Light on Banneker School

 

I loved painting the morning light on this historic Banneker School to the music of birdsong! When I arrived, golden orange light radiated from the sky behind the school, and was stunning.  With ink I sketched it's perch upon the hill, and painted the light in quickly, before it could change.  Timing is everything and had I waited, I would have missed that beautiful invitation to paint!  Painting number.5156 in 5156 days.  

Blooming Wetlands

 

This is day 1 of the Annual Paint Parkville event, and I'm happy to return to paint.  I missed this event last year when our middle son married on our property, bringing another daughter to our family!  I didn't know there were wetlands in Parkville until they were on the schedule for today!  I had to park a long way from this location, but the view was stunning.  Little sweat bees found me at the end, and kept stinging me until I moved my easel and doused my gear with eucalyptus oil! It was totally worth the turmoil to capture the wildflowers blooming in reckless abandon!  Painting number 5155 in 5155 days. 

Pin Oak Acorns

 

This is today's INKTOBER post and I am sketching our acorns before they all drop off.  As i worked, those acorns were falling from the tree.  I even though a squirrel might be tossing them down, but there was not one in sight  I am getting to know this paper better each day. It is a handmade and dyed paper that is thin.  At first, it is resistant to the water, but then saturates and wells up a little until it dries.  The ink spreads at will when wet, and dries lighter than it first appears. So, layers are necessary to get the full effect. I love how these drawings look so vintage, as if drawn a century ago.  Painting number 5154 in 5154 days. 

On Main and Kansas

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I'm honored to win 1st Place in the first Liberty Plein Air event with this painting on Main Street. After all these years in the Kansas City area, I've never been to the square in Liberty. I chose this section of Main Street because the Pumpkin Festival was in full swing, with families ands vendors up and down the street. Today was not only the first Liberty Plein Air, but also my first plein air with BOTH daughters painting, too! I'm so happy this painting was awarded a Purchase Award, too!  This may have been my first time to visit here, but it won't be my last!  Painting number 5153 in 5153 days. 

Night at the Museum

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What fun it was to paint this special event, "Night at the Museum", for the Salina Arts Center!  After participating in the first Liberty Plein Air event with BOTH daughters, I left early to drive the three hours to Salina.  I had enough time to check in to my suite, freshen up, and get to the Arts Center to paint!  This whole area is full of art, and this renovated space is really beautiful.  Paintings fill the walls and a special exhibit is just across the room, through adjoining doors. The people were lovely, and excited to find themselves in the painting when it was finished.  It was a lovely evening, and I'll need to head out before dawn to get to the Walktober at Jerry Smith  Park in time!  Painting number 5152 in 5152 days. 

Great Horned Owl

 

I love listening to our resident Great Horned Owl at night, but he goes silent when I step outside.  INKTOBER day 4. I'm having fun with pen and ink on this handmade paper, which has been dyed.  It is a little resistant to ink at first, then swells when saturated with water.  It quickly goes back down to shape as it dries. When wet, it accepts more ink, and the ink spreads at will before drying.  Each time I use it, I learn a bit more about the paper.  I love exploring what this paper can do with ink.  Painting number 5181 in 5181 days. 

Night Impressions in Fairfield

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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. 

Vintage Pumpkins

It's INKTOBER - and this is my first ink drawing of the month!  Not one for prompts, I am delving into vintage Halloween this month.  Using a dyed handmade cotton paper, i draw my pumpkins with a TWSBI fountain pen filled with Raven black ink by Levenger.  I use a little water to move the ink, then go back in with a little more pen work.  This paper is perfect for the vintage vibe I am going for.  I can't wait to try it again tomorrow!  Painting number 5179 in 5179 days. 

Victorian Garden

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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

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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. 

Good Year for Pumpkins

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Shreve's Pumpkin Patch is one of my very favorite places to paint when in Fairfield!  It's just not autumn until I paint here.  With a dramatic sky for a backdrop, these pumpkins nearly glowed in their rows leading to the barn.  I had not painted from this side, so I jumped right in.  Families and children came by a I worked, so interested in what I was creating.  It was a lovely day - and the rain held off until after I was finished  I'm so thankful Shreves chose my painting for their Purchase Award!  Painting number 5176 in 5176 days. 

Mules on the Field

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The Quick Paint tonight was at the Train Yard - the Fairfield Mules were playing football, and I was painting as fast as I could.  The rain was coming, and I was protecting my panel from a few sprinkles.  Dark clouds, thunder and lightening approached as the remnants of Helene roared in.  What an amazing sunset unfolded, after the game was called, followed by increasing rain. That was a full rainbow over the high school in Fairfield!  I finished it and framed it in the rain, thrilled with the experience of it all.  Spencer loved painting here, and he would have loved this show in the sky. Perhaps he even had a hand in it.  I'm happy this painting has a new home, too!  Painting number 5175 in 5175 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

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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. 

West Salem Square

 

I am so honored this painting was awarded the Best of West Salem award at the Edwards County Paint Out!  This is a wonderful area to paint, full of good people! My host family took me on a 4 wheeler ride to their 40 acres and surrounding area, and it was so fun.  It's lovely to see the area as only the locals know how to see if, and a great way to start the day.  I'm so lucky to have stayed with them for 3 years running, now.  Painting number 5172 in 5172 days. 

West of the Courthouse

 

What fun it is to return to Albion to find a new view of the courthouse!  Of course, I had to paint it! I'm the space between here and the courthouse stood an old building last year, that was just beginning to be torn down.  When I came through this back alley, the view was striking.  So, in ink and watercolor i captured a view that had possibly never been available until now.  Come see  this and more tonight at the Arist Reception at the Main Event in Albion at 6.  Painting number 5171 in 5171 days. 

Old Barn Batik

 

I love painting the gorgeous farms of the Midwest in watercolor batik!  I'm starting to see that autumn color now, and I can't resist capturing it today in watercolor batik. These large barns dot the landscape, and we lose them as they age. I am happy to paint them while they stand.  Painting number 5170 in 5170 days. 

Pumpkins Batik

Tis the season for watercolor batik pumpkins!!  I love the layers of this magical process!!  I begin with a thin piece of rice paper and I sketch my pumpkins with in India ink pen.  These lines will almost fade away entirely with all the layers.  If I want them to show, I need to use a heavier line. After the watercolor goes on, I add hot wax to any areas I want to resist further paint.  And so I proceed through as many layers as it takes before I wax it all, wad it into a ball, then lay flat to wash on more watercolor.  After ironing to remove the wax, I am left with the above painting, ready to frame and hang for the autumn season!  Painting number 5169 in 5169 days. 

 

Dodge Town

 

I remember playing in Dodge Town when I was a little girl!  It's been modernized through the years, and now I'm sketching it with family, as the little ones run in and out of this play village.  We've gathered here with a few artist friends, and the "moms" in my family are sketching, too!  I've started a little sketch tribe, here, and it's super fun to see the talent shining in my daughters!  Painting number 5168 in 5168 days.