On Vacation

 

When I travel, it's great to paint the scenes I don't find at home.  I have not painted here before, but found this place while returning from another painting location.  With just enough time to paint before a meeting, I set up on the shade of an airplane hangar, and got to work.  The owner of the building stopped by to say hi, too.  Everyone is so friendly here!  Fairfield is FULL of painting opportunities, and I'm happy this painting has a home there, too!  Painting number 4711 in 4711 days. 

Main Street

 

I love the timeless feel of a fountain pen gliding across handmade paper! TWSBIs are my absolute favorite fountain pens, piston loaded with inks of my choice, the ink flows smoothly - no matter how long it's been since I've used them.  I have many pens, and these are the only ones that don't fail me in the field.  Painting number 4691 in 4691 days.

Sunset Over Fairfield

 

Sunset turns to nightfall in a moment!  Intending to paint a nocturne, I arrived early to set up my easel.  When this glorious sky was before me, I just could not wait to begin!  So, I painted as fast as I could to capture all that color, before I really got the street scene in.  As soon as color faded from the sky, I made quick work of those lines.  They, too, faded as the dark settled in.  It was fun to talk to a few visitors on the street as I painted. I love that this painting of historic Fairfield will hang in the bank on this street.  Painting number 4690 in 4690 days. 

Fairy House in the Pumpkin Patch

 I just can't resist painting beautiful pumpkin patches - and Shreve's is a yearly favorite!  The autumn mums and pumpkins adorn the lawn as the light dances over it all.  Children raced in and out of this little house, and I heard them call it the Fairy House.  This farm is the first place I paint when arriving in Fairfield, and the weather has been especially nice this year.  I couldn't get enough of this place - so I returned for two more paintings!  Painting number 4681 in 4681 days. 

Night at the Victorian

SOLD

 

This was my first time to paint this beautiful Victorian at night, and in the rain.  As I drove by, coming home from another paint, I simply could not resist the glow of this beauty in the rain!  Choosing watercolor for a nocturne made this painting so much more challenging! As the rain increased, I was forced to finish in my car, where it was really too dark to see my paints.  I learned a few lessons with this one, and the result was worth the extra work.  I'm so happy the painting hangs within it's walls.  Painting number 4680 in 4680 days. 

Afternoon at the Pumpkin Patch

SOLD

 

I've painted so much this fall that many paintings are yet unposted. Shreve's Pumpkin Patch is one of my all time favorite places to paint!  I had painted one here, getting the farmhouse into the view, but I couldn't quite squeeze in the events building.  So, I painted from this angle to include the back building and some of the side yard.  Honestly, the whole place is magical, and I really needed a long format panel to get it all in, but alas, I had none. It seems I am forever running out of panels and frames!  This painting is 4677 in 4677 days, and I'm so happy they purchased this painting, too! 

Night Falls at the Courthouse

SOLD

 

I love painting nocturnes so much - and love it even more when my paintings find a home!  Balmy, autumn nights are the absolute best for painting, so I set up on Main Street, even though my friends were too tired to join me.  Thankfully, the rain held off until I was finished with capturing the magic! Thanks to Farley Lewis, for the honorable mention and kind words!  Painting number 4671 in 4671 days. 

Sunset Over Main Street

 

I LOVE painting on Main Street in Fairfield - especially at night!  Intending to paint a nocturne, the gorgeous sunset drew me right in!  I very quickly sketched the lines, then jumped right to the sunset ablazeI.  The light is so fleeting that I lay in those colors fast and loose, adding more detail as I go.  When all the color faded, i began the buildings, with only a few color notes to guide me.  Before long, I could no longer see the shapes of the buildings, so I called it.  The painting is actually bluer than the yellow street lights portray.  I love the quiet of painting at night - even in town. I'm happy this painting has a new home in the bank on the left, with a couple of mine from previous years!  Painting number 4652 in 4652 days. 

Morning at Cider Barn Farm

 

What a beautiful place for an early morning quick paint!  An hour and a half was hardly enough time to capture it all!  From the little deer playing in their pen to the white swans sailing across the lake, I just had to paint it all.  There were other animals, too, but they were out of my view.  Our gracious hosts welcomed us with a delicious breakfast after we turned in our paintings.  This was a wonderful way to start my day!  Painting number 4650 in 4650 days. 

Sunset Glory

 

I painted this one in my hand while dipping my brush into my palette, in my open trunk - there was no time to waste setting up my easel.  Though rather awkward, I painted as fast as I could, pulling the colors up from a dark palette nocturne style, but knowing where they are.  It was dark in my trunk before it was dark on my panel. This was crazy fun and so exhilarating!  There is nothing like a race with the sun! This was a spectacular sunset, and I'm SO HAPPY I didn't miss my chance to paint it!  Painting number 4649 in 4649 days. 

