It's a Great Day to Be Outside!

Yesterday was beautiful outside! It was a perfect day for painting out using watercolors. Just about the right amount of humidity and lots of consistent light. Lately, most of my outside painting in New England using watercolors has been small studies from inside the car. But, yesterday I put the equipment in my car that will stay in the car for most of the summer. I will be ready to paint wherever I go!

Middle of 2016, and I haven't been idle.

Mother's Day arrived and I have had a wonderful day! Best of all, I enjoyed some much wanted and needed time with family.

I am back from the Plein Air Convention in Tucson AZ. It was an incredible experience and an event I recommend to any artist with a serious interest in plein air painting. Experienced or beginner. All are welcome. Really!!  Lots of great presentations about art marketing and lots of great demos by top-notch artists. Plenty of time to paint, too, and to meet many of the nearly 900 participants!

My conference experience was followed with an extended vacation that included hiking and painting in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park! Then a day in Las Vegas and flight home.

Today, I began the process of putting into action some of the recent ideas I've learned about marketing my own art. I know I need to make a plan and schedule time to work on my website and other publicity. And, make a plan and schedule dedicated painting time. This week, I spent some time getting my notes in one place and picking out a couple of things that are attainable. Got them on the calendar. One of the biggest items or me to handle is figuring out how to manage my website, and easily update content. Lots of options to consider. But, it needs to be simple and mobile friendly. Hmmmm!

Keepin' Up

It's the middle of 2014, and I haven't been idle.

The fairly new "Gallery 25 and Creative Arts Studio" in New Milford has been a joy and a task. This co-op gallery attracted a membership of local professional artists, and we all share the workload. About to happen,  the first "Open Show." Prospectus available to those who can hand deliver at : Gallery25OpenShow@aol.com

Spent a lovely long weekend in Maine and painted with friend and fellow artist, Suzanne Brewer. Thanks goes out to a local policeman, who reminded us "safety first" when painting out, especially along road sides, where traffic isn't expecting artists.

Also, just back from a lovely two week vacation, golf and art experience in Ireland. My husband and I drove the southwest area of Ireland, hiked, painted, photographed and golfed. We can't say enough wonderful things about Ireland, including the driving experience. More about that when I have time to review the photos and scan some art images.

Today, I about to paint en plein air for a fundraising event for the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition. http://www.connecticutmag.com/Blog/Arts-Entertainment/May-2014/Faith-Middleton-of-Food-Schmooze-Chairs-Delicious-Woodbury-Gala-for-a-River/

Looking forward to sharing time with my art colleagues, and meeting Faith Middleton and others, who share a passion for clean water and our beautiful out-of-doors. Special thanks goes to Mill House Anitques & Gardens, who provide the venue for this fundraising event

Winter Demo for SCAN

Making a demo painting is never easy for me, but the lovely folks at SCAN are always so welcoming! (SCAN regularly provides art demos for their membership.) I thank them for their kindness and support!

   Today I joined them for an afternoon and painted my version of a winter scene using watercolor. The scene could be along any road in CT, but I made a little sketch that included some thoughts from other paintings and included taming down my palette. Someone did comment that my other paintings seem to have "all the colors"! 

   Watercolor sometimes has its own way of doing things, so my little preliminary sketch was simply a starting point. I wanted the painting to show the coolness of winter and intended to include more blues, but it went blue and mauve . . . and that's OK. I wanted the sky to have a little color action, but not take away from the foreground. I wanted to show that trees have diversity while telephone poles don't so much . . . and that's OK. On the way into Newtown I drove by a big yellowy-brown barn, a departure from the common red barn, so . . . I got that in and it helped give the painting a mood.  I wanted to explain and demo simple perspective and things I can make happen along the painting way to achieve that . . . and I did that. I wanted to talk about why it's worth spending a few extra dollars and owning a few special brushes and what they do . . . and I did that.  And, I wanted to encourage other artists to paint outside and understand some of the benefits that come from that . . . and I included that, too!

  Looking back at the painting, there's room for improvement, but it's a decent demo! 

Making the Most of "Blizzard Day"!

