A Nice Surprise

8x8 oil on panel

Unfinished sketches 

Today I got the chance to meet Mike Rooney in Austin. We've known one another online only. We both have work at Tidewater Gallery in Swansboro NC  - in fact it was Mike who introduced me to them! (http://mikerooneystudios.blogspot.com/) He is here teaching a workshop and they invited me to come meet up with them at Barton Springs pool. (Thanks Anne and Diane!)

Mike creates wonderful landscapes in the Cape Cod school tradition. It was quite interesting to listen in and learn a little something new. 

While they painted a landscape/water view, I did several studies of swimmers. I think I will work on a series of these. I'll finish these and share them here soon. 

Plein air artists have lots of stories about meeting interesting onlookers while painting and today may be my most interesting to date. A young man came up and asked if he could use my cell phone to call his mother whom he hadn't talked to in several weeks. After sizing him up and asking point blank if he'd run off with it, I let him make his calls (long distance). Who could deny someone trying to reach their mom? He finally reached his dad and, as he sat next to me, I heard enough to know that he just got out of rehab and seems to be alone in the city. Since leaving the pool I've had two of his family call my number - worried about him. 

My prayers go out to them all for good things to come. Makes me wanna hug my daughter close when I see her this afternoon. 

There but for the grace of God....

No Water Crossing

12x12 oil on panel
Available at Kerrville Arts & Culture Center

Another of my paintings from the KOPE this past weekend.

This is a creek/river but it was completely dry this year. We've had more rains in Central Texas but they are spotty and while we might get an inch or 2 in town (or 5 in Pflugerville a couple of weeks ago) somewhere else might get none. And the lakes are filled from rains much farther upstream. I guess the rain hasn't been happening there as Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan are still only 33% full - combined!

The cottonwoods were just beginning to turn and placed so nicely against the limestone bluff that it provided a nice colorful scene despite the morning clouds.
I see things now that I'd change but I don't know....leave it as a sketch or make it more finished?

I tend to treat my plein air work as sketches. Some artists like to make their paintings complete and quite representational. But I strive for looseness in all my work and don't like to spend too long on one scene. The sun moves so quickly, too, that you really can't or you will be changing the work continuously. Better to start a new painting.

A lot of people don't realize this area of Texas is so hilly - the painting from yesterday is a good example. Here are some photos from the area. 

looking east Collins Ranch

West from Collins Ranch

View from Kerrville Hills Winery

Lovely Longhorn

  

Collins' Climb

16x12

Oil on panel

Third place Kerrville Outdoor Painters' Event

I was honored to win another award at the plein air event opening reception Saturday night. This painting was almost a sketch really. But that is more of how I approach plein air painting. The driveway into Collins ranch is about a mile and a half on caliche and goes up and down two crazy steep hills. I loved the view from top and bottom but finally settled on this view. It was late Thursday evening and the sun was moving fast. I started badly, wiped off and started again. My friend Terri Wells - http://www.terrimwells.com - was sitting next to me (we scrambled to catch the light and just sat in the road to work) and painted one of her amazing watercolors. 

What a fun weekend. Our judges, Joe Anna Arnett and James Asher, were lovely people. Many of our local plein air group were representing - taking 3 of the 5 awards! 

The sun didn't perform well in the mornings but was sure brilliant and putting out its strongest heat in the afternoons. A cool front came in late Saturday. We had really interesting sites again and the event staff and volunteers at the Kerrville arts center did a fantastic job!! 

Congratulations to Julie Davis on her much deserved first place!!

http://juliedavisstudio.com/

Kerrville Quick Draw

Is Paco in There?

12x9 oil on panel

I've been painting in Kerrville Texas this weekend and enjoying some spectacular hill country views. Last night was the quick draw event in historic downtown. I think I heard that 25 artists participated. 

It was hot. Very hot. And I chose a scene looking west into the sun. Not ideal but my painting worked out well. We had an hour and a half then put the paintings in frames and presented them for judging. 

I won again this year. Lucky 13, huh? Crazy! 

But I'm so honored. There are a lot of talented artists here and I saw many successful and interesting paintings! 

The title on this one refers to Paco, the owner of Francisco's restaurant. (Excellent food and lovely setting). Everyone who came by asked if I put Paco into the scene. "Where's Paco?" Would have been a good title too. 

 

This is the last day of painting and then we turn on work for the show at the arts center. Reception tonight from 6-8 pm. I better get out there! Cloudy this morning. And will be cooler thank goodness. 

Here is the setting I painted. This can't have been good for my eyes! 

