Most Beautiful Mile in Lakeside

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What a wonderful garden path this is curving along the edge of Lake Erie!  Garden blooms flourish as the waves lap the rocky banks, and many walk to and fro.  I have painted here several times, soaking in the fragrant beauty of it all.  It makes me happy to leave my paintings where they are created!  Painting number 4590 in 4590 days. 

Path to the Cabin

 

I just couldn't resist sketching the winding path to our cabin in pen and ink!  I love the wilderness of it all! As I worked, I heard the strangest animal sound coming from the end of that path.  After our son saw a bobcat on his way out this morning, I looked up their sounds.  Sure enough - that's what I heard as I sketched!  I love the rugged beauty and the immersion in a brand new place!  I wonder what I'll hear or see next?! Painting number 5127 in 5127 days. 

Autumn Path

 Oh, how I love the colors of autumn!  The pin oaks are really putting on a show today as they near their peak color!  The golden orange is pushing to red, and I'm so happy to get the chance to paint them!  75 degrees in November is a chance not to be missed when it comes to plein air painting!  Hoping for more opportunities as the days roll by!  Painting number 3952 in 3952 days. 

Autumn Path to the Woods

 

I'm thankful today for an amazing day to spend at the zoo with family - and a little time to paint, too!  The chilly start soon turned to the 70s - and we couldn't have had a better day for family fun!  The most beautiful leaves are fading, but I'm hopeful the reds will soon begin.  The path to the southwest pasture is lovely in it's autumn glow - and it just had to be painted in oils.  What a treat this late in November!  Painting number 3950 in 3950 days. 

Last Whisper of Sunset

Oh, how I love the moment the sun slips below the horizon!  All is still this evening in the landscape, and only the sound of my brushes working to capture this light breaks the quiet.  I wish I somehow had the time to paint sunset every day, how much a could learn from that daily practice!  Perhaps I can focus on this in January, when my schedule eases up a little.  There's just something special about sunrise and sunset each day.  Painting number 3946 in 3946 days. 

Autumn Wooded Path

I LOVE how the autumn colors shine in the sunlight, after many days of rain!  I was finally able to go paint the magic on our own property today, and it was magical.  The yellows are popping and the reds have barely begun, so I hope to get several more autumn paintings done before the color fades.  I nearly missed the light on this one, as the sun dipped down in the west.  I guess I should have skipped making dinner tonight - lol!  Painting number 3944 in 3944 days. 

Garden Walk

 I come to these gardens often to paint, and each time I find new flowers in bloom.  My daughters joined me today with their little ones, Augustus, Casper and Kirby.  Gus painted 3 paintings with his watercolors, Casper stamped and drew a little before he was after every bug and frog he could find, and little Kirby was mostly content in his stroller while we visited.  Cooper was there, too, working on his computer, on a shady bench.  It is fun to capture the ever changing beauty with oils, and fun to visit with those enjoying the garden.  It is so very peaceful to become one with a place, just the garden, my panel and paints.  It was a lovely day to spend in the garden. Painting number 3795 in 3795 days. 

Around the Garden Path

What an amazing morning I had at the Overland Park Arboretum painting the walking path!  I love painting here, with the sights and sounds of spring!  Stems Plein Air is going on all month, so I'm happy to get the chance to paint here again for it.  I'm so at home in a garden, and it is certainly a peaceful place to paint with friends.  Painting number 3788 in 3788 days. 

Into the Garden

I loved the dramatic lines of this path immediately, and those bright neon yellow snapdragons sealed the deal!  After my weekend of non stop architecture, this garden was soothing to the soul!  I sketched on the path in paint, then started filling in the flowers en masse!  I reloaded my palette this morning, but I think I've run out of my favorite turquoise.  I couldn't find it with all my regulars  and didn't have time to check all my paint.  It's funny how I get attached to a color, and no others can make quite that shade!  I'm so at home in a garden, and looking forward to many more days among the blooms!  Painting number 3786 in 3786 days. 

Autumn Oaks Path

The oaks have really put on a show this year - despite the drought!  They were more orange-red than I can remember in the past, and the hues have only deepened.  I'm hoping to get a few more landscapes in before those leaves drop.  The 70s of yesterday have been replaced with 40s, so our long warm autumn has come to a close. It is the middle of November, after all! Painting number 4390 in 4390 days. 

Autumn Path

 

I'm so happy to paint the peak color at Gasconade Fall Plein Air at the Lost Valley Lake!  I loved this path winding through the fall trees, and I just HAD to paint it.  This 35 minute wonder happened because I could not leave this space before painting it - and had only minutes to rush to turn in other work!  No better was to keep things loose and fresh!  Painting number 4377 in 4377 days. 