It's a snowy windy terribly stormy day! I am home. The birds outside are delighted that the feeders are filled, and they are providing ample entertainment. While some chili cooks on the stove, I am trying to finish up a few paintings that have sat around the house. This is version two of two paintings begun last spring. They began outside on location. My first painting of this scene helped make the plan for the second painting and both help me see the potential for another visit to this site. I can see how much tighter this version is and it possibly has a bit too much color. But, I am happy with the trees. They have some character, and I think the feeling of that beautiful spring day looks wonderful. (Remember, it is snowing outside and windy and cold)

Happy New Year 2013!

Happy New Year!!! Looking at my blog and realizing I spent a lot of time in 2012 with my sketchbook. That's a good thing, but doesn't fulfill what I thought I was doing with this blog. I went painting (oils) today in CT in the fog. It was so-o-o-o foggy. Unbelievable!! Had a great time making grays. Pink grays, ochre-grays and some zippy periwinkle-grays!! Getting ready for some foggy morning paintings in Maine!! Here in CT, this morning sky was foggy pink and the snow shadows were aquamarine! It's so great to be an artist and enjoy (visually) the wonderful things nature shows me.
    Took a little time this morning and thought about some studio work. I haven't painted a self-portrait in many years. I spent a little time learning how and where to set up my camera tripod and set the timer on my new "point and shoot" camera. The camera has some other features that will be nice to experiment with.
   This morning the camera and I focused on ways to use the foggy white/grays of the day. It turns out morning foggy light is very different than noon foggy light. While the morning sky had a lot of pink, the noontime sky went bright at the top and purplish near the ground. I painted a house that was yellow ochre with white trim and fir trees against that sky, and some vivid green grass showing through the snow, and split rail fence. While the interlocking shapes of the foreground against the sky work well (light against dark and dark against light), the composition is static. I think my brushwork is quite nice, but its not enough to convince me this painting is successful. In a day or two, I will reassess. The beauty of oil painting is an  artist can stand back and look at her painting, and then go in and make changes. 

Springing 2012

Looks like spring is finally on it's way. It was snowing last weekend when I spent a few days in Maine. But, here in CT, we are enjoying a few warm afternoons. A plein air painting friend and I found this barn along the side of the road that was having a new roof put on and an addition on the back. Several guys were carrying ladders around or climbing on the roof. While my friend (an oil painter) enjoyed painting the red barn to my right, I (a watercolorist) thoroughly enjoyed painting the white barns in front of me. As I look at the painting now, I am disappointed that the proportions of the barn in my painting are not accurate, but the subject was irresistible! When I went back the next day, the new roof was on, so I will return in a week or so when the forsythia may be in bloom.

Life Drawing

My house is being worked on today. Lots of hammering, etc. So, I was very pleased to learn a local art association was this morning offering an open studio life class. It's an event I often attended years ago. The model's poses vary in length . . . usually four different poses held for a very short time, two 20 minute poses, and a final long pose. I never know whether I'm going to draw or paint, but I always can count on the practice being well needed by me. Today was another great example of how wonderful life class can be. The four short poses gave me an opportunity to remind myself that drawing what isn't there (negative space) is as important as drawing what is there. The two twenty minute poses reminded me to be brave, experiment, let the watercolor paint do its own thing. The painting shown here is a twenty minute pose on a paper similar to hot press. And, the final long pose reminded me how easily I mess things up by overworking. Too dark, too fast. My glazes went messy and I thought too much about making the subject perfect. And lastly, after the studio class, several of us sat around and shared art talk over bagged lunches. I'm home now and looking at a painting I should finish today. The paint is lacking life and spontaneity, but the drawing has a spontaneous quality. So, I'm thinking I need to make the same painting in 20 minutes and stop myself. Lay down the paint once and let it be. Maybe try a different surface. Be brave. And put open studio on the calendar in an effort to attend at least twice a month.

It's a New Year!

