Summer on the Iron Horse Trail

What a difference a few months makes! When I last reported on the Iron Horse Trail, everything was green. Mount Diablo and the surrounding hills were green, the railroad bed was green, and the empty back lots lining the Trail were green. Trees had leafed out and wildflowers proliferated. Seven months of drought-busting rains turned San Ramon into an emerald green paradise (see Spring on the Iron Horse Trail).

Shady rest stop on the Iron Horse Trail

Mile 18.25 heading south from Concord to Dublin

Fast forward a few months and many days of 90- to 100-degree weather. San Ramon has been transformed back into the tawny paradise characteristic of the California landscape. The hills are once again golden brown with scattered oak trees. I've been getting my exercise swimming laps at the nearby San Ramon Olympic Pool and Aquatics Center, or taking quick walks around the Bishop Ranch lakes in the late afternoon, when the blissful marine breeze travels through the 580 corridor, and up the 680.

Countryside turns brown near Bishop Ranch (with California hills in the distance)

I finally made my way over to the Iron Horse Trail for a walk, and to see what impact the high heat is having. The Iron Horse Trail runs through San Ramon near Bishop Ranch, and provides a vital transportation and recreational corridor. I found a lot of tawny grasses, and hot sun, so kept to the Trail edge and explored some of the shady side trails and lingered under the big oak. I found a lot of tiny wildflowers amidst the grasses, and some interesting oak galls and plant diseases.

Shady side trail through pines	Oak Apple Galls
Another type of Gall	Morning Glory

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Summer Movies 2017: Vincent & Theo

For our last movie of our summer series, which features artists in the garden, we are watching Vincent & Theo (1990), directed by Robert Altman, and starring Tim Roth and Paul Rhys in the respective starring roles. Artists are not always conventional, so watchers beware. But if you appreciate art, artists, creativity, and the intersection of madness and genius, pour a glass of peach iced tea, pick some summer fruit, and join me!

The movie opens with overlapping scenes showing a modern auction taking place in Christie's of London for the Van Gogh painting, Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers (1888), with bidding near 12M pounds; and scenes in Vincent's rented room in which Vincent declares his intention to Theo be a painter of the real world, not the church, and later in which Theo reveals that he is the one who has been supporting Vincent's painting career, not their father. Cut back to Christie's and the bidding ends at 22M pounds. The rest of the movie takes place from 1883 - 1891, and covers many of the well-known events in their lives—Vincent's relationship with Paul Gaugin, cutting off his ear, eating paint, his compassion for others, bouts with depression, and the constant need for money.

Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890) and his art dealer brother, Theo (1857 - 1891), moved from the Netherlands to France to improve their fortunes. Vincent apprenticed as a painter, and Theo sold art. He was a proponent of the new Impressionist style, and attempted to promote Vincent's work, but had a difficult time of it. The film depicted both brothers as tempestuous and a bit tortured, and by the end of the film, Vincent's mental health is deteriorating. He is committed to Saint Remi to repair, and is authorized to paint anywhere he likes. He does some of his most iconic work during this time, but tragically kills himself. Six month later, his brother dies.

Some of my favorite scenes were of Vincent painting in the open air, surrounded by nature. I also liked how Theo and Vincent’s lives were intertwined, and how Theo helped his brother, even as he struggled with his own issues. It's heartbreaking to think of Vincent and Theo struggling with money problems, while Vincent's paintings sell posthumously for millions, and to watch Vincent tormented by mental illness while forging a new art form. I also appreciated watching the short, Film as Fine Art, which describes the making of the movie. Many art students were employed to create the faux Van Gogh paintings used throughout the movie, all of which were in various stages of completeness, and the film crew purchased an entire sunflower field to shoot some of the final scenes of the film. I recommend the film for anyone with a passion for art and nature.

Summer Movies 2017: Renoir

Our next movie is Renoir (2013) directed by Gilles Bourdos, and starring French actors Michel Bouquet, Christa Théret, and Vincent Rottiers. This is part of our summer movie series that feature artists in the garden. As mentioned for the previous movie, artists can be unconventional, so this movie may not be for you. But if you appreciate art, artists, and the creative process, join me with your Kettle Corn and cool summer beverage!