Autumn on Ross Richter Trail

This scene on Ross Richter Trail has been calling me  - ever since we hiked through here two days ago.  With a morning full of hiking and shopping in town, I only had 40 minutes to capture the essence of this place in oils.  Loose and fresh, this painting was a joy to paint in such a lovely day, and this trail leads right into the Rocky Mountain National Park. These are the first signs of fall I have seen - so, of course, I HAD to paint them!  Painting number 4342 in 4342 days. 

Antioch Park Path to the Island

 I love returning to childhood haunts to paint.  Those small stepping stones seemed so large to me as a child, but now they are 1/4 the size, lol!  The beautiful light on the water pulled me right in this morning, and the lush greens were a treat for late summer.  I'm using a couple of new brushes today, Connoisseur taklons, which I purchased up in Marceline over the weekend.  So far, so good.  They are a little soft for the preliminary work, but real nice for the finish strokes. I look forward to exploring these more through the months ahead. Painting number 4319 in 4319 days. 

Path to the Vineyard

You know I couldn't resist painting a vineyard path! I've painted on the strip very late tonight, attending a Hot Summer Nights car show.  Although it was fun, it was packed beyond reason! I am now so tired I am falling asleep while posting on my phone - so I will sign off for now and hopefully fill this out more later.  Painting number 4301 in 4301 days. 

 

Garden Path along the Lake

This stretch of walking trail along Lake Erie in Lakeside, Ohio is known as the "Most Beautiful Mile in Ohio".  After taking a sunset run through here last night - the lush gardens beckoned me to paint them!  I walked it to the end and back with my gear today, in search of a sheltered spot from the wind.  I couldn't find that spot, so set up in the strong, cool wind and painted fast!  Those hollyhocks held their own while the wind blew me to and fro!  After a long fought battle, I finished and packed up to seek a spot in the sun, out of the wind! Painting number 4273 in 4273 days.  

Path to the Barn

It was so peaceful to paint along the dirt path to this Wesco barn.  Standing in the shade and painting to birdsong, the weather was perfect.  The painting seemed to unfold on it's own on this blissful summer day.  If only all painting days could be like this!  This is painting number 4243 in 4243 days, and is now showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville, Missouri!  

Snow Path

It was so nice to see the sun out bright today - but oh that snow is melting!  Today, I painted to the sound of, "drip, drip, drip", and it made me paint faster!   It is a joy to paint on such a sunny day, even if it was still a bit cold in the wind.  I've used my oils today, so perfect they are to add texture to the painting.  I think I always choose oils when painting in the snow.  I wonder what would happen if I tried it in watercolor?  I should do that before all the snow melts!  Painting number 3335 in 3335 days. 

Snow on Cedar Trail

 

My dog really enjoys a run around the property, especially during the winter months.  So, I took him out early to hunt for any snow left after the warm days of sunshine.  This path is heavily shaded by cedars in several places, and I was so happy to find a lovely snowscene left to paint!  Returning with my oils, it is actually another warm day to paint with little wind.  I can already see that the distant trees need to be roughed up a little, but that is an easy fix while the paint is still wet!  SO relaxing to stand in this place and paint, and I love painting the last remaining snow on the cedar trail this afternoon! Painting number 3308 in 3308 days, and day 22 #stradaeasel challenge

Snow on Cedars

 

Yesterday, I painted another cedar over near the pole barn on a very overcast, dark day.  The mood and feeling of the scene was cold and dramatic.  The sun is out and shining on the glistening landscape, and I hear a constant dripping from the trees.  I love the light and shadow chroma on such a day - and I'm lucky to get to paint it now!  Moving toward the southwest corner of our property, the cedars grow tall along the shaded path, and the snow lasts longer here than anywhere.  So, I work fast and still the snow melts faster than I can paint - and my "assistant" LOVES playing in that snow as I work!  Painting number 3302 in 3302 days, and day 16 #stradaeasel challenge.   I've taken many photos on this glorious day, and I may just be painting some from reference since that silly snow just won't stick around!  

Snow Path to Yellow Barn

After yesterday's warmth in the 50's, I awoke to this pristine winter snowscene this morning!  It's my favorite kind of snow that sticks to every branch and blade - so I had to paint it before wind or sun destroyed it.  I like to find wildlife tracks in the snow when I'm out - and today there were only bird and kitty tracks, plus my Beau's giant running tracks as he chased and played in the snow!  I love the quiet of new fallen snow, hardly a bird makes a peep as I work.  I hiked first, to heat myself up in this biting cold, and still my fingers are tingling before I finish.  I didn't grab hand warmers on my way out, and didn't want to go back for them.  I sure will remember tomorrow!  Love this time spent outdoors painting, it restores my soul.  Painting is 3300 in 3300 days, and day 14 #stradaeaselchallenge!  Wowza!