Ooh - seeing that now I love the composition with the reflection in the glass!! Next time....

Plein Air Painting - Don't Fence Me In

Been pretty quite here. Well - in my art world. The rest of my life hasn't been quiet at all. I always swear I am not going to get too busy and let my calendar get too full, but its out of my control a lot of time. Since school started, its been one thing after another and this month is going to be nuts.

Starting off the month though, its me time! I'm heading back to Kerrville, Texas for their second annual paint out event. Last year, much to my own amazement, I won the grand prize for the painting below (still available!)

Don't Fence Me In
11x14 oil on panel

I'm excited to go back again and have access to some beautiful private ranches and spend time in the scenic hill country of central Texas with lots of other like minded people.

I haven't picked up a brush in a week or more. Hope I remember what to do when faced with the great outdoors and miles of options!

Mike's Tractor

11x14 oil on panel
sold

This was my second painting of the weekend paint out. My first is really not worth showing - or keeping. But this tractor and old gnarled oak just intrigued me. It was a challenging scene to paint. I was sure I wasn't going to be able to do it. AND my new friend Mike wanted to watch me work! After a rocky start, I settled down and figured out how to paint the tree and the background and then began to make some marks on the tractor until it began to look like a tractor! Its loose and colorful. Sometimes its a lot of fun to leave things in the sketchy phase and don't retouch those bold color "test" marks. 

I'm about to head out to another type of farmland - Indiana - to celebrate my inlaws 50th wedding anniversary. Will be mixing a little business in there and plan to meet a collector about a commission of her favorite restaurant. What a cool job I have! :-)

Road Block

10x10 oil on panel  
$425 framed
Available at the Kerrville Arts & Culture Center

Another painting from my weekend in Kerrville. This one also hangs in the show at the KACC until Nov. 3. Just like my figurative works, I prefer closer views to vistas when painting outdoors. This sunny ranch road and gate looked so welcoming hugged by all the bright greens of the surrounding trees. 

Don't Fence Me In

11x14 oil on panel
$700
Available at the Kerrville Arts & Culture Center

What a weekend! My painting above won first place in the plein air painting event judged by Albert Handell. I am "gobsmacked" - to borrow a fun word from the Brits. Its a good word. I am still so amazed. There was a lot of talent out there - some 70 artists attended I think - and some really lovely paintings were created during the event. I am thrilled for the KACC for putting together such a good event. I hope they continue and I will definitely go back. We had access to some amazingly beautiful hill country properties. 

Above is the painting in progress along with a cute couple of goats that roamed around keeping us company. I just loved the ramshackle scene and the old gnarled oaks. I was more comfortable than ever working outdoors and didn't get lost or forget how to paint. I was able to apply what I normally in the studio quite naturally. BUT I stopped before I thought I should. LOL
That might be the key. I loved the looseness of this scene. I didn't want to go too far. 

Albert Handell (in the cap above) was the judge and he is leading a workshop in the area this week. I left three paintings at the KACC and if there are sales a percentage goes to support the excellent art community and arts center in Kerrville.

I've put a photo album of the event on my Facebook page - check it out!

A Gem of a Building

Much to my surprise, I was the winner of the quick draw challenge yesterday evening! We had a block of downtown Kerrville to choose from and 90 minutes to paint. I loved the old buildings and particularly the sun on this white stone with the bright Texas sky behind it. The building (from 1890) houses a jewelry store. Ron Rencher was the judge for the quick draw. I'm pretty pleased with the win. My first ever such event! Perhaps my trips to NYC have paid off!

10x12 oil on panel  
$550 framed
Available at the Kerrville Arts & Culture Center

Guadalupe Morning

I'm participating in a plein air painting event in Kerrville, Texas this weekend. We've had access to some beautiful spots on the river and on private ranches. I painted the one below at the river this morning and then two more out along bushwhack creek. Yep.

I'm recruiting my strength for a quick draw event at 5 pm tonight. Will be a fun challenge as its downtown and during a public block party (a monthly wine share!)

 

Sparkling River

12x16 oil on panel  
$850 framed
Available at the Kerrville Arts & Culture Center

Texas Rose

11x14 oil on panel - nfs

This past weekend I went to the Texas Coast - Rockport/Fulton area - with Plein Air Austin. We had 10 artists attend the retreat and enjoyed the challenge of painting some really tough subject matter in some equally tough conditions. The wind was up, to say the least. The oystermen on these boats didn't like it any better than we did. This boat was begging to be painted with the afternoon light hitting the one side. My friend Terri painted along with me - here she is at work on her beautiful watercolor.

