Sculpted Hydrangea & Rudbeckia

Sculpted Hydrangea & Rudbeckia
Acrylic over molding paste on wood panel, 11x14
Fish Creek, Wisconsin
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My third painting of the day from the Allen yard in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, is an acrylic over molding paste on panel.  I first sketched the composition out on the panel, while set up at my easel in front of these flowers.  I have a small container of molding paste which I carry on board my french easel, and this I laid down with my palette knife.  It was rather humid right by the harbor, so this took a little longer to dry than normal.  Avoiding the still wet paste, I blocked in the background with my Golden open acrylics, careful to add enough water and regular gel medium so the acrylics would actually dry.  If I add nothing to these open acrylics, they stay tacky almost forever!  Since I need them to dry for easy storage on the trip home - I must add water and gel medium. This one was dry by morning.  Truly, these are the acrylics to use in the field, because I never have to worry about the fast drying time.  After using regular acrylics for years en plein air - these are SO much easier.  When the background was in, the paste was dry enough to start layering in the color.  My final layer is the regular gel gloss, sealing the layers and adding the perfect finish.  Another wonderful painting day - and this one makes number 577 in 577 days.

Sailing Lake Michigan

Sailing Lake Michigan
Watercolor on paper, 5x7
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I am again playing in the watercolors today!  This sailboat was turning off the coast of Sister Bay.  I always have my camera handy - so I was able to get three good shots of his maneuvers.  The sun was dropping, and reflections of the sky skimmed along it's surface.  Painting the surf in watercolor is so much different than in oils or acrylics!  I masked off some highlights first, then went in with some loose, wet color - allowing it to move and spread.  This is hot-pressed paper, and so it leaves it's own mark with the pigment.  It is so exhilarating to experiment with this new medium - just like getting to know a new friend, whom you KNOW is already a kindred spirit!  Such an adventure!  I am just getting to know boats as well, I have not spent much time around large bodies of water.  I think I need to invest in some wonderful watercolor brushes, too. I am basically using one brush - which is now starting to show some wear.  At the rate of which I am painting - I will be going through them like crazy!  All of Door County, Wisconsin is full of scenes like this - it really takes me back to this place to put it to paper in watercolor.  Painting number 576 in 576 days :)

Fish Creek Sailboats

Fish Creek Sailboats
Watercolor on paper, 7x5, $100
FIsh Creek Harbor, Wisconsin
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Along the coast of the Door County Peninsula, sailboats of all kinds can be found.  In every town we stopped to paint, these gently floating beauties called out to me!  With all of the paintings I did create, I still wish I could have worked more of them in watercolor.  Until now, I have not sketched anything on my watercolor paper.  With the boats having such specific lines, I did lightly mark the masts and body shapes.  I am also working on hot pressed paper for the first time.  The paper lends an interesting, grainy texture to the color.  Up close, it adds sparkle to the masses. New colors on my palette today - antwerp blue and cobalt teal blue.  One by one, I am trying out some of my newfound treasures - and it is SO fun to experiment with new colors!  This painting makes 575 in 575 days - perhaps I'll work on another sailboat painting from my many new reference photos!

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse
Oil on panel, 14x11
Peninsula State Park, Wisconsin
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Venturing back to the Peninsula State Park in Wisconsin, I set up with a fellow artist to start painting quickly.  The light was golden as the sun headed west, and we had limited time to capture it.  This Eagle Bluff Lighthouse is reported to be haunted, and as we painted, two ghost tours came by!  It was so interesting to hear the stories as we painted!  Each group came over to visit as they headed back to their trollies - Door County truly does support their visiting artists!  As it was getting so dark we could hardly see, we wondered if we would soon see the little boy who ran through the wall!  Painting number 574 in 574 days :)

Hydrangeas and Lazy Susans

Hydrangeas and Lazy Susans
Watercolor on paper, 10.5x7

This was my second painting on Friday - spent in Helen's yard on Spruce street.  These beautiful hydrangeas were flanked by lazy susans, catching the morning light like jewels.  This is the first time I have taken watercolors to the field - and I was minimally prepared.  I did not take my easel out of the car, so I had my palette and water cup on the ground.  Each stroke, I had to bend down to dip my brush first into water and then into the paint.  There was a lot of up and down motion involved in getting this painting done!  I'll have to involve my easel next time!  Painting number 573 in 573 days.

