creek runs through the middle of Dimond Canyon and in some parts the children and adult visitors can access it. I sat on the edge of a retaining wall bordering the creek to paint this 20 x 16" acrylic. It was a challenge not because of the many children who stopped to give me compliments, but because I was sitting in full sun. The glare was hard to avoid. The sun dried up my acrylics in half the time it normally takes them to dry. On top of all of this, my eyes had to adjust to the relative darkness of this green tunnel, then back to the canvas's glare. This painting will never do justice to the colors I saw reflected in the water, but it is a good first attempt.