The movie is set on the French Riviera at the estate of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841 - 1919), in the summer of 1915. Renoir, one of the early Impressionist painter, has retreated to the Mediterranean coast in the south of France. He is grieving the recent death of his wife, battling painful rheumatoid arthritis at age 74, and lamenting that two of his sons have been wounded in war. He is attended by several of his former models who keep house, attend to his health, and provide companionship. His younger son runs wild in the countryside dealing with his mother's death and his anger at his father.

A mysterious young woman, Andrée, arrives at the estate, saying she was sent by Renoir's dead wife to be his model. Renoir is reinvigorated by her presence, and begins to paint despite his pain. One of the sons, Jean (1894 - 1979), returns home to convalesce. Both father and son are captivated by the young model, and inspired by her free spirit and youthful beauty. The father explores a new level of painting, and the son finds his purpose to become a film maker. The movie becomes a story about the Renoirs (father and son), their relationships, and their creativity.

I loved the beauty of the movie with its lush settings, filtered shade and brilliant light, color palette, glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea and nature, and summer scenes. Details of daily living, Renoir's art studio, life on the estate, picnics and pleine air painting in nature, are depicted almost like art, befitting both a painter and a film maker. Relationships are complex and messy. The characters grapple with life and death, aging and loss, beauty and love, creativity and purpose, and the whole human experience. The war seems distant in their summer of Eden, but it makes its presence known.

Take a look (click Watch Trailer): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2150332/

Summer Movies 2017: Mr. Turner

Every summer I like to escape the summer heat and activity, and head for the movies, typically selecting something where plants are the movie stars. This summer I've chosen movies that feature artists in the garden. Warning: artists can be an unconventional lot, and so can their lives. If this offends, best to watch something else. Otherwise, grab a lemonade and a slice of watermelon and come join me!

Mr. Turner

Our first movie is Mr. Turner (2014), directed by Mike Leigh and starring Timothy Spall. Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 – 1851) was a successful painter in Britain, known as "the painter of light" in his time, and later considered to be a pioneer of abstract art. The movie spans the last 25 years of J.M.W. Turner's life (roughly 1825 – 1851). Turner was already an established Romanticist landscape painter, and an active member of the British Royal Academy of Arts. The film explores his later years as Turner embraces an abstract way of painting the themes he has painted all his career.

Leigh tells the story in a series of episodes from Turner’s daily and professional life. Many of the scenes give a glimpse into the times, and help establish Turner’s character – his father purchasing and mixing yellow pigment, his gallery, visits to a grand country house for a commission, his appreciation of music. The film also explores the complex relationships with the people in his life – the daughters he did not acknowledge; his father who worked alongside him as an assistant (and their shared grief over their wife and mother’s mental illness and death); his housekeeper; the artists at the Academy who provided competition and camaraderie. Turner spent time between his home and studio in London, and the seaside town of Margate where he was inspired by the landscape and light, and enjoyed the company of his widowed landlady, Mrs. Booth, for many years.

I like how the film juxtaposes scenes showing Turner observing and sketching in nature, and remembering or experiencing strong emotional events in his life, with scenes showing Turner bringing together light, color, and emotion in a painting. The film captures the creative process and personality of the painter, and shows how Turner's paintings progress from realistic to more abstract. Many people embraced the change and saw it as genius; critics thought he was losing his eye sight and his mind with age. I recommend this film for anyone who enjoys art and artists, and the beauty of capturing light. I also recommend watching the short feature on the DVD, The Many Colours of Mr. Turner, for additional information.

Take a look at the trailer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2473794/?ref_=vi_close

Color in the Garden: Pinks and Mauves

Pinks and mauves are the next colors we are exploring in our ongoing theme of color in the garden. We are using Color in Your Garden, by Penelope Hobhouse, to learn more about the topic in general, and these colors specifically. We can use the information to add pinks and mauves to our gardens here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pinks and mauves are the pastel, gray tinted versions of stronger hues of reds and blue-reds. They appear pale in strong light (unless deeper pink is introduced to add strength), and luminous in evening light (like white flowers). The following gallery includes native plants, Mediterranean plants, and some that illustrate the effect of using pink and mauve flowers.