Capturing Summertime

Capturing Summertime
Oil on panel, 14x11
Fish Creek Quick Paint

What a gorgeous place!  The quick paint contest at the Door County plein air event was at Fish Creek this morning.  This town was quiet and peaceful early in the morning, but quickly filled with people milling through the streets - searching out all plein air artists.  I set up in the yard across the street - and had a perfect, shady spot from which to paint.  I met the most wonderful people - everyone is so friendly in this charming little town!  This whole trip has been so amazing - it is hard to leave such a picturesque place.  I am already planning for next year!  This painting makes 572 in 572 days.

Helen's Poppies

Helen's Poppies
Watercolor on paper, 10.5x7

I had the most relaxing day painting in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. The winds were calm with temperatures mild - in the 60's and 70's.  I painted four paintings from this single location today!  This was the first of the day - a cheerful play of poppies!  Helen, the owner of this wonderful old home, was in the yard cutting fresh flowers to put into vases.  I did have to head for cover when a few sprinkles started to fall. Not a problem for oils - but certainly a problem for watercolor! I was soon able to finish and move on to another!  This is painting number 571 in 571 days :)

Trees of Ellison Bay

Trees of Ellison Bay
Watercolor on paper, 7x10.5
Door County, Wisconsin

Today was such a fun, busy day!  I started the morning with a sunrise paint across the road at Kangaroo Lake.  Next, I headed to Sister Bay to the cherry orchard on Hwy 42, and a wonderful community garden on Beach Rd.  Then, it was off to Fish Creek, where I was able to get in a painting of a beautiful old house right by Clark Park.  After dinner at a fish boil, it was up to the Peninsula State Park to paint the lighthouse at Eagle's Point (I think).  I'm home so late that I can not take photos of my paintings, so, this one is number three of the first day in Door County.  This secluded beach at Ellison Bay, Wisconsin was a real jewel!  We had to drive down a steep road that twisted several times, but this scene on the beach was the reward! Pulling out my watercolors, I first masked this off with Pebeo drawing gum and then put in my dark shadows and background colors.  Once this was dry, I rubbed off the resist and started dropping in some fresh colors onto the white areas.  This painting almost painted itself - which is always a joy!  This painting makes 570 in 570 days - now I had better get to bed - it has been a very long day in this gorgeous little slice if heaven :)

Sunset at Kangaroo Lake

on location

What a fun finish to a very busy painting day!  While enjoying a blazing campfire, with s'mores ready for the making, I set up my easel and quickly painted the sun as it was setting on Kangaroo Lake.  This resort belongs to a friend of mine - and they are so welcoming to us artists across the road!  This boat was catching the orange glow as were the waves upon the water.  When the light is quickly fading, I first painted all of these highlights.  Next came the clouds, which were quickly blowing across the sky in the strong winds. It is very important to get these colors in fast - because once the sun is gone - I can no longer see.  By the time I was finished, all of my darks looked like straight black and only the light and dark values showed - so it was time to stop putting that paint down!  This painting makes 569 in 569 days.

Sunset at Kangaroo Lake
Oil on panel, 12x9
Sunset Shores Resort, Wisconsin

Freedom at Egg Harbor

Freedom at Egg Harbor
Oil on panel, 12x9
Door County, Wisconsin
sold

This morning found me at Egg Harbor, Wisconsin at water's edge. As I arrived on sight, I saw this boat immediately resting in the bay, basking in the morning light.  I had to paint it.  I set up my easel immediately, without even scouting out the rest of the area.  The wind was strong in my face, and I was only a couple of feet from the edge of the dock - but this scene was worth the extra effort!  Before long, the dingy was missing, and the owner of the boat and his friend came to see what I was painting.  After a wonderful visit with these interesting men, this painting has found a new home.  What a wonderful painting day this was surrounded by such beauty!  This is painting number 568 in 568 days.

