Masha and I visited some of our favorite sites in San Francisco on Saturday. It was around 80 degrees in the city, and it was perfect for taking a minute to lay down in the grass at Alta Vista park. We ended up going from Clement street, to North beach, down Stockton to Union Square.

Burlingame Sketch

Here is the view from La Crossiant, in Burlingame, Calvin and his sister Kate are some of the best examples of local business owners who always great you with a smile and make this town warm and friendly. Good place to take Arthur so he can nap and daddy can sketch.

Hawaii Sketches

Our family took a relaxing trip to Kailua, Oahu and I had a chance to do some watercolor sketches. It was my first time to the islands, and it was Arthur's first trip too. Masha has been there several times and was the one who located this wonderful town to stay in. Here, unlike on the Honolulu side, you can live in a small surf community and feel more like a local. Its a slow pace of life, with friendly people and delicious food. Our favorite pancakes were in Kailua, anyone who goes there must go to Boots and Kimo's and have the Macadamia nut pancake sauce. Mmmm!

Arthur sleeping at Boots and Kimos.  The patio of our cottage (i-pad). Paradise Cove Resort.

Lanikai Beach

MCBH Kaneohe From Kailua Beach.

Admiral Nimitz

Here is a quick study of Adrian Lamb's portrait of Admiral Chester Nimitz. Total time is around 25 minutes.

John Singer Sergeant Study

A 1 hour study of a master painter.

Warming Hut - San Francisco

The Warming Hut in San Francisco is one of my favorite places on earth. Today was an example of what I love most about it. Thousands of visitors were enjoying the park with a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city itself in the opposite direction. A rare day like this, must have been 80 degrees with a nice breeze blowing, brought out every type of person to exercise, stroll, walk their dogs, go on a date, play with the kids, fish on the pier, we saw any activity you could think of.

Luckily I had my watercolor kit and a handbook sketchpad to try to quickly sketch the brilliant colors of the day. There were no clouds at all, the sky just looks washed out because I didn't have a big enough brush to lay down a proper blue sky. It was very relaxing.

Water Color Landscapes of Burlingame

Summer in Burlingame has been a terrific improvement for outdoor activities from summers in San Francisco. To be sure, SF summers have a charm that I will never reject, and if you have some nice layers of clothing, a walk through Golden Gate park or the Presidio in the fog is a wonderful experience. But for pure, warm sunny strolls with Arthur and Masha, there is something great about the fresh air in Burlingame. The afternoons cool down gradually, and occasionally you still get a taste of the marine layer coming in over the ridge along highway 35. It is ideal for doing some plein air paintings in watercolor as your paint dries swiftly and the gentle breeze keeps you from overheating. This town has the quaint comfort of "small town America" but is situated on the bay and surrounded by natural beauty from shoreline to shoreline of the greater peninsula.