Butterflies and Coneflowers

 

Thinking of summer days full of butterflies and blooms tonight - after a difficult day of trying to get to the beach!  Painting number 3682 in 3682 days. ♥️🎨

Prairie Path

 

What a treat it was to walk along this prairie path and discover all the beautiful paintings awaiting my ink and watercolor!  This wildflower garden was full of blazing stars rising above the other blooms.  After a quick sketch in ink I started laying in the watercolor.  I've used Robert Oster's Thunderstorm ink for this sketch, and it lends a violet/ turquoise tone when wet.  Love exploring the many different inks.  In fact, I think it's time to order a few more! Painting number 2781 in 2781 days. 

Elk and Bison Prairie

The Elk and Bison Prairie was a pleasant surprise upon arriving!  Beautifully nestled in the hills, a winding road led through this natural space.  Woods surrounded large prairie grass ranges, with winding creeks twisting through.  The large herd moved slowly as they grazed, walking right into the car path and across.  A couple crossed and others walked close enough to touch them.  But of course, we didn't!  They can be unpredictable, and they are not as gentle as cows!  So cool to spend a little time with them in such a beautiful space.  Painting number 2620 in 2620 days.

Wagon Rides on the Prairie

The Party on the Prairie is always a fun paint out!  Not only do they have horse drawn wagon rides, but also prairie walks, live music, a scavenger hunt and more!  I set up where I could see the wagon loading and unloading riders, giving me more time to paint the horses and wagon.  The harp music wafted over as I painted, and walkers stopped to talk to me on their stroll. The weather was perfect, though a little warm in the sun towards the end.  I'm so happy to have painted this horse drawn wagon, it is certainly like stepping into the past. Painting number 2335 in 2335 days.

Wagon Rides!

Hard to believe this park is so close to me, and I only discovered it through a local plein air event with the Kansas City Parks!  Not only does this park have wonderful prairie views sunrise and sunset, the hidden, wooded lake down a trail east of the prairie is spectacular.  So, in one location, I can get two very different paintings!  The prairie grasses are already growing, can't wait to go back and paint it again!  Painting number 2282 in 2282 days.

A Distant Rain

I love the misty atmosphere that envelops the landscape with an approaching rain.  Up on a hill like this, I can watch that rain for miles as it moves across the prairie.  Every sky is different, and each cloud holds it's own color.  The heaviness is part of that local color, as is the reflected light bouncing up from the ground. This sky has layers of clouds - and even a lovely warm blue behind the cloud show.  Clouds are challenging, ever changing, and the struggle is to capture their color before they are gone.  I think I could paint the sky every day of my life.  Painting number 2036 in 2036 days.

Along the Walking Path

The walking path at Prairie Fire Winery leads one up past the vineyard to the peak of the hill.  Winding to the east offers a bird's eye view over I 70, and turning to the west winds through the prairie grasses around the another hill.  So peaceful is this walk, only bees and meadow larks accompany me.  I've grown so used to the dense and lush foliage of Missouri, I forget how truly wide open these spaces are.  In fact, there are few trees, mostly skirting houses or outbuildings.  The prairie has a beauty all it's own, and I'm so happy to have a small part in capturing it for others.  Painting number 2026 in 2026 days. 

Crown Vetch and Bee

The prairie is brimming with wildflowers, nestled in among the grasses.  As I walked the winding trail to the overlook, I was drawn to the movement of this little bee.  The clover shaped blooms reach up towards him, and other bees buzz in beside him.  There are plenty of blooms in this vast sea of grasses, and so much tranquility in the wide open range.  Painting number 1992 in 1992 days.

