Here the workers have been watching, as was I, for a good hour until the stovepipe toppled and came crashing to the ground at 12:53..only wish I had caught it falling mid-stream! And there went my still life! Painting the top part of the demolition always started with the stovepipe as my anchor point from which to measure and gauge the rest of the painting... Now they have about seventy feet to go down to the river..solid cement and rebar..chipping away bit by bit with two 16,000 pound pneumatic hammers as seen above in the second photo. |
Working on an 8x10" painting of the last top part of the dam to be demolished. The part I was waiting to see happen was for the "stovepipe" to come down...The photo below shows the jackhammer operator judiciously hammering away at the base of the structure...
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This is my second opportunity to be at the overlook from the Dormody land to watch the demolition process. I hope to be able to paint three more images over the course of the next three weeks showing the take down in four parts...the last painting will show the dam gone! That's the plan anyways! See the difference in size of people to machinery and work to be accomplished!
I had the opportunity to have a first rate view of the first day of the demolition of the San Clemente Dam. I was there almost all day doing sketches and a small painting and lots of photos, video and sound recordings. I will be going there for the next few weeks to document the demolition as it continues. It is strange feeling to see it being destroyed....so many man hours went into creating it ninety-four years ago. As far as structures go, it is a graceful construction. But what a difference it will make for the river's health when it can flow unimpeded. You have done such a good job personifying this huge dam that I am saddened by its demolition. I imagine all the memories that it holds expiring as the concrete falls.... Diane Berthoin-Hernandez
Thank you, Diane. It is an interesting idea to think of the stories embedded in the concrete and now being released in the dust and air... I had to paint from a different vantage point this week as the road further ahead had been bulldozed! It was a very busy day there with trucks coming and going with large rocks and earth being moved from one place to another and one bulldozer moving earth on the hill...at times looking like he would go over the edge if he went one more inch! There was also a doe and her two fawns going right through the construction zone, missing the large trucks by a second as they made a dash for the wooded habitat, but still within the construction site. Such a feeling of helplessness and fragility amongst all the noise and gigantic earth moving equipment. Look carefully for the deer! The deer made it across. They are camouflaged in the grasses in the center of the photo. I will be adding the earth moving equipment soon! So far, from this vantage point of the Dormody platform, it looks like they are on their sixth step pool...approximately fifty-one more to go! It takes three days to create one...a lot of work ahead before the rains come! I understand they need to bring in about 6,000 boulders to complete this part of the project. You can see a stockpile to the right.
While I was there they were working on the next step pool. A worker was sprayed with lots of muddy water as the operator working the machinery was tamping down the earth...It's a tough job, for sure, especially in the heat! A challenge to paint the excavation but also somewhat freeing to take the paint and get into the feel of the earth. Never did I think I would be into painting construction zones! At this stage of the dam removal project, they are excavating part of the hill on the right to get more rock for the creation of the river channel. Oak trees were harvested from this site for the large woody debris that will provide habitat in the river channel for the steelhead trout. This is the first pass. Further refinement will happen next week.
The dynamiting of the mountain to make way for the reroute of the Carmel River happened last summer. As I did not have the opportunity to be there in person for that aspect, I am painting that stage of the construction from a video clip. Here are six stages of the painting so far...
This painting is a work in progress. It was created over the course of three visits to the site, June 17, 18, and 23. I will be adding the workman creating the first step pool. There are fifty-one step pools to go. I understand they are bringing in 6000 boulders to create these step pools! It is quite fascinating to watch the process and the person operating the excavator. It sometimes looks like the excavator is doing a graceful dance the way the operator moves it!
Plein Air Magazine's Plein Air Collector Newsletter: Freeing a River - Painting the Progress6/10/2015 Click here to read the full article
You have a good body of work. Your passion for the area comes through your paintings. You have lent your romantic soul to the area. - Arlene Thank you, Arlene! I appreciate your insights into my work. - Paola Painter uses brush and easel to chronicle San Clemente Dam’s final days By CHRIS COUNTS
June 5 -11,2015 PLEIN AIR painters seem to be everywhere in Monterey County — even at the remote site in Upper Carmel Valley where the San Clemente Dam is being removed. Painter Paola Berthoin has been charting the progress of the $83 million dam removal project with her brush and easel for nearly a year. With the blessing of project contractor Granite Construction, she has made more than 20 trips to the site, which is located 18 miles upstream from the Pacific Ocean. After visiting the site as part of a tour Granite Construction was leading, Berthoin asked project manager Bill McGowan for permission to paint the stages of the removal of the dam, which will come down this summer. “He didn’t really hesitate,” recalled the painter, who lives in Carmel Valley. “He said, ‘I think we can make this happen.’” When Berthoin first learned about the project — and the massive impact it would have on the valley — she was wary of it. “When I read the environmental impact report a few years ago, I was skeptical,” the artist said. But after spending so much time at the construction site, Berthoin has accepted it. “While the action to cut out a large section of mountain to reroute the river is philosophically hard to accept, it is a small excavation relative to the benefit to the river in the long run,” she explained. Still, Berthoin is feeling a little melancholy over the dam’s impending demise. “It’s a beautiful structure that was built by a lot of people by hand,” she said. “I feel a little bit of sadness that it’s coming down. But if it helps the river, that’s a good thing.” Using oils on canvas, Berthoin has painted the project from a variety of perspectives — in fact, she has even set up her easel on top of the soon-to-be-demolished dam. “To see this excavation up close is dramatic and mind-boggling,” said Berthoin, who’s looking forward to painting the site again once the dam is removed and the area is restored. “I consider myself very lucky to be doing this. It’s an interesting experience.” The artist hopes her work will help the public better understand why the dam is coming down — and how its removal will benefit the environment. “It is a unique opportunity to observe and paint the changes first-hand, and use the paintings to educate people locally and beyond about the dam removal,” she added. So far, Berthoin has completed eight pieces, including a diptych and a triptych. The public will have its first opportunity to see Berthoin’s dam removal paintings up close when the visitors’ center at Garland Ranch Regional Park unveils an exhibit next month. The show will be on view from July 12 through November 2015. A formal opening will be August 9. Marie Butcher and I hiked in the Ventana Wilderness last weekend to go to the source of the Carmel River, 4,500 feet in the mountains. While we did attempt to climb the last part up a very steep hillside (45 degrees), we were unable to get to the seep in the ground where the water comes from deep in the earth. Twelve years ago I did get there as the land was more open. This time there were trees and rocks and boulders that impeded our climb. Nevertheless, we were able to enjoy the creek at about 4,000 feet as evidenced in the photos below.Given it was a relatively warm day and the hike in was a challenge, the cool waters were most welcome. How lucky we are to be able to hike there and take in the refreshing gift of the mountain. Lovely photos! Yes, we touched the waters from the source and found a green heart to greet us, beckoning to learn the river's ultimate origin....
Marie B. Thank you, Marie. It was a beautiful time to be at the trickling source of the Carmel River...resting our weary feet in the cool water! |
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