It was really cool to be alongside the working docks and watching the boats come in with shrimp and oysters. They would offload them directly to a waiting refrigerated semi for overnight delivery I bet. "Texas Rose" was the name of the red boat, but with the wind, there was no way I could paint a straight enough line to try to get that on the bow.

City Paintings

The only success I had with oil painting in the city. I was fairly pleased with this little scene. And we had a nice spot to work too without a lot of traffic. I think we painted on different ends of Bank Street for two days - though we hauled our stuff all over looking for an ideal spot. I think I was intimidated and didn't want to be seen. My friend Mike Rooney just gave me a good idea - put up a tip jar and then people would hurry on by and ignore us! LOL



I wiped this one off.


And this one was a goner too. It had potential perhaps, but one must remember that its about the journey, not the destination. :)

And we journeyed all over Central Park, the Met (ahhhh), Chinatown, Little Italy, Broadway, Hudson River Park, the villages, and I spent a couple hours perusing art in the galleries in Chelsea. And there was still not enough time to see as much as we wanted. But I took 912 photos and should have a lot of fun putting those to use in my upcoming studio paintings. I can't wait. Its such an inspiring city.

Morning painting West Village

Found a good spot to work this morning and had some success. My little study is on the wall. There are great scenes everywhere, just not so many convenient places to "pull over".

Barton Springs Pool Sketches

Today I met a friend for some sketching at one of our lovely spring fed pools. We are so lucky in Austin to have two large spring fed swimming pools. The more well-known one is Barton Springs Pool. And it was so much fun to sit on the bank and watch people enjoying the brisk 68 degree water. Its going to have to get a whole lot hotter (94 today) for me to get in that water!


My first sketch was just a woman sitting on the concrete sidewalk above the pool. I made the water bluer than it is really.


I'm pretty pleased with my second sketch. This is very accurate to the water color in the shallow end. The water created such a distortion that their legs were pretty much invisible, though the water is crystal clear.
I might finish out these pieces with a little more detail and clean up some things... like the broken hand on my sunbather. Then I will post them again on here or ETSY.

Under A Loggia

This was my morning's work. Our Monday morning model session. And what a beautiful morning we had here in Austin. We went to Laguna Gloria - a historic home on Lake Austin - and had a delightful young lady pose for us. I laugh a little each time I think of my temporary title "Under a Loggia" - reminds me of Elenore Lavish in E.M. Forster's A Room With A View.

I am really so excited about these regular, on location figure painting sessions. And the lovely weather!

Salado Ranch

Today I went to a private ranch out near Salado which is north of Austin. I tagged along with V....Vaughan - my job was opening gates and such. Gorgeous place. I have to say that I don't think I've ever seen as many varieties of wildflowers as we have blooming now in central Texas. After such a brutally hot summer and a long drought, its a real relief. Its still relatively cool too, though I did get a bit of a sunburn.

Pretty pleased with my little ranch studies. And being surrounded by the munching angus, longhorns AND horses was quite peaceful.

I painted two scenes almost simultaneously actually. I had a 12x9 panel but wanted to paint smaller. I also liked two views so I just divided my panel in half worked back and forth between them.

Anyway - see below. I'm a little too distracted this evening. I found a tick on me and even after a shower I feel like my skin is crawling.








Ready for his close up! Handsome isn't he? :-)

Artists Retreat

We had a wonderful painting weekend in the Texas Hill Country. I joined about 20 other artists at a really cool little "camp" - Roddy Tree Ranch - on the Guadalupe River. I painted and sketched all around the area, some on the river and some of the cottages on the "ranch" site. There were some beautiful views... as well as horses, donkeys, old tractors and cars, and colorful characters.

It was so nice to just wake up and have nothing to do but get my breakfast and walk out to paint. I worked on site for awhile, then we headed out to explore more of Ingram and Hunt, and eventually drove further out FM 1340 which has to be the prettiest drive in central Texas. It was just lovely.

I won't blog everything, but for those who can get on Facebook, I posted lots of photos of the area and some of the fun things we saw on the way.

I have to say, I am rusty when it comes to landscape painting. And everything was such bright colors... sometimes I felt like a kid with a box of crayolas. And part of Saturday was so windy! Wow... luckily that died down and we really couldn't have asked for better weather.

Below are my paintings/sketches. I learned on the last two to stop fiddling and leave it loose and incomplete.


First painting of the weekend... one of the cottages prettily lit up with morning sun. Not exactly how I captured it though. The sun is so very bright, that judging value is hard.