Clearing Skies over the Prairie

I love coming to this prairie to paint!  With beautiful vistas in every direction, the Jerry Smith Park is a gem for the Kansas City parks.  I arrived with plenty of time to scout my location, and it didn't take me long.  Hiking back to the car for my gear, I realized as soon as I saw my pochade box that I didn't grab my palette from the freezer.  AGAIN!  This is the absolute closest event to my house, so it only took me 20 minutes to drive home to retrieve it!  With 20 minutes back, it cut my 2 hour quick paint down to an hour and 15 minutes.  It was 5 minutes before start time when I realized the mistake!  It was a beautiful morning and I did thoroughly enjoy myself, once I had my paints.  I will now leave myself a note when all I pull from the trunk is my palette!  Another lesson learned on my daily plein air adventure!  Painting number 1963 in 1963 days.

oil on panel, 9x12
Party at the Prairie Quick Paint
purchase here

Goldenrod in the Garden

What a beautiful morning for plein air painting!  Arriving on site, I walked right to this colorful wildflower bed - full of goldenrod run amuck!  I love the reckless abandon of an overflowing wildflower bed!  I tucked myself into a spot of shade to start this painting, after a quick ink drawing.  This drawing is an important step that helps me really sink my teeth into the process.  In this case, I altered my composition slightly after the sketch.  If I had jumped in with paint, it would have been difficult to make those changes without scraping back some of that paint.  This was national butterfly day and monarchs were released as children with nets ran after them.  Just a little extra magic on this beautiful summer day!  Painting number 1716 in 1716 days.

oil on panel, 12x9
honored to be in the top five of the Anita Gorman Center Quick Paint
purchase here

Standing on the Prairie

The gorgeous clouds called me to the prairie,  but the lush grasses and few trees won my attention. I first worked my sketch to be sure of my composition, and got right to work. It sure felt like rain,  so I had my rain slicker and wellies on.  I was alone on the prairie,  with not an artist in sight, and it was so peaceful.  I had such a relaxing time painting,  then packed it up and headed back to the gate.  Pushing my gear through,  I next shimmied through the gates and started to pack my trunk.  I took off my layers, answered a few messages,  and took off.  On 179th, it dawned on me that I may not have grabbed my easel with the painting attached! I pulled off the road and checked my trunk.  Sure enough,  I left it leaning against the gate!  So glad it was still there!  I need to get more sleep!  Painting number 1597 in 1597 days.

Standing on the Prairie
oil on panel, 14x11
purchase here

Clouds Over Prairie Road

Clouds Over Prairie Road
Oil on canvas panel, 7x5

Getting wood panels primed for painting surfaces is a big job.  As a daily painter, I am in constant need of substrates!  After getting about 60 panels cut at my local Lowe’s store, today I started preparing them.  First, I sand all the edges - which are a little rough after been cut.  I prefer to do this outside, as I don’t want to inhale all that dust, nor do I want the mess int he house.  Next, I mix up gesso, acrylic paint to tint, some gel medium gloss and a bit of sanding grout.  Mixing this completely, I slap it on with a large putty knife, brushing out the marks with a 2 inch synthetic brush in a cross hatch fashion.  Once this dries, I again brush over the surfaces with gel medium tinted slightly with a pumpkin orange.  I like this color for summer, but sometimes I go with a Monet yellow - which is what is underneath in this case.  Once dry, I have surfaces that readily accept the paint, and the addition of gel gloss at the end makes the surface kinder to my brushes, and they don’t wear down so quickly.  I finished most of them - maybe 10 need the second coat, and 2 didn’t get prepped at all.  Oh well, I’ll have to catch them with the next batch.  This painting makes 971 in 971 days.

Prairie Path

Prairie Path
Oil on wood panel, 18x14
Overland Park Arboretum, Kansas
purchase here

The wind just about blew me away today!  With high winds, I anchor my easel down with a bungee cord stuck to my handle bag, which always keeps my easel secure. With winds whipping my hair into my face so badly, I could hardly see through it - I earned this painting!  The gorgeous sky pulled me in - and kept me there, even though it was a fight with the wind today!  Painting number 878 in 878 days.

on location

King of the Prairie

King of the Prairie
20x16, Oil over acrylic on panel

There is a wonderful buffalo farm not far from my home.  I try to go get reference photos whenever the lighting is especially cool.  Sometimes the buffalo are close enough to really see, and other times they are way back from the road.  I started this by completely underpainting in acrylic, and then going over that base with my oils.  I used quite a bit of palette knife work in the grasses for texture as well as interest.  I am going to let this one rest tonight, to look again with fresh eyes in the morning.  This painting makes 85 paintings in 85 days.  I never thought a 30 day painting challenge would lead me here :)