Roses in Ink

After finishing a portrait of fatherhood, that I have been working on for days, I am trying my hand at vintage roses.  I love the wonderful, ageless quality of these blooms.  I have never tried them in pen and ink - or graphite - for that matter!  They are simple, and easy to round out their forms with a little shading.  I am really having fun with this media!  I never know when I might stumble on something magical!   Painting number 1283 in 1283 days.

Roses in Ink
Pen and ink on paper, 6x7
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Into the Arbor Garden

Into the Arbor Garden
Oil on panel, 12x9
Stems Plein Air Event
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I've been painting in these gardens for years,  but I have never painted it from this view.  Nestled into the shaded cubby where the lily pond trickles down the stones, I found a very comfortable spot to set up.   Breezes were mild, and the temperature was perfect on this overcast day.  Several times I checked my radar, just to be sure the clouds were not going to open up on me!  Michaela has been painting with me each day since Thursday,  and it has been a treat to see what she creates!  She is fast, and has a very natural ability to capture the landscape in oils.  Her values are good from the start,  something so many of us take years to get right.  I hope she can fit these events in whenever she's on break from college!   Maybe I can get her to accompany me daily all summer!  Painting number 1247 in 1247 days.

Morning in Monet's Garden

Morning in Monet's Garden
Oil on panel. 14x11
Overland Park Arboretum - Stems

This morning was the perfect morning to be out painting at the Arboretum!  Almost no breeze, fabulous light, and the constant trickle of the water set the mood for this painting.  I have painted this bridge at Monet's Garden each year I have been participating in the Stems plein air event - and still it intrigues me.  Each time, I approach it from a different angle - and today I was on the south side of it for the first time.  The light is harder to manage from this direction, and the water reflected colors near and far.  I had to leave before I was ready - my monthly Tri County Art League meeting was calling.  It is so hard to leave a painting when you are in the zone! This one makes 138 in 138 days.

On location

Easel set up