Grateful: libraries

There are many things that are making life more complex these days and many things that are genuinely helping with that. It means a lot for me to look at things that are helping, so I wanted to pay them more attention and tell you about what helps me.

Here is one - my city library is working! (There will be a separate post about it as I want to draw some things for it - so not today). But in addition to my library, the system of the union of libraries works too! It means that I can order books from over 70 libraries around California and Nevada. For free. They will be shipped to my local library. And I can keep these books for 21 days with the possibility of renewing for another 21 days. Did I mention that it is free? I've been on a binge - hoarding bags and bags of books to look at pictures, learn new things, try new authors, read new poetry. 

Here are some of the libraries that loaned me books this week:

100 Views of Silicon Valley: San Jose / Mustard Fields

Mustard Fields in spring are all over the valley and San Jose has an amazing contrast of the urban and developing landscaped with these bright yellow flowers all over the place!

100 Views of Silicon Valley: Los Altos and San Francisco

Top: Chamber os Commerce, Los Altos.
I've learned about this super cool corner of Los Altos through instagram's comments and went to paint it as soon as I could - it's a really neat park tucked between two roads and a standalone mostly-glass building looks very cozy between large trees.

Bottom: San Francisco.
I did not paint enough of San Francisco for this project - but I will! This is a very colorful part close to the Bernal Heights Library.

100 Views of Silicon Valley: Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale is an amazing city filled with fruit trees and cozy houses. I love and use it's library (upper left) and always noticed a cell tower above police station from afar.
I watched the last cherry orchard in Sunnyvale become an apartments and shopping center (though there is still a little store with an old sign - all that is left of the old ways of he fruit valley - before the silicon days. Oh - and bottom left "El Paseo de los Suenos" - an abstract sculpture which brings in it's idea California settlers, geological structure and solstices.

100 Views of Silicon Valley: Los Altos

I've been in love with some streets lined with blooming trees in Los Altos for a while now. But when I tried to find a good angle to draw I saw that the best view is from the car actually - while driving. So I ended up setting my little stool on the divider and painted top two paintings very quickly - while cars zoomed by loudly. And the bottom two are Los Altos Libary and a historical oak tree behind it.