My big plan for the end of 2011 was to wrap up several projects and start 2012 with a cleaner studio and fewer things on my calendar that take me away from painting. The plan fell apart when we had two bouts of unusually bad weather in CT and then, of course, the holidays which consume some time but are wonderful family events. So today I return to the plan. A week or so ago, I cleaned out a considerable number of digital photos and tossed them away, recovering about 2G of space on my computer. I could easily toss another 2G, but just yesterday I received an e-mail from someone asking me to paint a small piece from his photo (but will reference a photo or fifty that I took years ago). Computers are great! In about a half hour I was able to give him a positive reply and now have a small project to focus my attention on. Among other things accomplished at the beginning of this new year, I have cleaned and burned paintings that were never going to be completed. These watercolors were nice enough for me to keep for reference, but not nice enough that I wanted anyone to see them, and were a storage problem. I have another batch ready to go . . . almost. And, I tossed another giant bag of stuff I picked up at trade shows. Best of all, I went out in the cold twice and painted. The colors were wonderful although muted. It was difficult to settle into a subject, because the more I looked, the more became interesting! I settled on a BIG red, red barn with white trim for the center of interest, patches of green green grass, tree groups tinges with yellow ochre and russets, and periwinkly mauve distant hills. A bit cliche, but always good practice.

CT Plein Air Painters at Weir Farm National Site

Spent a lovely fall day at the Weir Farm National Historic Site. The CT Plein Air Painters gathered on Sunday and Monday for a group activity. The trees in that area of CT seem a bit more colorful than where I live, but maybe it's an illusion that goes with the wonderful weather. I think about 7 artists from our group showed up on Monday, and I was told a few more attended on Sunday.

I immediately found several places in the park that I would like to paint. None of the places were far from a bathroom or water. And the Ranger was nice enough to open the beautifully restored barn so we could gather for lunch or a rest. I settled for a scene in a back field. The peach tree was a blazing red/magenta color, and the early morning light and shadows were terrific and gave the scene a sense of mystery? I was standing in the shade when I started, and about two hours later, I was standing in the sun. It was hot. I was happy to take a water break and change into a short-sleeved shirt. Bugs were not a problem. I am ready for a new umbrella that offers some UV protection.

Plenty of places to paint or sketch . . . stunning rock walls, apple trees, red buildings, and manicured gardens, as well as many natural areas that artists Alden Weir and his friends painted.

Many thanks to the Ranger who gave us a lovely tour of the property and studios. One of the paintings she showed us depicted one of the other sites I chose to paint. I will go back another day or two or three. And, quite possibly, the CT Plein Air Painters will return for a paintout next year on this same weekend.

http://www.nps.gov/wefa/index.htm

Watercolor Journaling

So far, this fall has not been visually beautiful! Not in CT. Nevertheless, the warm temperatures make it especially attractive to be outside. I just returned from a week of outdoor painting in and around Baxter State Park in Maine. This was a planned week with several wonderful artist-friends and we met some wonderful non-artist folks. Many told us how much they wished they could do this "painting outside thing"! So, a workshop is being offered, designed to help anyone get started. It will be fun and the weather looks sunny!

Enjoying a Sunny Day!

Over the last couple of weeks, Mother Nature delivered extraordinary amounts of rain into the CT area. We thought Hurricane Irene had tested us, then along came yesterday's storm and all the flash flooding that followed it. But, the days just after Irene, and this day just after the BIG rain were nearly perfect sunny days. Perfect for watercolor painting outside. Here is a good start, I think, in Harrybrook Park (just before the hurricane). Their volunteers have worked very hard to make the more-than-just-roses garden beautiful. I was surprised to learn how many people visit the park during the day. The paved walking area is perfect for a little exercise, and this little garden is perfectly delightful! When the puddles recede, I will go back and finish.

Looking for New Subjects . . . and Keeping an Eye on the Audience!

For most of my life, I have enjoyed the wilder, least developed areas of the great state of Maine. Early mornings anywhere are great opportunities for finding new subjects and enjoying the invigorating morning atmosphere. Often nature provides a spectacular show during these early morning hours. This morning was no exception . . . except I also was the show!

