The Santa Clara

Karen Garnett sits painting the Mission Church on May 4 with her on-site painting club, Valle del Sur. This year the club is going all over California to paint missions in the order they were founded. Garnett said that by going to the site itself, "you can see so much more, you can capture so much more than painting from photographs. It's a wonderful experience, and it's a pleasant thing to do, too." The group comes to a location and usually paints from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. before the shadows change. Garnett said she has developed a technique where she can finish all at once while on site and then do touch-ups in her studio.