Burnsville Paint-Out

Watercolor with Colored Pencil, 8x10ish"

A few weeks ago, I participated in a paint-out held by the Toe River Arts Council (TRAC) in Burnsville, NC.  This is  NOT the painting I did for the paint-out!  Actually, I painted two similar starts, and the underpainting for this one was the first start.  The second start, I completed for the Paint Out, and it has been hanging in TRAC gallery for the month, until recently when the show ended.   Another artist was kind enough to pick it up for me when the show ended, since I live further away, so I still don't have the painting back.

It has been very odd for me to not have easy access to that painting for the past month, and I realize now that a big part of my painting process is looking, looking, looking at my painting after it is sort of finished.  In fact, I can be in the middle of doing something completely different (laundry for instance) and suddenly take a notion and be compelled to drop everything and go look at a recent painting.  More than once.

After a couple of weeks of not getting to look at my paint-out painting, I realized that I had the original start at home and could play around with it.  I took liberties with the grasses in front of the trees, obviously embellishing the colors, with the intention to play and see how the colored pencils worked with the paints.  Playing and learning, great fun! 

Thank you for looking and for being with me through these experiments...

Warmer Winter Morning Plein Air, acrylic with palette knife

                                          Acrylic Plein Air with palette knife, 6x6"



 I got up early and went out plein air yesterday morning...yes, Watchers, this one was completed actually outside, not huddled inside looking out a window.  The temps are up and my acrylics (not to mention myself) can be outside again!

I see I am getting some glare from the scan, perhaps due to having used some gloss medium in with the mix of mediums I am using.  I've been experimenting with mediums to use with the acrylics and palette knife, to give the paints more body.  Also, in the painting, the sky is much grayer than the blue my monitor is showing.  You would think that would be an easy fix in Photoshop Elements, but so far it is not!  It probably means the rest of the colors are off, too. 

Have a great day everyone...

Second Foggy Morning Painting from Yesterday

                        Acrylic Plein Air (out the window view) w/palette knife, 6x6"

This is the second one from yesterday.  I did go out plein air painting this morning, but will have to wait till tomorrow to show you that one, since I don't want to put it on my scanner today (still may be slightly tacky).

I want to share some words of wisdom from Leslie Saeta, our leader in this challenge.  I think her words are wise and wonderful:

"...I think it is important to reflect on what we have learned from this challenge so far. Painting for 30 days is not about creating 30 masterpieces to sell. It's literally impossible to paint your best when you undertake a challenge like this. Rather, it's about the process we have to go through to paint a painting every day....

When faced with a Challenge we are more focused and excited about reaching our goal. What you will learn this month will help you all year. You will have an easier time painting those masterpieces."

It's a relief to know I am not expected to create "masterpieces" every day.  I think some of this work is among my best and most is....practice, brush mileage, showing up and doing the work.  Not to mention, trying new things (palette knife!).  In regards to this painting above, I can see things I could change.  However, the fog is gone, the moment is past--on to the next!



Many thanks for all the love you are sending to my sister's dog Claire.  I think it's working!  Although she is still in the hospital fighting for her life, her bloodwork levels are starting to show some hope for her survival!

Morning Light

                                                                                                      acrylic, 6x6"

Painted about a month or so ago, this geranium had just had a drastic haircut.  It has about three times as many leaves now.  I should try to paint it again--I would have more compositional choices.  Painted in the morning with the sun coming through the window.  I was happy enough with this one, except I don't like how the right side of the pot is almost just touching the right side of the painting.  That is not what my intention was, but I don't have a handle on these ellipses yet.   They seem to push me around.  Live and learn....

Bonus show and tell.  My mother asked to see a landscape.  This one was done in the fall of 2010, when I had the admirable goal of running around on my lunch hour painting plein air.  So, this one was painted probably in about a half hour by the time I found a site, set up, painted, packed up, and got back to work.  I also clearly remember I only had an unprimed panel in the car, so I had to use it.  The panel was drawing a lot of the moisture from the paint.    Oh yeah, the painting:

                                                  acrylic, 6x8ish