After loading up my little boat with my plein air painting equipment, gathering up a life jacket, cushion, then snack and water, I zoomed my little boat across the lake to a quiet spot. Expecting to see a fisherman as a subject, I sat and waited. The little puffs of wind turned the boat and kept me working to keep my eye on the area where I thought a fisherman would appear. The water was lapping the boat, the boat was swaying, the wind was puffing, the light early fog was lifting to reveal gorgeous sunshine, and the birds were tweeting . . . . "real" tweeting! (It is worth a smile.) Then, they stopped tweeting.

Competition. Even the osprey around the lake take notice when this guy arrives. We think he has given up his youthful feathers from previous years. as he's sporting a head of beautiful white feathers. He's a big bird. We've seen three osprey fight back when this eagle scouts too close to their nests.

When the boat drifted close, I took this photo with a little point-and-shoot camera. When the boat drifted too close, the eagle gave me a warning. I didn't find him too scary, but he did warn me. I have seen a bird like this attack a blue heron mid-air. So, while he was watching me, I was watching him. Using binoculars, it was very clear he was keeping an eye on everything around him, probably looking for breakfast. So, I started the motor and did some looking of my own. Further down the lake, a float plane was moored inside a cove more protected from the wind. For the record . . . plein air subjects . . . ar-r-rg! Got a good start and the plane took off!

Painting What You Know

"Painting What You Know" isn't always easy. What we think we know isn't the same as knowing. In the art world, much of knowing comes from having had an experience, or experiences. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Every day I paint out I learn something. My focus is the visual world, but other elements are always present. Choices have to be made. People talk to me about my painting, about "the painting" and influence my choices. This last month I've made a special effort to get out and paint. I stopped making the little thumbnail sketches and value studies that have always helped me figure out a composition, color scheme, patterns. Today I read an article that reminds me I need to follow my own path. Choices. http://christensenworkshops.com/wordpress/

Jones Family Farm 'En Plein Air' for the CT Farmland Trust

It was a spectacular warm and sunny day for painting at the Jones Family Farm. This outing was organized by the CT Plein Air Painters, and the goal was artists supporting the preservation of CT's farms by creating paintings that may be purchased during the Trust huge fall event. Last year's event was very successful, and information can be seen by Googling CT Farmland Trust. The Jones family asked that artists show up only on designated days as they are a working farm. It's been a tough spring weather wise. Yesterday really was a 'work out'! We painted at Pumpkinseed Hill in the morning and at the main farm in the afternoon. I painted two watercolors. The first showed a group having a tour of the Pumpkinseed Hill farm. The view included a panorama that looks over the main farm with it's vast tree farm and winery. I want to go back and paint the piggies! Spotted piggies, with awesome personality! In the afternoon, we painted a section of the tree farm. Lots of new growth provided ample opportunity to learn about tree shapes and the huge variety of greens out there. I'm not thrilled with my second painting. But, the day was great and I was outside enjoying it.

More Rain, More Fog, etc.

The weather this week has been oddly wet and rainy. It's been good for catching up with paperwork, filing, phone calls. The lilacs picked earlier in the week made their way to the compost pile. No replacements yet. After a short tour of the yard between rainstorms, I planted some seeds sprouted on a wet paper towel in my kitchen. The vegetable garden needs to be turned over and planted. Cleaned and refilled the hummingbird feeder and it took just about one minute for hummingbird entertainment to begin.
We have a group preparing to paint out tomorrow and Saturday. I'm really looking forward to it. My paints, easel, and other necessary equipment are already in my car. Need to add big spray and a good hat.
Let the sunshine appear!

Fog, Rain, Mist, Rain and More Fog!