Night Impressions in Fairfield

SOLD

I think this was the first building in town that I painted when I arrived in Fairfield years ago.  I stood in the shade of the giant maples on the courthouse lawn, and painted in this direction. The architecture is so unique, I've not seen anything like it in other Midwest towns.  So, after dinner at a friend's home, a few of us artists hit the streets to paint a nocturne in this lovely night. Rain is coming, so we all must paint while the weather is great!  I'm so happy this painting won the Purchase Award from Diane Robinson.  Painting number 5180 in 5180 days. 

Victorian Garden

SOLD

One of my favorite places to paint, the early light was beautiful for just a little while. Rain moved back in,  and became too heavy with my panel not yet completely covered with paint. So  I had to finish this painting inside my car, and even had to frame inside, too.  It was worth it all to capture the beauty of this place. I'm so happy this painting will dwell within those beautiful walls. Painting number 5178 in 5178 days. 

Tanks in the Field

SOLD

I love the structure of oil well servicing equipment in a rural setting.  I don't see much of this in Missouri, so when I come to Fairfield, Illinois, I like to paint them. The rain was constant on this day, which had me ducking for cover in the car, when necessary.  Ink and rain don't mix well! I'm using my new Qor palette, and I'm finding a few favorite colors in the mix.  One I never thought I'd love is Payne's gray. I haven't used it for maybe 20 years, and only then in acrylic.  But I'm finding their gray to be rich and bluish, really wonderful for a shadow base color.  This is a new size for me, framing at 6x12. I like the information I can get in this format, and I think I'll do a few more, too.  Painting number 5177 in 5177 days. 

Alley Magic

What an amazing evening it was to paint such a beautiful alley!  This magical little place is just outside of Jovalou on Main Street in Fairfield, Illinois.  I started this before the twilight sky turned black, and the play between the colors was magical!  Getting lost the moment, I got a little crazy with my color  - as is often the case with nocturne painting.  It seems I stray farther from reality and more toward painting what I feel.  It's all about expression - and SO MUCH FUN! Painting number 5174 in 5174 days.  

Along Petroleum Boulevard

 I love finding and painting the places unique to an area! Here I am on Petroleum Boulevard, painting remnants of a forgotten age. To get this view, I had to stand in the sun, using my car for partial shade.  Since I'm on week two of a new palette, I still have my swatch test out for reference.  A couple of those colors are not recognizable by their dry half pan appearance. I think the bright sunlight on white paper pushed me to get pretty bold with my color.  What fun this was to paint!  Painting number 5174 in 5174 days. 

Night on 3rd and Main

SOLD

 

Another night, another nocturne! I was undecided about painting a fourth painting today, but with several of my friends going out after dinner, I just had to join in on the fun!  I love this corner of 3rd and Main, and have painted it several times through the years. This time, there was a brightly lit message board behind me, which cast it's various colors on my work. There's no telling what it looks like until i open my trunk in the morning! Not quite sure I'm finished, but the lightening and thunder told me I was! Painting number 5173 in 5173 days. 

Light on the Tanks

I've lately been hunting up special requests from patrons, and have come across a few paintings never posted. In an effort to update my records, I'm adding them when I find them. It gives me a place to tag those paintings and make them visible to those in search of them. This is an acrylic painting of an oil field site somewhere near Fairfield, Illinois.  It was down a gravel path unknown to me, and I didn't record the exact location.  I've not been to that site since, so can only guess that is was north/northwest of town, based on what I remember. Painting number 3963 in 3963 days. 

In Retirement

This is the second painting of this style, in this field full of oil well equipment painted while in Fairfield, Illinois.  A very complicated scene when first drawn, I've come to know my subject better now. What was like a puzzle of angles and lines is now a rhythm of pump jacks and parts.  It has been very interesting to work in this field, and I can't wait to find more oil fields when I return to Fairfield!  Painting number 3957 in 3957 days.  So happy this painting has a new home with two others!  Yay! 

7 Tanks

 

Love sending paintings to their new home - and this one is headed to Fairfield, Illinois!  Sketched on the outskirts of town, the rusty color of those tanks grabbed my attention.  With ink and watercolor, I painted the scene leaving the sky for last.  I didn't want to detract from the composition by adding color to the sky, so I didn't!  Painting number 3949 in 3949 days. 

Oil Field Remnants

When in Fairfield, Illinois, I get the chance to paint the most interesting oil field equipment!  It's so fun to draw such a complex gathering of metal lines and angles - and very challenging!  It's a bit like pouring together a puzzle, one line at a time, radiating out from my start point! I've chosen pen and ink for this one, giving it a vintage feel.  It feels timeless in black ink on handmade paper. So happy this painting will have a new home near where it was created!  Painting number 3947 in 3947 days.