Dogwood on 3rd Street

Dogwood on 3rd Street
Oil on panel, 9x12
Washington Paint Out, Augusta Plein Air Art Festival
sold

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

Bike Along the Fence

Bike Along the Fence
Oil on wood panel, 6x4
purchase here

Spending time with friends tonight, I am reminded of how truly special each day is!  Each one is a jewel - and it is SO fun to reconnect!  After a wonderful dinner out, I return to my easel to complete my painting.  I had this sketched out yesterday, but was seriously considering a totally different subject.  Would you believe that I could hardly decide whether to paint this bike along the fence, or a happy cow face?  Those subjects couldn’t be more different, and yet they were both calling to me!  This is painting number 3 in the 30 Day Painting Challenge, and 976 in 976 days for me :)

Magic in the Garden

Magic in the Garden
Oil on wood panel, 14x11
Deanna Rose Farmstead - Stems
purchase here

Tonight was bittersweet as some grade school classmates and I came together to celebrate the life of a truly talented friend, taken too soon from this world.  Kenny Davis touched so many lives.  I am posting late, and this one is from this morning's sunrise quick paint from the Deanna Rose Farmstead. The one hour lightening delay threw off my schedule for the whole day, but I came away with a painting that truly expresses the way I felt in this garden. This painting is number 889 in 889 days.  Life is short, each day is a gift.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Roses by the Fence

Roses by the Fence
Oil on panel, 6x6
purchase here

Up and out early this morning, my son needed to be at weights by 6:00am.  I don't have pilates until 8:30, so this made the perfect painting window.  The roses are still loaded - and one thing the puppy leaves alone, so they are beautiful!  Painted in the early morning, before the sun was up - this one is moody.  Striving for a little more realism than yesterday, my values are also much closer together.  The paint is rather thick, with the brushwork closely following the shapes they represent.  I need to cut some small panels - as I have run almost out of them.  I prefer the smaller sizes for studies.  This painting makes 660 in 660 days - and I think I will paint a fall landscape I saw earlier for tomorrow's painting :)

Roses Over the Fence

Roses Over the Fence
Watercolor on paper, 6x4

As I explore these watercolors on paper, I find I have way more questions than answers.  Perhaps, I really should do a little study in this new medium - instead of going all willy-nilly with brushes in hand!  When painting in oils, I am working towards a much more realistic coloring of the landscape.  When in watercolor, I don't feel at all constricted to my "realism box".  Why is this?  I also find I am pushing my colors in a more vivid direction.  I have many colors I have not even tried yet - I may have some real favorites out there that I haven't even squeezed out of the tube!  This is painting number 535 in 535 days :)

Lilac in the Garden

Lilac in the Garden
Oil on panel, 14x11
Augusta Plein Air Festival

Some painting days just do not play out as planned.  I started this painting on the day of the Montelle Winery paint-out.  When only half blocked in, my location became very crowded - and the wind started blowing so much smoke my way.  All I could do was breathe into my jacket, hold my breath long enough to fold up my easel - and make a mad dash for fresh air!  I soon found out it was almost impossible.  I ended by setting up partially down the walking trail off the south side of the winery - with only 45 minutes left on a timed event.  I didn't even try to finish this, I simply moved on to a small 6x6 - turning it in just in the nick of time!  The wild, impressionistic strokes are clearly visible on this as I was frantically trying to get it blocked in!  My difficulty in breathing gave this a very dreamy feel - or is that the lack of oxygen look?  Once again, what the artist is feeling truly comes through in the paints.  Painting number 511 in 511 days.

Climbing Pink Roses

Climbing Pink Roses
Oil on panel, 6x6

I have been extremely busy getting panels and frames prepared for the Augusta Plein Air Event!  Packing up all the needed supplies - and checking it twice - is a very important task.  I have forgotten my make-up and curling iron multiple times, but I can not live without my cad lemon yellow!  This is a small companion piece to the one a few days ago.  Small and quick - to get the mood and feel of the same picket fence lined with multiple roses of different shades.  I will go back to each of these and fine tune - at a later date when I have more time!  This is painting number 103 in as many days.  It looks like I'll be painting in the rain for the next several days.......

Roses by the Fence

Roses by the Fence
Oil on panel, 6x6

This has been a very busy day - so I am painting quick and loose and small.  These lovely roses bloom most of the summer against a white picket fence in town (on the way to the high school).  I have stopped by several times to get just the right reference photos for painting!  Since I am taking the photo of the finished painting at night - I think my colors may not be true.  There is nothing like the daylight to get a good image.  In this very busy week, this painting makes 98 in 98 days.  Wow - only 2 more to 100!