Park University Campus

I love painting the architecture of the grand old buildings on the Park University Campus!  Sitting in the shade of a tree, I do my line work with De Atramentis Archive Ink, following with Levenger's Raven Black in this pictured fountain pen with a broad nib.  This is my first pen in all these years to have a broad nib, and in only a few paintings I have grown to love it!  It drops a smooth, rich line, more intense than the medium nib. On smoother papers, the line may be too bold, but the majority of my papers are rough in texture, so the broad nib really helps speed the drawing process.  I love my fountain pens!  In fact, I have a brand new one just out of the box, just waiting to be inked! Painting number 3143 in 3143 days.  This painting now showing at Cathy Kline Art Gallery through October! 

Grand Mackay Hall

Whenever I am in Parkville, I like to sketch a local icon, or capture a quaint little spot in pen and ink.  This place is certainly a Parkville icon, making a grand statement at Park University.  Ink is the perfect medium for such cool architecture.  The silver TWSBI fountain pen is loaded with De Atramentis Archive Ink, and has an extra fine nib.  I use this for the lines I don't want to move with water.  The other TWSBI mini is loaded with Levenger's Raven Black and has a broad nib.  I've only recently tried this nib, and I'm enjoying the thick black line it leaves.  This is the one I move with a little water.  There are so many places I want to draw, and there never seems to be enough time!  Painting number 3063 in 3063 days.

Mackay Hall in Autumn

Mackay Hall in Autumn
watercolor batik on rice paper, 6x8.5
purchase here

I spent a wonderful afternoon in Parkville with friends, to celebrate a birthday.  The fall colors were really washing over the town - oh why couldn't we have had this color last week when painting up there every day? I had not had a chance to paint Mackay Hall this year, so today was my chance - and this time is watercolor batik on thin rice paper!  I have come very late to my work!  Pilates, lunch and shopping out with friends, a little more shopping with my youngest son, followed by a Zumba party at the gym - all have pushed my painting window to the very end of the day.  As with all paintings of this kind, I am working "assembly line" style, letting the watercolor dry on one while working on another.  If the first still isn't dry, I begin another, and tonight I work on four.  It takes the very wet rice paper quite a while to dry!  Tonight, I grew tired of waiting (and didn't want to begin a fifth) so I pulled out the blow dryer to speed that process up!  It worked like a charm, and I was able to finish all of them.  Another trick for this very warm day - I had to put the paintings in the freezer after waxing, because the wax was staying too soft to really break off after the wadding up stage!  I also had to do that when up visiting my parents in Ohio this summer.  It also works like a charm!  This painting makes 1024 in 1024 days :)

Majestic Mackay Hall

Majestic Mackay Hall
Oil on Panel - 11x14

I have wanted to paint this beautiful building since my first trip to Parkville, MO.  Autumn's changing of the leaves made this the perfect time to do it!  This is one of three plein air paintings submitted on Saturday for the "Celebrate Parkville in Art - Exhibition and Art Auction" on Dec. 13, 6:00-9:00pm.  Please come out to the Old Mill for an evening of art created by the artists of the Missouri Valley Impressionist's Society and sponsored by the Parkville Chamber of Commerce.