Venice Beach: An Iowan Explores a Corner of the LA Metropolis: Part I

As a getaway from winter, my husband and I spent two weeks in Southern California, in late February and early March. The first week was in Joshua Tree. See my 3 posts showing my view of the Mojave Desert by starting here.

Our GPS predicted 2-1/2 hours to drive to our rental house in Venice Beach, a charming beachfront district of Los Angeles. It took closer to 5 hours--the extra logged on the abysmally backed up freeways closer to LA proper. We're wimps when it comes to traffic: once we finally made it, we vowed not to use the car until we drove to the LAX airport to go home. Okay by me, I had a great week walking, biking, drawing, and basking in the SoCal sunshine.

"Palm Trees", ubiquitous with Venice Beach. These drawn quickly, soon after we arrived, with watercolor and ink in a new square format sketchbook (7"x7") that I really like.

Venice Beach has a charming neighborhood of walk streets. Mostly small Craftsmen-style houses front onto narrow pedestrian lanes. Our first full day, I made a beeline for a spot on Marco Place with amber glass globes hung from trees in someone's front yard, one dangling above the public walkway, that I had discovered on an earlier visit to VB.

"Venice Walk Street" done with Neocolor II wax pastels on black paper (11"W x 13.25"H)

I'd rented a bike for the week. The wheels of choice in VB are beach cruisers: wide tired, one-speed, brakes in the pedals, and in bright colors. It made me happy that mine had pink rims. Here's my set-up, when I got up to stretch my legs. Hard to believe this is less the a block from the busy Highway 1 that spans much of the California coast.

With the drawing in progress, a closer look with my trusty folding stool and boxes of NeoColor II wax pastels. The boxes are cedar Jamaican cigar boxes I inherited from my father.

I did this watercolor September 2011 in a bound sketchbook (5.25"Wx16.5"H), when I last was in Venice Beach. "Venice Beach Garden" is of a  rental cottage's courtyard garden, also on Marco Place, very close to where I drew the NeoColor II above.

This will be the first of three posts, showing my exploration of Venice Beach. Stay tuned.