March 2, 2015 (Monday) River Fork Ranch Preserve Paint-Out

River Fork Ranch Preserve (photo from website)

Date:          March 2, 2015 (Monday)
Time:          10:00 am
Place:          River Fork Ranch Preserve, Carson Valley
Amenities:  Whit Hall Interpretive Center is at the Preserve, Genoa is down the street
Parking:      There is a parking lot - free - open daily year-round
Restrictions:  No dogs

What is there:  hiking trails, wildlife viewing, interesting woven flood plain control, wetlands, Carson River

What to bring:

• camera
• art gear
• cart or backpack
• art umbrella
• lunch and drink
• good walking shoes or boots
• jacket?
• Hat, sunglasses

Whit Hall Interpretive Center (Photo from website)

This is a new location to me.  I saw a display at the Nevada Museum of Art recently and it looked interesting.  River Fork Ranch is located at 381 Genoa Lane, Minden, NV 89423 near the historic town of Genoa in the Carson Valley.

Directions from Carson City:  Drive south on 395 for 8.7 miles
Turn Right onto SR 206/Genoa Lane and continue for 2.4 miles
The preserve and parking area will be on your left.  The watershed sculptures can be seen from the East Brockliss Trail Loop.

More info:
River Fork Ranch:  http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/nevada/placesweprotect/river-fork-ranch.xml

Visit nature.org/nevadaart

Monday forecast questionable! How about a cigarbox for a pochade?

Hi painters,

I've been following the forecast and Monday Feb. 23, 2015 keeps changing - precip...no precip...back and forth.  One thing is for sure, the temps will be colder!

So, I will not plan a paint-out.  Instead, I will tell you about a neat pochade box I saw - made by the artist - out of different cigar boxes!  The artist is Jessica Byrne and she makes them for herself and her students.  She does not offer them online at the moment.  But she sells them to her students.

This one had a grey plexi or glass insert for palette

Notice the brush holder she made that is attached to the side

There are many how-to videos and blogs that tell how people make these boxes.  Just google cigarbox pochade painters boxes and you will see quite a few.

This one had a fancy box top

February 16, 2015 (Monday) Galena Creek Regional Park Paint Out

Date:          February 16, 2015 (Monday)
Time:          10:00 am
Place:          Galena Creek Regional Park - SOUTH ENTRANCE
Parking:      picnic parking on your right as you enter the park
Amenities:   restrooms - not sure if they are open in the winter

What to bring:

• Painting gear
• camera
• carts ok many places
• drink and lunch
• warm clothes if you are not in the sun
• good walking shoes or hiking boots
• cell phone (I think works here - maybe spotty)

Directions:

From Reno, take the Mt. Rose Hwy up the hill - a little ways past the housing area called Montreaux. 

We will be at the second entrance (the South Entrance)

once inside, the first parking lot on the right which is right next to the creek.  

Here is a link:  http://www.washoecounty.us/parks/parkdetails~pkid=4

Other links:  

Trail map:  http://www.galenacreekvisitorcenter.org/trail-map.html

Visitor Center:  http://www.galenacreekvisitorcenter.org/  (Visitor Center closed on this day)

 If you want a pond - just keep driving up the hill to another parking lot where "Marilyn's Pond" is: