Welcome to Washington

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I love the excitement of capturing the entire Washington Riverfront in paint - in under two hours!!  I am honored my painting was selected from so many incredible artists for the Washington Sponsor Award tonight. I've wanted to paint this scene for years!  Painting number 5026 in 5026 days. 

Step into my Garden

The day's paint out theme was "trees", and we artists were combing the streets of Washington,  in search of the perfect painting.  The third painting of this day,  we had arrived a little late.  With a simple subject matter,  a composition should have been easy to find.  Nope!  We traveled all sides of town before stumbling on this beautiful garden, and once found - it had to be painted!  I set my easel up street side,  under the shade of a Japanese maple,  and started painting.  I completed an ink drawing first,  so the guess work was gone.  The way the reds and greens played off one another was fabulous!  This garden was definitely planted with an artist's eye.  All I had to do was record the color with paint!  Painting number 1572 in 1572 days 🎨

Dogwood on 3rd Street

Dogwood on 3rd Street
Oil on panel, 9x12
Washington Paint Out, Augusta Plein Air Art Festival
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When I had first pulled into the sweet town of Washington, this house on 3rd Street instantly grabbed my attention!  The dogwood in the side yard of this beautiful, historic house was abundant with blooms, and the picket fence led right into the scene!  I set up on the corner across from the house - in the full sun again, to gain the best perspective of this scene.  The morning light spilled onto the house, foliage and blooms, illuminating them.  I think my favorite time to paint is in the golden hour of early morning, and especially in the spring when blooms prevail.  There is just something so sparkling and new in that early light!  This painting was awarded 2nd place in the Washington Paint Out!  Painting number 1224 in 1224 days.

2nd Place Award

Heartland Haven

Heartland Haven
Oil on panel, 12x9

The farmland of the Washington countryside is a treasure to behold with it's rolling hills and plowed fields.  This painting was the second of the Deppe Farm Private Estate Paint, following one of my favorite paintings of their creek just west of the house.  Their gracious hospitality was followed by a wonderful meal from their own farm!  This painting is now showing at the Gallery of Defiance, and is my 1221st painting is 1221 days.

Clinging to the Creek Bank

Clinging the the Creek Bank
Oil on panel, 14x11

This peaceful creek runs between the house and the barns on the Deppe Farm in Washington.  I had to climb down the bank, and set up on a rocky plateau that was pretty wet under foot.  Protected from the strong wind, it was actually hot and humid down in my “painting hole”!  A wonderful place to explore, the frogs kept me company as I worked.  One even entertained me by laying back on the water, kicking his leg, as he looked sideways at me!  He was large - and so were his many friends!  The color of this water was a bit of a challenge, as it changes from browns to golds.  It has been a while since I’ve painted a creek - and I was so glad to get this in!

on location :)

Night on Main Street

Night on Main Street
Oil on wood panel, 9x12

The nocturne paint out in Washington, Missouri was one to remember!  It had been a long day beginning with a 10:00 paint out at Montelle Winery which ended at 3:30.  Rain had started down in sheets shortly after noon, and had me ducking for cover with my easel.  The next paint out on the schedule was the sunset paint in Washington.  I have been wanting to work on my street scenes and buildings, so I chose to stay in town instead of going down to the river.  It was only lightly raining, but I set up under an awning on Main Street, where only the blowing wind would carry the rain to me.  I believe the turn in time was 8:00.  Then, right back to the street to choose a wonderful nocturne scene.  By this time, those wet winds had turned cold.  Several of us packed in tightly under the cover of a wide doorway, and started our paintings.  It was fun to capture the light before me by the lamplight streaming from the shop windows behind me.  Half way through, my main light source switched off - leaving me to guess as to the hues I was applying.  Painting on the streets of an historic district at night is like an erie step back in time.  This was the latest turn in time ever - midnight!  I wish I would have remembered to take location shots for this one and the sunset paint, but I did not.  I think I finally got to bed by 1:45.  Thank goodness we didn't have to show up to the next paint out until 11:00 the next day!  Painting number 893 in 893 days.  Just another crazy day in the life of an artist :)

Morning in Washington

Morning in Washington
Oil on panel, 12x9
Washington Sunrise Paint Out
Augusta Plein Air Festival

This painting was started around 10:00 in the morning, instead of the sunrise start time.  I had been over at Mount Pleasant Winery for the 5:00am broadcast on Fox 2 News in St. Louis, so could not be in two places at once.  Some paintings just roll off the brush, but this one certainly did not.  As I look at it now, I still think it needs work, but I'm not sure which direction to take it.  Perhaps stronger color in the water?  Darker towards the lower edge?  Maybe changing up the foreground tree foliage, it seems too near the grass?  I am posting this tonight because it is late, and I haven't taken images of my latest Stems work.  I was hoping to get home in time - but I did not.  Another late ball game - and another win!  Painting number 513 in as many days :)

Beneath the Flowering Plum

Beneath the Flowering Plum
Oil on panel, 12x9
Washington, Missouri - near the Missouri River

On the day of the Washington Sunrise Paint Out, this was the first scene that grabbed me in the town. Two other artists were already painting it, and as we were late from the 5am broadcast paint-out, I knew there was not enough time to do it justice.  Today, as I waited for Mike to have a procedure in the hospital, I combed through articles about color.  One after the other, I studied the words, gripped by the paintings they referred to.  Arriving home and after getting Mike settled and the housework finished, I went to this reference photo.  I wanted to apply some of the new found knowledge in this landscape.  Wow - what a way to hit home the lessons studied.  This is exactly how this place felt to me on that warm, sunny day - with the colors sparkling in the landscape.  Another day, another painting - this 498th was rewarding, indeed :)