Purple Poppies in Batik

I like to keep a few sheets of rice paper in my sketch bag, for those impromptu paintings in the field. This is Kozo rice paper, which is long fibered and stronger than some of the others I use. When it comes to adding watercolor to the India ink, I must use a soft watercolor brush instead of my water brushpens.  While perfect for my khadi paper, they cause damage to the surface of the rice paper very quickly.  My watercolor pans are wonderful here, the high pigment really pops.  This is only the second time I've used those paints in this application, and I love the results!  I wax and add the final batik color back at home.  Painting number 1633 inn 1633 days.  Now to get ready for Family Game Night!

Pink Allium

I opened my 5x7 pocket box this morning to find I had left this painting in it!  This is the second time this has happened to me this week!  So often, I finish a painting right before I have to be somewhere, so I close up shop and forget all about it!  I haven't used this small box in two months, and only pulled it out this morning to send a photo of it to an artist friend!  Allium is one of my favorite blooms in the garden, so it is no surprise I painted them again!  Painting number 1632 in 1632 days.

Train Yard Inked

When I went in search of trains, I was expecting to finish a quick drawing and meet the family for dinner.  WELL, this very complicated subject which I am not familiar with, took me a little longer to get down!  I love the nostalgia of these old trains, and I have no idea what the second vehicle is - perhaps something to check the tracks?  I'm scouting locations for my next nocturne painting night, and I think this will be a cool place!  And at night, I will only need to paint the light,  leaving all those unlit details in shadow. That is definitely a bonus!  Painting number 1631 in 1631 days.

Ella Street Inked

I've always found street scenes challenging.  Now, I don't know why.  It is all angles and relationships, just like everything else, I simply need to draw the shapes and lines.  This drawing came together quickly as a pre sketch for a nocturne painting.  I love this scene, but as the light faded from the sky and the street lights came on, I chose another scene.  This is one of the real benefits of drawing out a composition before painting.  I can work out the details in my mind, and then decide to take it further or not.  I realized I liked the current light, and it would not be the same in the dark.  I'm sure I'll return to this place with my oils one day soon!  Painting number 1630 in 1630 days.

Night on Ella Street

By special request, I met my painting students in old town Belton for some night painting.  What fun we had!  I first sketched out a full street scene before focusing on this section of the building at Main St. and Ella.  The rain made it's appearance as I finished the ink drawing for this one, and I had to take shelter under a tree!  It quickly passed, leaving glorious wet streets behind!  What a gift!  Nothing makes a nocturne sing like reflections on the street.  This hour quick paint was sheer joy!  We all had so much fun that we are returning on July 5th to paint the train yard at night!  Painting number 1629 in 1629 days.

Along Bear Creek

Colorado is full of wonderful hiking trails, and this one runs along Bear Creek in Steamboat Springs.  Often when I'm running, I'll see amazing landscapes - and I don't have my gear!  I don't even like holding my phone on a run.  Today we had our first Open Studio for the Tri County Art League, and I got the chance to work on this. Working inside is like painting with my hands tied, the scene is not before me, and the photo does not give me enough information.  Luckily, I have just returned from Colorado and this place is still fresh in my mind.  I'm going to let it rest for now, and return tomorrow to see if it calls for anything.  Painting number 1627 in 1627 days.

Fairy in the Phlox

The first phlox burst forth in the garden this morning!  I love their heady fragrance, so like lilacs!  The hours rolled by on comfort on this cool day, as I worked on my beds.  With all of the rain, the flowers and weeds alike are flourishing, so I must get things in order.  Drawing from life, this tender phlox simply spilled onto the page and the fairy appeared!  Was it my eyes.... or too much gardening?  Painting number 1628 in 1628 days. 

Wild Hydrangea Inked

After a drawing as a painting, I was headed to meet the rest of the Art Mob when I saw this.  I could not resist,  and HAD to pull out pen and paper for a quick sketch!  My water brushpen tip was a little tacky from the sizing on one of my journals, so, the water did not flow as it should. Squeezing out a little on my hand, I was able to make it work!  (A good washing returns the tip to new.)  One of my favorite flowers, I did not know they grow wild in Missouri!  What a fun day this has been - now on to the next event!  Painting number 1626 in 1626 days.