Enjoyed a mostly cool and rainy week in Maine. I am very grateful to the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell, Maine for the opportunity to speak, share my ppt presentation, and show paintings and sketchbooks from my month-long art residency in France. Those who gathered in the gallery that evening were very kind and generous with their enthusiasm and comments. Several signed up to paint en plein air in the Hallowell area. We'll see what we can do to get something going in the next month or so. The Maine Plein Air painters go out, usually, on Wednesdays (I was really happy to paint with them in East Boothbay on Wednesday) and the Western Maine group goes out, I think, on Saturdays. Since we all want the join up with them when we can, we will choose another day of the week for our paint out. Anyone who is interested may e-mail me and I will add their names to the list.
Most of last week was rainy, overcast, and wet. It was a challenge finding a spot to paint out with watercolors. But, I was successful going back to two locations and completing paintings I previously started. I also planted a few flowering somthings, and hope to return in a few weeks and find they are beautiful. Spent a day prepping some of the papers for future paintings. I like to thoroughly wet both sides, and lay in a transparent wash of color. I use a hair dryer to speed up the process and sometimes direct the paint into interesting patterns. Often painting on a previously tinted paper helps unify a painting. And, wetting the paper removes some of the sizing. Paintings done on a pre-washed paper have a very different look than those painted directly.
Kept up with my sketchbook most days. Hurray!! It was great fun going back over sketches (dated) from previous years and remembering the sights and weather, and reminding myself and others of great places to stop and paint. Also, had a good couple of evenings drawing ancestors from old photos! We had some awesome family gatherings, both my family and my husband's family. I'm reminded we have to make our own good times.

Laurel Ridge Farm and Their Daffodil Fields

Woke up to another foggy morning. Rain is predicted, so it sounds like I'll be doing things around the house. The birds have had a lot to say this morning! They must know a fairly heavy rainstorm is on its way.
Painting the daffodil fields is always a treat this time of year. They seem slow coming out this year. This morning, I have only one daffodil open in my yard. But, the crocuses are nearly past and peonies, etc. are well on their way. In about a week the tulips in my yard will be gorgeous (if the deer don't get them first)!
Looking forward to a sunny weekend and a trip to the daffodil fields.
Laurel Ridge Farm

REMINDER: Bring My Paint!

Struck by the beautiful day, I packed up my painting equipment and a lunch, and headed out for a day of painting. I had several places in mind. Two possibilities for morning paintings and one place (firm) for the afternoon. My first stop was Laurel Ridge Farm (see my blog from last spring). The fabulous daffodil fields are not yet in bloom. Disappointed, but knowing I have much to look forward to in a week, I moved on to White Memorial, then New Preston falls.
The falls at New Preston are exceptionally beautiful this year. The water is high, so the plume is gorgeous! And, below the falls skunk cabbage are plentiful, so the foreground is delightful with spring greens. Across the street from the falls is a long view to the next hillside. The foreground elements include a large turquoise colonial with a hillside of daffodils, then a valley, then the next hill. The trees beyond are tipped with red buds.
My sketchbook was on the front seat, so I took a little hike to check out the vantage point for a future painting. Walked to another site, made a sketch. Walked to another site, made a sketch. Pretty happy with all that, I drove toward Washington and discovered one of my favorite barns fell over the winter. Another casualty of this past heavy-snow winter.
I decided to make a quick trip home for lunch before my next stop. Lunch was great! It's warm enough to sit on the deck and enjoy the potted tulips and pansies. They are tempting me to paint them, but I'm sticking to my plan and will go out for an afternoon painting.
And, there is was . . . my paintbox at the bottom of the stairs near the garage!! I had so much fun sketching this morning that I never missed it! So, inadvertently I followed my own advise from a previous blog entry. "REMEMBER; to sketch." I found and documented several great places to return to, practiced designing good compositions, planned for simple perspective and color placement, edited out the junk, found my whites and connected them
But, I'm reminded to keep my sketching kit in the car at all times.

REMINDER: Use the Sketchbook in My Pocket

Another week nearly gone by and I haven't kept up with my plan for a sketch a day or a painting a week. I always keep a tiny sketchbook in my purse, a decent fine line marker and simple watercolor palette. On a recent trip to Brooklyn to visit my daughter, I reminded myself that the hardest part of making art is getting started, and a thumbnail can be a wonderful thing. This little sketch was done in a coffee shop. It took all of five minutes and is a wonderful souvenier of my trip, of time spent with family and the beautiful sunny day. The snow is nearly gone in Brooklyn. I came home and used the computer to add a little color.