Wettest Block in the World

What fun it was to paint on 8th and Mulberry for the Historic West Bottoms Plein Air - and I'm so happy this painting has found a new home!  The history of this street is very interesting. The end of this block is Kansas, and this used to be known as the "Wettest Block in the World", where Kansans would come across the river to buy their liquor!  I love learning fun facts about the places I paint!  Painting number in days. 

https://kcyesterday.com/articles/wettest-block?srsltid=AfmBOopBdtN4MK-AkZL3D8f51Frwtyk_RiLSm6sJEF_sWjQCdm6-pcsQ

World War 1 Museum

 

It was fun gathering with Urban Sketchers KC on Pearl Harbor Day to remember our heroes, and sketch the National World War I Museum.  This is my second sketch of the morning, a quick one, and I forgot to get a photo of the first one on site! This place was very busy today, with many visiting on this special day.  It was fun to capture it all in ink and watercolor. Painting number 5031 in 5031 days. 

JC Nichols Fountain Nocturne

The JC Nichols fountain is one of my favorite Kansas City places to paint, and I especially love painting it at night!  I've painted 4 different nocturnes here, two in oil, one in acrylic and oil, and this one in acrylic.  I like to use a heavy body acrylic paint with a dry brush technique, never adding water to the paint.  I don't even rinse out my brushes until I ready to wash them, so that water doesn't dilute the paint.  It's been a while since I've used my acrylics, and it is fun to switch mediums daily.  No better way to keep things fresh!  Painting number 3961 in 3961 days. 

Plaza Lights Magic

I absolutely LOVE painting the Country Club Plaza for the holidays!  Always inspiring, this place is celebrating it's 100th year!  Though I've painted these gorgeous streets multiple times, I've never chosen acrylics to do it with.  I've been painting a great deal lately, so it's wonderful to stretch into a different medium for a bit.  I'm using a do brush technique with heavy body acrylics, without water.  They build up with a thicker, more opaque quality this way.  And the color pop of that acrylic paint is also very different from my oils.  Such a great change!  The best bonus is that the painting dries very quickly, so I could frame it up the same day!  This one is now showing at HDR Inc in Kansas City along with 14 others.  It is the 3955th painting in 3955 days. 

Kansas City Skyline from Main

 

I love capturing Kansas City in watercolor batik!  This view is looking down Main from near Union Station, where I could sketch from the Link that connects Crown Center to Union Station. Catching this place in the golden hour was my good fortune, so I marked those colors quickly!  This large gallery piece is one that shows with my Kansas City Collection for the Now Showing program with ArtsKC. Painting number 3930 in 3930 days. 

Monan Blvd and Main Street

What a vibrant downtown arts district to paint!  Carmel, Indiana is an amazing place to visit and capture in ink and watercolor. 

Morning at the Farmer's Market

 I'm so honored this painting won the Quick Paint this morning at the Farmer's Market by popular vote!  The Carmel Farmer's Market is the nicest one I've ever been to - upscale in every way, and very paintable!  I thought the quick paint started at 8am, so started a different painting similar to this one - and finished it before beginning this one shortly after 9am! This one then had to be framed and turned in by 10:30, where the public voted for the winners.  Then tonight, this painting was honored with a Merit Award and sold to a lovely couple, too! Painting number 3901 in 3901 days. 

Downtown Carmel on Main

 

We're having so much fun painting on the street in downtown Carmel, Indiana!  This place has grown so much since I first started painting here, and the whole arts district is vibrant with life.  As people walked and shopped, we'd visit and paint the special details of this place.  It was a bit chilly this morning, but I finally warmed up after leaving this shady spot! Painting number 3900 in 3900 days. 

H&R Block View

 

What a unique opportunity to sketch fabulous Kansas City views from the H&R Block building this morning with Urban Sketchers KC! There is literally a painting at every window, and beautiful artwork on every wall - making for a very inspiring morning!  All the complexities of this architectural view grabbed me instantly!  Old and new existing in the same space, shiny and vibrant, full of history.  I didn't know what I was walking into this morning, and what a treat it was!  I love getting to sketch in a place like this!  Painting number 3862 in 3862 days. 

Looking Over the West Bottoms

What an amazing vantage I had from the rooftop of the Faultless Building in the West Bottoms!  Now an event space, this beautiful building was the perfect place to paint so much of this historic skyline!  This long format was exactly what I needed for this painting - and I'm so happy I had one sheet with me!  Trains came and went, walkers, runners and bikes bustled by below, and the occasional pigeon popped in to join me - before rushing off when I moved! This was such a peaceful place to paint, and once again I worked right up until the last minute, to rush back, frame, and turn in for the morning quick paint!  Quite a bit to bite off for my 2 hour 15 minute window, lol!  Painting number 3785 in 3785 days. 

Mulberry View

I don't think I've ever painted a Mulberry Street before this afternoon!  Scouting the streets for my next painting subject, I stopped here, and then backed up for a better view.  I recognized these buildings from my morning paint - because they were visible from the top of the Faultless Building, and I painted them into my skyline. It was a beautiful day for painting, and the sun brightened the west side of these buildings.  I'm having fun exploring this place - there are so many great historic buildings that beg to be painted!  Hope they continue this plein air event, it's a wonderful chance to do just that!  I'm so happy this painting won this afternoon's Historic West Bottoms Quick Paint - and it will hang in the residence of the sponsor.  Painting number 3784 in 3784 days. 

