Mustard Fields

When the mustard blooms, spring can’t be far away. And last week in Saratoga, California, right by the public library, Nina and I hit a fantastic day with clear blue skies, warm weather  and mustard in bloom.

Those strange drips going upwards? I guess that means I turned my book upside down before my paint dried. When you throw as much water at a page as I do and then quickly walk away to your next sketch, it happens…

There’s this legend about the mustard in California.
The padres traveling north exploring California brought wild mustard seeds with them. They scattered the seeds along the path knowing that in spring the blooming mustard would mark a golden pathway for explorers who might follow and also mark their way back home when they returned southward.
Sounds poetic, isn’t true. Still I think of it every time I see the mustard all over California.

This is a view of Saratoga Public Library from across the street, mustard in the foreground, purple mountains in the background. Such a perfect California scene.

One last quick sketch inside the library before heading home.