I set up to paint the horses/pony/donkeys - whichever was going to pose well... but some other artists joined me then and the animals got curious and continually milled about keeping an eye on us and begging for treats and scratches. So I did this quickie of the pony with a halo of sun around him.



Trucked our things into a narrow, wet path alongside the Guadalupe river to get a view of these falls. Dropped my brush in the edge of the water at one point. No other major mishaps though! You could tell it had flooded recently... a canoe was stuck with a bunch of debris halfway up a tree.



Ok - I was wearing out here maybe. I had such great views of the other artists at work here, but the green was so bright, the water so blue, etc. that things ended up looking very childish. I almost scraped it off, but actually, it probably has some merit with another hour of work. I realized here that I quit too soon.... give up too easily.



Took ONE more stab at it Saturday evening. I saw this view Friday when we'd arrived. 24 hours later I went back to this site knowing the shadows would be long with the sun getting lower in the sky (6:30 ish) . I suppose I had thought about it long enough that I had it in my head and my hand knew better what to do. I was pretty pleased with my results here. Also decided to not define everything, but to just focus on my center of interest. I worry too much about filling in the canvas/board.



Sunday morning, we went back to "my view" and I painted a house on top of the hill this time! This hill is above the river, which flows pretty much west to east here... so we were in a great spot to paint long shadows on the ranch.

I am so glad I went - what a great group we have in Austin - now over 100 members! They have paint outs weekly in some very interesting areas around Austin - lots of great ideas and companionship come out of it. I'm going to keep my plein air set up packed and ready and get out more regularly. Its good to get out of the studio and talk to people in real life some!

Morning Out

9x12 oil on panel

I loved this subject so much that I painted another view. I will have a good opportunity to paint more painters this weekend, as well as some horses, river, landscapes, etc. Tomorrow I am joining Plein Air Austin for their annual retreat. We're heading to a camp in Hunt, Texas (a few hours from Austin) and I can't wait for a little getaway. It will be relaxing as well as inspiring I think to be around many gifted artists all focused on one thing... creating art!

Over the Fence

I have no idea how the color will appear on these. I scanned them onto my parents computer (and have to clean the white paint off it now. Even my quick-dry white won't dry. I guess its the humidity!)
Anyway - these little sketches are of the house behind the fence at my folks'. Its newly built but in an old farmhouse style. The first one was most complete but never thought I quite got the values correct. The white house, reflecting a lot of green and blues, was deceptive. Until I really squinted, I could not get the sky and house the correct values. I then did a "thumbnail" painting of just those values with no details. I think it is closer to reality. But maybe if I'd done it in grays, I would have gotten even more accurate.
We are having such a nice time - its so nice to NOT have to do anything. This is my one break each year.

Wall Street

Day three of my trip, Sunday, and we were on Wall Street. Pretty quiet there on a weekend! No one but tourists again. There were a LOT of tourists. We were blown away by the masses of people everywhere. It was not like that when I had been the previous years in the fall, so I am guessing the city was full of visitors.

I'd never been to Wall Street. Its amazing how the city has so such distinct flavors in the different neighborhoods. Midtown east is skyscrapers of lots of glass and metal, mixed with old brick buildings. Same on the west side too but then there is Times Square with its own flavor. Wall Street and area seemed more like Europe (with skyscrapers) - many of the buildings there were white stone and brick and the streets were more maze-like. Some of the old buildings down by the South Street Seaport sagged and were definitely out of square!

We painted in the street (which is now blocked from traffic), a view facing south (?) towards the river. We were almost all done when a police officer came by and said we couldn't have tripods there. Can anyone explain that? Does it impede traffic? Is it a safety hazard? I know photographers have to deal with that a lot.

Anyway, the plan was to pack up and go to the Bridge Cafe for lunch. Its the oldest restaurant in the city and right under the Brooklyn Bridge. You can guess what we painted after lunch then! While there, we were entertained by more native New Yorkers - Ellen and her husband Joe. Ellen is another artist who wanted to see how we crazy people could paint on location in the city! They were very fun people with lots of interesting history to tell about their neighborhood. She and Phil are members of Pleiades Gallery, a coop art gallery run by the artists. Its a great space, we went last year for Phil's show. Phil has a link on his site to a scrapbook of our painting trip and there are a lot of images from Wall Street. You can see our paintings progress.


14x11 oil on panel
- I don't think I got the value on the buildings right... they should have been darker. And a more verical canvas would have been better.


6x8 oil on panel
- this is my favorite painting from the trip I think.


Petra and Sherrie drawing a crowd at the bridge