Spring

Camellia	Peony
Rhododendron	Monkey Flower
Unidentified	Cyclamen
Lavender	Tulip Tree

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Pinks and mauves are quiet and restful, needing no focal adjustment of the eye. They are tinted versions of adjacent red and violet segments on the spectral wheel, and their color values can range from very pale to medium-toned.

Pink (whether soft rose or sharper salmon) retains its red derivation, and its qualities of warmth and welcome. Mauve (derived from the French word "mallow") is a more complicated color. It is a delicate tint of purple-violet, a pink with bluish-violet. It is less a color in its on right than a link between paler violet tints and the richer Crimson-reds.

Summer

Madonna Inn Rose	Petunias
Desert Willow	Clarksia
Unidentified	Wild Rose (used as street planting)

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Hobhouse observes that pinks and mauves show up well against a backdrop of gray stone, and the mellow tints of old brick, and whitewash; and contrast against dark green hedges. The colors are influenced by neighboring colors, but seldom influence in turn (although not eye catching, they can be very delicate when observed close up).

Fall

Naked Ladies

Hydrangea (alkaline soil)

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She also recommends using pinks and mauves as a background or between areas of strong complementary blues and yellows, or where violets and oranges are used; rather than as the focal color.

Winter

Hellebores Niger	Prunes
Western Redbud	Aloe Bloom

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I have noticed that some new foliage starts out pink and then darkens to green or red. Succulents can have lovely pink stems and foliage as well.

Foliage

Chimera 'Sunrise'	Succulent
New Pink Foliage	Unidentified

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To find more about pink and mauve flowers and foliage that thrive in the San Francisco Bay Area, see Wildflowers of the East Bay Regional Park District. Another good source is Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates.

Elements of Color

I've been venturing into the art world this year, to learn more about color and color theory as part of my year-long study of color in the garden. I recently finished reading Elements of Color by Johannesburg Itten (Ravensburg Germany, 1961; and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, 2003). Elements is a simplified and condensed version of his treatise on the color system that Itten wrote about in his larger work, The Art of Color, which was published in Germany in 1961.

Faber Birren, who worked with Itten for many years, wrote the Forward and provides a brief biography. Itten (1888 - 1967) was born in Switzerland and trained as an elementary school teacher, and later became an expressionist painter, designer, teacher, and color theorist associated with the German Bauhaus school of art. He left the Bauhaus to operate his own art school in Berlin, where he developed the ideas for The Art of Color; he also started the School for Textile Design at Zurich, and founded the Museum Rietberg. He returned to Switzerland and became the director of the Arts and Crafts School and Museum. Some of his contributions include work on a twelve-point color star, and his discussion of "The Seven Color Contrasts". He encouraged students to learn color principles, but then rely on their inner voice and instinct to make color choices.

The book includes chapters on color physics, theory, and design; the color circle and color sphere; the seven color contrasts (hue, light-dark, cold-warm, complementary, simultaneous, saturation, extension); harmony, form and color; composition; and theories of color impression and expression. Color glossy pictures illustrate many of the color principles. All through the book, Itten refers to classic works of arts that illustrate the principles he is discussing. For example, Henri Matisse's "Le Collier d'Ambre" is cited as an example of contrast of hues for its pure colors of red, yellow, green, blue, red-violet, white and black.

I was intrigued by Itten's theory of why we experience successive contrast (the complementary after-image that appears on a white paper after staring at a vivid color, for example, the after-image of blue is orange; and (2) simultaneous contrast (two colors side by side are simultaneously affected by the after-image of the other, and each color appears tinged (for example, juxtaposed blue and yellow objects may appear to have a tinge of violet). His explanation is that brain wants to fill in the complementary color to complete the color spectrum. Interesting idea. He also has a good chapter on observing nature (Theory of Color Impression). He points out that shadows have color, that reflections distort images and color, that light appears differently when reflecting on various materials. These observations help the gardener as well as the artist.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in art or gardens. It is not long, and easy to read, but I found myself lingering over it to study the glossy examples, and look up the cited works of art to better understand concepts. This is the kind of book that I will pick up every year or so to reread and ponder, to continue learning about color.