Old Victoria Tree

Old Victoria. 4 x 6 Pen and Inktense pencils on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2015 Sheila Delgado

A few years ago my good friend Randy introduced me to Victoria Avenue in Riverside California. The avenue has a long and rich history and there are over 90 species of trees along its borders.

VICTORIA AVENUE owes its existence to the vision of Mathew Gage, a jeweler from Ireland who moved to Riverside in 1881. He developed the Gage Canal which brought precious water to the citrus groves in Arlington Heights. His vision introduced the many varieties trees and plants along Victoria Avenue.

During the spring of 1892, the grading of Victoria Avenue began and the first trees were planted. Riverside’s pioneer landscape designer, Franz Hosp, was responsible for the master plan.

On June 11, 1969, Victoria Avenue was declared Cultural Heritage Landmark #8 by the Riverside Cultural Heritage Board. In October 2000, Victoria Avenue was added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. ~ John Pedroza

The abundant palm trees catch your eye, you can see them from miles away. What really captivated me was the hulking Eucalyptus trees that line several sections. I have wanted to paint these trees for a long time. I will paint more of them. My tree is perfectly lovely, but I missed the mark on conveying the stature of these majestic old lovelies.

Victoria Avenue, Riverside CA, photo SMD

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10 thoughts on “Old Victoria Tree”

Cindy Williams July 11, 2015 at 10:22 pm

Lovely! Sheila how do you like your inktense pencils? I bought the blocks and pencils when Derwent introduced them and they are lots of fun 🙂

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Sheila Post authorJuly 16, 2015 at 3:11 pm

I love the pencils Cindy, just wish I had more colors. They are great for travel, and I love the “intense” amount of pigment.

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Chandra Lynn July 1, 2015 at 5:13 pm

Thanks for the tip on the free book! Downloaded and enjoying!

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Sheila Post authorJuly 7, 2015 at 8:45 am

Welcome Chandra 🙂

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Rolina June 29, 2015 at 1:39 pm

Yay, I can see it – great painting!

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Sheila Post authorJune 29, 2015 at 1:43 pm

Oh I am so glad Rolina. I know my site has been aggravating lately. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

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Val van der Poel June 26, 2015 at 4:25 pm

lovely tree Sheila even if it doesn’t convey the size of the original. Add a person beside it to give it perspective – lol

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Sheila Post authorJune 26, 2015 at 7:55 pm

I started to paint the trees in the background, but I botched the first one, so it became a hill. ha ha ha I will try again, thanks Val 🙂

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