Beach on Ellison Bay

On location

Beach on Ellison Bay
Oil on panel, 14x11
Ellison Bay, Wisconsin

My first time to Ellison Bay, this spot grabbed me immediately!  I set up my gear and had this painting half finished in no time.  The wind was kicking up and the surf slapping the beach was musical.  I could paint all day while listening to this music.  The oils laid down easily, and when I finished this, I finished another in watercolor.  I was able to paint 4 paintings today - and have so many reference photos for upcoming paintings when I return home.  What a wonderful place to paint all day long.  If I hadn't packed food, I would never stop to eat!  Funniest thing - so far from home, I met a girl from my Zumba class back in Belton, Missouri!  Isn't it a small world?  Painting number 567 in 567 days - I'm on a plein air adventure in Door County, Wisconsin :)

July Roses in Loose Park

July Roses in Loose Park
Oil on canvas, 7x5
Loose Park, Kansas City, MO

I am again painting on canvas in a small size - only 7x5 inches.  This park is so romantic - no wonder there are many weddings here each year!  The fountain babbles as the fragrance of the roses waft in the air - ideal surroundings for losing oneself in the paint!  I need to get some more surfaces cut, but with all that has been on my agenda, there has simply been no time for it.  Thus, I return to the loose canvas, cutting the desired size - largely dictated by the painting window I have today!  The oils feel so creamy after my latest acrylic and watercolor ramblings.  I wish I had time to continue painting all day!  Painting number 566 in 566 days :)

Pink Roses on the Arbor

Pink Roses on the Arbor
Oil on canvas, 7x5
Loose Park, Kansas City, MO

Getting back to my comfortable roots today, I have pulled out my oils.  In preparation for the Door County trip, I dutifully scraped my palette and reloaded the paints.  I do this before leaving, because I only carry tiny tubes in my french easel - except for white.  Loose Park is one of my favorite places to paint, so picking a theme of comfort was a must on such a hectic day.  I found some canvas in my supplies, so I have taped it to a substrate for this painting and the next.  I rarely do this, but why not take advantage of all the surfaces I have?  This painting makes 565 in as many days.....not it is time for lunch :)

Brayer Lake Study

Brayer Lake Study
Acrylic on paper - brayer, 20x14

This is the second brayer painting of the workshop day - a landscape. I really loved the technique for the city street scene, the brayer lent itself well to the buildings.  But, in the landscape, it's choppy straight rolling lines were awkward to maneuver, unnatural.  The brayer creates a more abstract look, and of course the bold colors also add to that.  This is just a study, not a finished painting, so I am counting this as a lesson in brayer work.  I am thinking about adding a small one to my plein air kit - there are times I think it would come in handy!  Painting number 564 in as many days.

Bee in the Coneflowers

Bee in the Coneflowers
Watercolor on paper, 5x7

Today, I am painting the purple coneflowers from the Kauffman Memorial Garden.  The purple coneflowers are in full bloom over there - and the bees were buzing all around them!  After sharing breakfast with my parents, they headed off for Ohio.   I then had to organize all my gear and frames for the upcoming Door County plein air event, leaving a tiny painting window to get this done.  I have used a Strathmore cold pressed 594-6 rough watercolor paper - and I like it!  Love the texture and the way the wet paint spreads over the surface!  I used just a little bit of the permanent blue on this - and boy, you can see the pop!  This is fast becoming a favorite choice in my watercolor paints.  I am also starting to hear that "little voice" that tells me when I am done - which has not ever kicked in with these new experimental watercolors until now.  That is a good sign!  I barely finished this in time to pick up some work at the Parkville Frame Gallery, and then had to get to Blue Springs for a 7:30 showing for "Annie" which my youngest cousin - Faith, my Aunt Diana and Uncle Ed were in.  It was a wonderful show - I have very talented relatives!  So, finally arriving home at 11:30, I am only now getting to post this - just under the wire! This painting makes 563 paintings in 563 days.  It is now time to eat - I was so busy that I missed lunch and dinner today!

Flowers at the Kauffman Garden

Flowers at the Kauffman Garden
Watercolor on paper, 7x5

Today, my parents and I visited the Kauffman Memorial Garden in Kansas City.  It is a beautiful, peaceful place with several wonderful fountains and abundant blooms!  These beauties were basking in the sun, with the shade falling behind them.  It made for a peaceful and serene composition.  After first masking out the lighter areas, I underpainted the darker parts.  Rubbing off the mask, I went back in with my brush to add color to these lighter areas.  With a full day and a house full of family until now, I am painting and posting late tonight.  This one makes 562 in as many days.