Wildflower Path

Today's Art Mob plein air at the Anita Gorman conservation center was a lesson in "rolling with the punches"!  A lovely place, I quickly found my subject matter.  Drawing it portrait format in my journal, I decided to sketch it landscape. I was out of unpainted 4x6 papers.  That's okay, is just start in with the paint.  I open my pochade to find two wet paintings - I forgot to remove them and reload!  I walked back to my car, because I have a carrier with two fresh panels, only to find one of them already painted. I still had one!  I grabbed my OFF clip on,  because I already had a bite and the clip on fell off my easel in the trunk. I got back to my set up, and finally started painting!  I took off my sunglasses, and one side fell off, the tiny screw lost in the grass.  I walked away with a painting I really like, and two ink stretches.  I couldn't pass a hydrangea on the way out without sketching it!  A crazy mixed up plein air day - and my 1625th painting in 1625 days...... or is it 1626?

Jack and Sandy's Garden

What a special treat is was to be invited to this charming garden!  With Sandy's monkey bread and a cool drink - I was off to choose my painting location!  There are so many paintings to be found in a garden, it was hard to narrow down the field!  So, I didn't!  I included the view with the "windows", which were really mirrors framed to mimic windows!  How clever!  The beautiful garden is reflected right back - doubling it's size instantly!  This was such a peaceful place to paint. The icing on the cake?  An informal pan flute recital on the lawn, hand carved and played by our gracious host, Jack!  What a perfect way to spend the first day of summer!  Painting number 1624 in 1624 days.

Horse - Da Vinci Style

i have a journal that I reserve for studying master works.  The pages have an aged look, and the hard cover is meant for a drawing of it's own.  Here, I am working in the style of Da Vinci, loosely trying to keep my marks within his bounds. I am using an India ink pen for this, no pencil or fountain pen, just the line to shade and turn the form. I can learn so much by working from a master's piece - I don't dio this nearly enough.  Perhaps I need to give it one day out of 30? I really LOVE working from life, but drawing from Da Vinci could only improve my skills.  Painting number 1623 in 1623 days. 

Allium Batik

Teaching last week's Watercolor Batik workshop has me experimenting in the paints this week!  I like to keep a few small sheets of rice paper in my sketch bag, so I can ink my drawings in the field and batik them at home with the hot wax.  This is one from the Overland Park Arboretum (when the allium were amazing) on Kozo rice paper.  This paper is quite thin and fragile, so I must be careful when it is wet with watercolor.  I carry my pan sets in my bag - and they are opaque, unlike the transparent color I have always used. Guess what?  I love them!  The pigment is so rich, and the way the sediment is migrates is so cool!  I left an edge which I filled in with the batik color....which is new.  The opaque brown that I used in the batiking process actually sits on top of the wax, and stays on the painting after ironing.  Interesting!  I think I can use this to advantage!  I'm having so much fun, how will I ever sleep?  Painting number 1622 in 1622 days.

Brookville Farm

The drive through western Kansas is so much more interesting with a pen and journal inn my hand!  These wonderful, pastoral scenes are so appealing to me, bringing back memories of cattle running on my grandma's farm. Not so long ago, I challenged myself to painting 100 cows in one week.  Has that ever made my cow rendering so much easier!  I know their form from all angles, and can draw them very quickly now. Such a bonus!  If there is something you would like to improve your skills on - draw it 100 times in a week!  You won't believe the difference it makes - even months later!  This painting is number 1621 in 1621 days.

Mountain Road

I could hardly stop drawing during our mountain drive!  One right after the other, I drew the unfolding scenes before me as fast as I could, barely finished as the scene disappeared in the rearview mirror.  Nothing bumps up my painting speed like a fast moving car!  The one draw back is that I couldn't get a single photo of my drawing with the landscape behind it - it was gone before I could get the shot!  What a great way to spend that time - REALLY looking at the scene.  I had 11 of these painted before we left the mountains behind us!  Painting number 1620 in 1620 days :)

Along Blue River

Venturing out along a dirt path through the wildflowers behind our hotel, I soon heard the rushing of water.  I couldn't see water through the trees and tall grass until I was nearly upon it!  What a surprise!  The river twisted and turned,  and I followed it deep into a brushy area (this was before I knew to be wary of bears and to carry jingling keys)!  When the path finally reached a road, I recognized it and took the civilized way back.  There are a hundred paintings along that path - river, mountains, woods, waterfalls and a bluff rising up along the back side of that river!  This quick color sketch hardly does the place justice.  I will have to do it in oils!  Painting number 1619 in 1619 days.

