Afternoon in the Garden (at Kill Creek Farm)

In search of sunflowers at the Kill Creek Farm - I found a them in the private garden of the 1870's farmhouse.  The larger field of sunflowers had been eaten by deer and was being mowed to the ground as I arrived in the morning!  Yikes!  I had been excited to paint sunflowers -as they are SO beautiful in the field!  They are just as wonderful in the garden, and here they are sandwiched between zucchini and zinnias, with the Kill Creek Barn in the background.  There were bee hives down in the pasture - and the bees LOVED the natural bug repellant I had sprayed my arms and legs with!  The honey bees kept landing on me and licking the essential oils from my skin - no kidding!  I found that if I didn't react, they just walked around my skin for a while - and flew off!  I couldn't keep shooing them off - I was too busy painting - unless they landed on my face!  That is a "no bee" zone! Just another plein air experience!  This painting is my 999th in 999 days - and Day 26 in the 30 day painting challenge!!

on location

Sunflower Medley

Sunflower Medley
Oil on panel, 14x11
Sunflower Artfest - 2nd Place "Sunflower" Division

I had decided a couple of weeks ago to do enter this "Sunflower" competition.  I had the Brush Creek Art Walk going on, and the the Augusta Harvest Festival, as well as several other showings, openings and receptions to go to.  I had been painting sunflowers, but only two I thought were worthy of entering - and one of those I felt was "iffy"!  Arising at 4:00am on the morning of the event, I had set a small watercolor aside to frame, since I didn't get back to the easel the previous night (after Michael's late baseball game).  Well, I couldn't find the glass for the frame!  In the time it would take me to find glass in another frame to switch out - I could have a painting done.  So, I started this painting with an hour to paint.  I had already planned it in my head, and had sketched it with pastels the night before - so all I had to do was apply the paint.  There is nothing like a time limit to quicken your decisions!  Using a large brush for almost the whole thing, I switched to a palette knife at the end to finish.  The underpainting was thick enough that I had to use the knife to place the highlights - the brush only worked the color in without the desired "punch".  Wishing I could continue - my time was up and I slapped it in a frame and bolted.  I was SO surprised to win 2nd place on this painting in the "sunflower" division!  There is something to be said for working loose and fast.  Painting number 638 in as many days and Day 28 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge.

Sunflowers and Pumpkins

Sunflowers and Pumpkins
Oil on linen board, 8x10

My first painting of the season with pumpkins, so I finally feel like fall is arriving!  My second painting at the Sunflower Festival, these gorgeous beauties were brought in by a local farmer.  As I finished my first painting, I turned around to see these being pulled out of his truck and placed on the tables under his tent.  A trailer of pumpkins also in tow, we were allowed to place them where we wished for a plein air still life!  The colors were so rich in the noon sun, and the cool reflected light from the tent cast a dreamy light on the arrangement.  I had only one surface left, and that was a linen board given to me by an artist friend to try.  It was so lightweight - I had to clamp down my easel onto it to keep it in place.  It moved a little under my brush, which wood never does.  It was white - which I never start with, but I found that brushing on a mid tone with a little safflower oil made a perfect wash!  I wiped it around the surface with a paper towel until most of the oil was off, then began sketching in the composition with my pastel stick.  The stick was a little resistant to an oiled surface, but I could still use it.  The paints behaved as they would on canvas, so this lightweight surface option might be a good choice for overseas travel, or anytime surfaces needed to be checked in for flight.  I much prefer the birch boards, but they would get pretty heavy in a hurry.  This is painting number 636 in as many days, and painting number 26 in the 30 Day Challenge.

Sunflower FIeld at Kill Creek Farm

Sunflower Field at Kill Creek Farm
Oil on panel, 14x11
Sunflower Fest Plein Air Event, DeSoto, Kansas

The morning light was gorgeous on this field of sunflowers at the Kill Creek farm today.  I set up out in the full sun, but at 8:00am, I knew I had time to get this painted before it got too hot.  I loved this composition, the way the angles of sunflower rows and background trees complimented each other.  Perfect weather had me shedding my jacket by 10:00, and finishing by 11:00, ready to start another!  I thoroughly enjoyed this whole process of painting!  Pushing and pulling the paint was a joy, and the bees buzzing from one bloom to another were my constant companions.  This painting won Best of Show today, and is my 635th painting in as many days.  Also, the 25th painting in the

Best of Show

current 30 Day Painting Challenge.