13th and Hickory

I've never been down these streets of Kansas City before tonight.  Arriving a little late to the quick paint - after a day full of family fun time - I walked up and down these streets.  After seeing a few compositions I would like to try, I walked back to get my gear and chose this view instead!  My first time to use this square format paper, it was a learning process.  Each handmade paper is different, and this one was a bit resistant to my paint.  So, I coaxed my paint into position on this paper, allowing it to dry in place - which took longer than normal.  So complex was my drawing,  I was still putting paint on those buildings to the last minute!  I'm so honored to win this first Historic West Bottoms Quick Paint, and I'm happy this painting found a new home, too!  I can't wait to paint here again tomorrow!  Painting number 3783 in 3783 days. 

Boulevard Stack

It was a perfect afternoon to gather with artist friends and paint another beloved Kansas City icon - Boulevard Brewery!  I've painted this place a few times over the years, and each time, they've added structures!  It's amazing how this place grows, and for the first time, I've painted it from the top of the Brew House, looking west out of their bay of windows.  Very cushy January painting!  Painting number 3671 in 3671 days and day 23 of the #stradaeasel challenge.

Nichols and Broadway

It was magical to walk down Nichols after the lighting ceremony, and only see pedestrians!  Normally bustling with cars - this is a once a year view on the Country Club Plaza.  We try to make a trip here every holiday season, but this is my first time to be right by the stage for all the festivities.  So magical, I wonder why we're not down here every year for the lighting!  This may just become a new tradition - and there are so many other places I want to paint!  Painting number 4404 in 4404 days. 

Lights on Broadway

 

Guess who's painting the Plaza Lighting Ceremony live tomorrow night?!!  I'm so excited and honored to be commissioned for this very special Kansas City tradition!  I have such fond memories of times spent with family, enjoying the Christmas lights on the Country Club Plaza, and now I'm going to capture the event live with paint!  I can hardly wait - losing sleep, even - already painting those paintings in my head!  I will be starting my Thanksgiving at the Gobble Trot 5K with my daughters, rushing home for our family gathering, then rushing off to the Plaza for an unforgettable night!  It's going to be an amazing day!  Painting number 4402 in 4402 days. 

Red Door Welcome

 

I LOVE staying and painting at the Main Street Inn in Sainte Genevieve - where we ALWAYS get the VIP treatment!  In fact, my Mom's favorite room in the place is right behind those red doors, and with such an attractive corner - I couldn't resist painting it in the morning light.  This painting in not available because it is a special birthday gift for a special proprietor. Painting number 4379 in 4379 days. 

Morning on 1st Street

 

I love capturing the charm of historic downtown Owensville in paint!  Staying just across the street, this was an easy site to get to on the morning of the Owensville paint day for the 4th annual Gasconade County Plein Air event.  Walking up and down the street, I liked this section most, especially lit by that morning sun.  I sketched it out in paint, then started filling in the masses, like putting together a puzzle.  Go see this one in person at Art Works On Main Gallery on 1st street, in Owensville - in fact, it is one of the buildings I painted! Painting number 4374 in 4374 days. 

47th and Nichols

I intended to paint several different buildings this day, arriving early to meet other urban sketchers at the park. Well, I spent so much time on the first sketch, I hardly had time to get this one drawn.  After a quick marking of the lines and angles, I added a few shadows with my pen.  Taking my water brush pen to those masses, I gradated them quickly - making this very loose and fresh!  Urban Sketchers KC is soon trading work with Urban Sketchers Seville - our sister city. How fun it will be to have work from that lovely place in Spain!  Painting number 3367 in 3367 days. 

47th and Nichols

What a lovely morning to paint at 47th and Nichols on the Country Club Plaza!  I was so happy to gather with artist friends again for an Urban Sketchers KC event with our sister city Seville, for a sketch exchange!  I was on the Plaza earlier this week to get in some early sketching. As one of the admins, we were all trying to do extra work, to be sure there is enough to exchange with the artists in Urban Sketchers Seville. For each artist who sends a painting (size 9x6), a painting will come to them from an artist in Seville, Spain.  How cool is that?  I've only just turned in my work, and I can hardly wait to receive my treasure!  I hope we do much more of this in the future - just imagine the international connections to artists of shared interests!  What a wonderful way to spread a little joy across the pond! Painting number 3363 in 3363 days. 

Fogo de Chao

I love getting an early start on this weekend's Urban Sketchers "Paint the Plaza" day.  The weather has been spectacular this week, so it has been a joy to sketch outside!  This building is another iconic stand out in the Country Club Plaza. I can't tell for sure from here, but it looks like the face of the clocks are also plaza images.  I'm always surprised by the details I see when I'm painting on location.  They are so much more apparent as I work.   The opposite is also true - sometimes there are big ugly things in my line of vision, and I don't see them at all as I paint.  I think there is a lot of "self-editing" going on in my head - without my knowledge! Love painting down here!  Painting number 3361 in 3361 days. ❤️🎨