Mountain Trail Inked

The Yampa River Core Trail was the closest to our hotel, and the first one Michaela and I explored for a morning run.  Advised to dangle our keys to let the bears know we were coming, we ventured out!  The views are amazing at every turn, and the evidence of bear tracks were all over the trail.  This trail parallels the main thoroughfare in town, and leads out the other side.  Passing several other runners, I felt sure the bears weren't hungry.  They surely would choose juicier morsels than us!  I've gotten so fast at pen and ink sketches, I can do them on the fly with just a short pause in activity.  It really is remarkable how skills can improve with daily dedication.  Now, if only the watercolors were this fast for me.  I think they can be, I just need to devote more time to them.  Painting number 1618 in 1618 days.

Mountain Pond

Hiking trails can be found everywhere in Colorado.  Simply start walking in the direction of the mountains, and before I know it, the trail becomes rather remote!  A couple of times I found myself backtracking, a little wary of running into bears on my own.  If you are ever in Colorado Springs, you must drive up to Pike's Peak!  The views are breathtaking all the way up the mountain, and once you're at the top there is a gift shop and cafe to enjoy - and get you out of the snow and 50mph winds!  It's amazing how dramatically different the weather is from the bottom to the top!  There just isn't enough time to paint my fill in this place.  Painting number 1617 in 1617 days.

Mountain View

Early the first morning in Colorado Springs, Mike and I went down for breakfast, sitting out on the balcony and waiting for the kids to join us.  With journal in hand, I drew the mountain scene as we talked, sitting in soft, cushy chairs with a cup of hot tea.  The air was cool and brisk, not at all like the hot muggy air we left in Missouri.  This is the first painting in this journal, which I am hoping to fill wth Colorado paintings.  It feels a little funny using the Pitt pen after so many drawings with the fountain pen.  It is just proof I need to keep my hand in it, just to maintain my confidence with these tools.  The watercolor lays down easily, but I think I should have brought another pan set with cooler colors.  Who knew the hues would change so much in the mountains?  Painting number 1616 in 1616 days.  My, how time is flying by!

Suburban Hydrangea

Plein air is painting on location, from life.  Sometimes, those places are indoors, but always the experience of the day seeps into the painting. These hydrangea were first inked with a Pitt pen, then I washed in the color with my watercolor confection pans.  This is one of my favorite flowers in one of my favorite journals!  The media float over the heavy texture, and water sits on top allowing the paint to mingle and move.  One day soon I will do a flip through video showing all the pages of this journal. I can see so much improvement from the first page to the last.  Painting number 1615 in 1615 days. 

Steamboat Springs View in Ink

I try to take every opportunity to sketch, and this one was finished while waiting for the kids to bring their luggage to the cars!  I keep a small clipboard loaded with a piece of my favorite handmade paper as well as my current sketch journal in a bag in the car.  With two kinds of ink, watercolor pans and a couple waterbrush pens, I can sketch at a moment's notice.  If I have to wait on anyone, I'm actually happy about it - and hope they don't appear until I'm finished!  This landscape is just across the street from our hotel on Lincoln Street in Steamboat Springs. What a lovely place this is - I only wish I hag more time to lay paint!  Painting number 1614 in 1614 days.

Steamboat Springs Path

As I watched Alastair play at the playground, I grabbed my pen and paper, and started to draw.  This scene was visible from my vantage, and I quickly sketched the composition, I never know when this little one will want to run to a new place!  With my waterbrush pen, I filled in my values, letting the water move a bit.  This place is stunning, and the light is clear and cool.  This drawing is the perfect art fix to sandwich into a hectic day!  If only I had time to get out my oils....!  Painting number 1613 in 1613 days.

Castle Rock in Ink

 We stopped in Castle Rock after leaving Colorado Springs to gas up the cars.  That's all the time I need to capture the scene before me.  Sometimes, I even ask Mike to park a certain way to give me the best vantage!  I had watched this rock formation from afar as we approached.  It's funny how observing it closely beforehand really speeds up the drawing process.  I already knew where all the planes and values were and it came together in a snap!  This drawing makes 1612 in 1612 days. 

Pike's Peak

What a beautiful morning for painting in the mountains.  Up early to do some ink and watercolor, I then had a chance to set up my easel and get out my oils.  I wish I had reloaded my palette, and am hoping I can get through the week in what I have. The wildflowers are popping along this ridge, and the colors are so different from Missouri. The greens are cool and dry, in fact all hues are cooler. The light is also different, less humidity to thicken up the atmosphere. It is so fun to explore the differences in paint. It may take me a week to get used to it!  Painting number 1611 in 1611 days. 

Road to Balducci's in Ink

I love these wonderful old barns, and this is one of my favorite styles! There is something so nostalgic about an old barn in ink,  as if it had been done a hundred years ago.  I'm making this post short, as it has been an incredibly busy day!  This painting makes 1610 in 1610 days. 