Rainy Day in the City

Rainy Day in the City
Acrylic on paper, 14x20

Surprise!  An abstract acrylic cityscape for today's painting of the day!  Today at the Tri-County Art League, we had Jim Ryon in to instruct a brayer workshop with acrylic paint.  It was SUPER fun!  With a rubber brayer, I dropped on paint, mixing with the brayer right on the paper to achieve the desired color.  No pre-mixing, no palette even - we used a foam plate for the little bit of brush work at the end to delineate the buildings, cars and people.  When pulling the color down into the street reflections - I simply slid the 4inch brayer from side to side for squiggly areas.  To loosely place the figures, I used the edge of my rather large bristle brush to dot in "carrot" shapes - one of Jim's tips for figures!  Although we used large sheets of paper for the workshop, this can also be easily done on a masonite type of surface.  I can't wait to try this technique on some of my Kansas City reference photos!  I have always liked the wet street scenes, but have never even attempted them!  How fun and invigorating to try something new and completely out of my box!  This painting makes 561 in 561 days - what will I paint tomorrow?

Pink Rose of Sharon

Pink Rose of Sharon
Watercolor on paper, 5x7

Today, my Aunt Betty came up from Springfield to spend the day, and visit with my parents.  We had a wonderful time catching up on all of the family news!  It is on days like this that I am thankful to have found a medium that I can use so quickly!  Again in watercolors, I have painted from my pink rose of sharon bush.  The paper is small - only 5x7 inches, which also speeds the painting and drying time.  I am leaving this one rather loose, making my statement with the boldness of the colors and values.  I think I will leave this one loose, I just don't feel the need to mark the edges of the less important parts.  I like the way the pinks work against the greens, with a little ultra blue splashed in for good measure.  Tomorrow I will be taking a crazy rubber brayer workshop using acrylics - so I will have a new kind of experiment on tomorrow's post!  This painting makes 560 in 560 days - it will not be long before I reach 600 :)

White Rose of Sharon

White Rose of Sharon
Watercolor on paper, 7x5

We had a wonderful family gathering today with Mike's parents and the kids and grandkids, here to see my parents while they are in town.  My dad is doing so well - it is simply amazing.  He has not been this good since possibly before the cancer three years ago.  I feel like I can finally breath a big sigh of relief!  I am painting just a few blooms from the many rose of sharon I have in the yard.  I have them in every color - and they are loaded with flowers!  I have only painted these one other time, and that was last year, in oils.  My first memory of these flowers is when I was little and climbed on my Grandma Frank's propane tank.  From this tank, I could climb up into the two trees that flanked either side of the tank.  My brother was often right behind me, both of us finding our own perches in the branches.  I always did love climbing, and I can still climb like a cat.  When a tree needs to be pruned, I shimmy up and cut those branches.  This painting makes 559 in 559 days.  Now, back to visiting :)

Dripping Hydrangeas

Dripping Hydrangeas
Watercolor on paper, 7x5

Today, I have played a bit with dripping the paint down the page, simply by lifting it up, and blowing the drips down - when some didn't follow gravity.  I let a couple drips fall over the very wet surface - and they spread, while the others were over a drier surface.  I'm not sure what I think about leaving the bottom of the page white to accent these drips.  After rubbing down the fingerprints on my right hand, I went in search of anything that would make the removal of the drawing gum easier - and I found it!  Certain wine bottles have a plastic/rubber like cork, instead of real cork - and as I sometimes save these, I found five that do a much better job at the removal than my fingers!  I simply hold them horizontally along the surface, and rub until the gum comes off.  They are not quite as good as the rubber cement remover, but a really good "next best"!  Thank goodness!  My fingertips were still a bit tender from last night's work, so this was a life saver.  I am wondering about experimenting more with this drippy technique - I really like the way the wet paper drips spread out.  How could I best use this technique for the landscape?  Upside down hollyhocks come to mind, but that is just crazy!  This painting makes 558 in as many days.  Now, I am going to organize my watercolors by hue while my parents are napping :)