Angler Pond in Ink

The early morning light streaming through the trees was a joy to behold at the Jerry Smith Park! I knew this would be the spot to paint, but first wanted to draw a couple of pen and ink sketches to be sure of my composition.  Michaela set up at the other side of the pond for her watercolor painting, and we spent a peaceful hour and a half at our work.  It was a quick paint, after all.  I'm nearing the end of this sketchbook, and when I'm done I think I'll do a video clip through, so everyone can see what fills my pages. I have a new book waiting fur me in the table! Painting number 1609 in 1609 days.

Art Fair at the Arboretum

I'm so at home in the garden, it is a delight to set up my easel and paint!  While visiting with patrons, I like to capture the experience of the day.  With pen and ink and paints, I went from one project to another, the path, the lake, the gardens and the tents, finishing with a drawing of my easel!  Capturing these moments while surrounded in the landscape is a sure way for the mood of the day to seep into my artwork!  It has been so fun to have Michaela join me in this plein air event, and she even had her first sale!  SO EXCITING!  Who knew 9 years ago when she and Michael tagged along with me, their own easels in tow, that she would one day paint in the event herself?  This painting makes 1608 in 1608 days.

Wonder in the Sky

Today was the Art Fair at the arboretum, and it is my last day for painting in the Stems event.  I've had so much fun painting in the gardens.  Today was hot and humid, with rain threatening.  For this painting,  I was set up under the edge of my tent,  so when the rain began, it was okay.  I could keep on painting until finished.  The clouds were simply amazing as they raced across the sky.  I started with the shadow sides of the clouds first, moving to the lights next.  As I moved to the midtones, I pushed the colors a little to capture their beauty.  It was fun to visit with all the patrons as they walked through the gardens, I think I may just go into withdrawal when I'm not painting here every day!  Painting number 1607 in 1607 days.

Path by the Pond

What a fun morning in a very cool park!  I didn't even know this place was here - and it is only 20 minutes from me!  This was originally a farm, that is now a 380 acre park, complete with prairie, outbuildings, and a fabulous, secluded fishing pond.  It was the "Party in the Prairie" plein air event put on by the KC parks department. There was live music, horse drawn wagon rides, hot dogs on the grill, and plenty of people enjoying the park.  Michaela entered her first quick paint with me this morning - and we BOTH placed in the top 5!  SO exciting!  I love that we can share this over her summer break.  This pond was stunning in the morning light,  and was certainly worth the extra hike to get there.  I will be returning to this spot to paint often, and I see a Workshop on the Prairie in my future!  Painting number 1607 in 1607 days.

Poppies at the Lake

With so much painting, I often switch from one medium to another at the drop of a hat, although it has been years since I've used Golden Open acrylics. I found them too tacky before, sticking even months later!  So,  I abandoned them after one plein air event, without seriously working with them. This time,  I added one Liquitex heavy bodied acrylic and a regular gel medium to the mix, ensuring good curing. It worked like a dream,  and I was able to control the drying.  Opens used by themselves take forever to dry,  and I like to work faster than that!  I purchased mine when they first came out, and they may well have adjusted their formula since then.  I really had fun pushing that paint around with a knife - and I want to do more of that in the future,  but I'll never give up my oils!  Painting number 1606 in 1606 days :)

Impatiens in Ink

After dropping our artwork off at the Rice Gallery,  Michaela and I headed back to the arboretum for some relaxing paint time.  These last days have been so hectic, that unwinding was in order.  Ever on the horizon,  the dark clouds loomed.  Was rain expected?  I didn't think so,  but the telltale signs were rolling in.  We settled near Margaret's pond,  and started drawing.  By the third, rain was falling and we found cover.  Under an umbrella outside the cafe,  I drew these lovely impatiens bordering the patio.  This painting makes 1605 in 1605 days.

Clouds Over Margaret's Pond

I rarely miss workouts, but this morning found Michaela and I painting early at the arboretum.  The morning light was amazing, and the clouds were an ever-changing show in the sky!  After watching them all the way there, I knew they would be my first subject of the day!  I must be quick when painting skies, all is in motion, and apt to move right out of sight. I get the masses in first, and then start laying in the shadows. It is push and pull with the color,  warmer near the sun and cooler away from the light.  Once I get the sky and reflections in,  I can then work on the landscape.  I had so much fun on this one that I turned around and painted another!  Painting number 1604 in 1604 days.

Oil on panel, 12x9
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