Grazing in the Snow

What a great way to start a Saturday!  Our first snow paired with a few extra guests close to the house made for a perfect painting opportunity!  The briefly heavy snowfall was melting faster than I could get it painted, but oh how lovely it was!  So glad I could get this in before the 7th birthday party for our little Gus! Spending time with family will be icing on the cake of this day!  Grateful, thankful, blessed, indeed.  Painting number 5204 in 5204 days. 

Hay Bale in Autumn

 

I love how the oaks retain their autumn leaves long into the season.   That gorgeous orange red is so inspiring, I just had to paint it.  We've been very busy with family activities, and it has been hard to find that painting time lately.  But the daily painting habit is a well oiled machine that finds that little painting window every day.  Painting number 5203 in 5203 days. 

Hereford Trio

The neighbors have brought their cattle to the north pasture for a visit, and I'm enjoying their company!  As the plein air season winds down, I'm looking forward to painting my everyday life, and settling in for the winter.  The cold weather is always a shock at first, but I grows more comfortable with it each time in out. Thank goodness for good outdoor gear!  Happy Thanksgiving! Painting number 5202 in 5202 days. 

Wet Streets in Autumn

 

Wet streets with autumn color is simply irresistible.  The dark, rainy day only accentuates the bright, warm hues in the landscape.  These days of color ends too soon, especially with wind and rain driving those leaves down the road. All I can do is paint as fast as I can, and hope for a few more golden autumn days. Wishing everyone a Thanksgiving full of family fun! Painting number 5201 in 5201 days. 

Autumn in Peaceful Valley

 

I love the crunch of fallen leaves as I paint a rich autumn glow on the hill! We've had such an amazing season for painting, I wish it would last for months!  Soon the leaves will all lay on the ground and winter will creep in.  I'm already adding my layers when I paint early, and I'm never really ready for the cold to begin.  I'm so thankful for lovely painting days like this! Painting number 5200 in 5200 days. 

Autumn Road

 I do love the autumn season, full of warm color and unreasonably warm temperatures this year!  The leaves are fast falling and I an trying to paint them before they blow away.  If only I had more time for painting! Painting number 5199 in 5199 days. 

Autumn Lane

 

The oaks are really showing their color, now.  I'm never ready for them to lose their leaves, though i know it's coming.  This season is so fleeting, and my time so heavily scheduled that I ever feel as though I'm missing wonderful opportunities. This small 6x6 size is a perfect solution for crazy busy days and a regular go to this time of year.  I'm looking forward to quiet days with plenty of painting time this winter. Hope springs eternal, after all.  Painting number 5198 in 5198 days. 

Sunset Impressions

 The setting sun has been amazing this autumn!  Even though I didn't have the time, I jumped out for a quick paint of the colors as they ripened and spread across the landscape.  Every day is a gift, and this one is full of color.  Painting number 5197 in 5197 days. 

West Building

The Shawnee Indian Mission is such a lovely place to paint in the fall.  With autumn color on display, the historic building took on a special glow. With half the proceeds benefitting the Mission, I love being a part of it all.   I just dropped this painting and more off at the Shawnee Indian Mission for the Three Springs Market opening next Tuesday!  It's going to be a wonderful place to shop for the holidays! Painting number 5196 in 5196 days. 

 

Teepees at the Indian Mission

 

These three teepees were set up at the Shawnee Indian Mission for the VIP event - and I'm lucky to get to paint them.  The blush of autumn glowed in the afternoon light, as vendors and patrons arrived for the event.  Set up on the west side of the West Building, this was a painting opportunity I couldn't pass up! Besides the three originals, I will also bring some miniature prints priced right for the holiday season! This painting and more will be available at the Three Springs Market opening November 26! Painting number 5195 in 5195 days. 

Wilted Rose Deer

 

Seven deer met me on the lane when I returned a bit ago, so a couple are on my easel tonight!  The day 2 ink of the Inkvent Calendar is Wilted Rose, and it is a soft, natural shade. I'm being pulled to a quiet and peaceful place with my ink sketches, testing out their character with glass dip pen, brush and water.  The color is lovely even if the chroma is lacking.  I wonder how it would behave with a little bleach applied?  Painting number in days. 

Noble Fir

This lovely green ink is day 3 of the Diamine Inkvent Calendar. Working on a wet sky mass, I dropped the ink loosely into tree shapes.  As that dried, I added more ink for the foreground trees and water.  Leaving the bank white to represent snow, I love the contrast between them.  I did think of trying out bleach on this one, but forgot all about it.  Perhaps I'll try another to see what the reaction is.  I love these little presents to open each day in December!  Painting number in days. 

North Building

 

This is one of three paintings I will be dropping off at the Shawnee Indian Mission this week for the Three Springs Market!  I have painted here now twice, and i love the historic buildings. Autumn is a special time here, and I'm happy to be a part of the upcoming market.  They will have 1200 trees to sell along with artisan goods, half the proceeds to benefit the Mission  Come support the Shawnee Indian Mission with your purchase bringing November 26. Painting number 5191 in 5191 days. 

Mouse Party

 

On a day when my chores have been endless, it's so nice to get in a little sketch break! Three mice are dancing for joy, while the fourth is telling me to get back to work! Thank goodness for a little at therapy time in the middle of this very, very busy day!  Painting number 5190 in 5190 days. 

White Throated Sparrows

The white throated sparrows kept me company today in the garden!  Their chatter is so sweet as I sketch!  They don't mind that I'm near them at all, once they settle down after my arrival.  I had my Merlin bird app on, which is how I discovered what variety of sparrow they are.  It's a bit geeky, but I love to know which feathered friends come visiting.  What fun it is to play in the ink and watercolor, if only for a quick sketch!  Painting number  5189 in 5189 days. 

 

November Hollyhocks

What a lovely, warm day to spend at the Kauffman Garden with artist friends and Tiffany! I couldn't believe when I found hollyhocks blooming so late in the year - so of course, I had to paint them!  This was a quick paint because I only had 20 minutes before leaving, so I sketched fast and dropped in color. I need to vary the blooms a bit to give them a freer form, and maybe I'll do that before putting it away.  I do love hollyhocks and plan to plant a few seeds from this one next year!  Painting number 5188 in 5188 days. 

House Finch and Pine

This sweet house finch frequents my feeders and my front porch, perching on my string of Edison lights.  He kept me company as I tended my flowers, preparing to winter some over indoors.  As I sketched him, he popped in and out, hanging with the other birds who love the depth of my bridal white spirea at the porch's edge.  I'm using new ink in this new TWSBI Diamond fountain pen, a blue black from Robert Oster. Of course, I love it. I love all of his signature inks that I have tried.  I'm thinking of using a bird theme for this year's Christmas cards, I do live my time spent in nature.  Painting number 5187 in 5187 days. 

Kauffman Garden Cleome

 For Daily Paintworks, I am trying to post a closer image for their viewers.  So often, I only get a photo in the field, without thought of getting a better shot until I am submitting it for a gallery show.  Let me know if you like this idea.  Today, the Monday morning watercolorists were at Kauffman Garden, and the cleome are still gorgeous - in mid November!  I still have hanging baskets on the porch and we were in the 60s again today.  It is a pleasure to still be painting outdoors so comfortably!  I didn't even need a jacket today!  I'm happy Tiffany was able to join us today, too!  Painting number 5185 in 5185 days. 

Chicadee and Pine

 

The little chicadees kept me company as I worked in the garden, and then I painted one! I'm using three inks, Diamine Nutcracker, Robert Oster's Detox, and Levenger Raven black on a watercolor paper I thought was handmade..... but now I'm not so sure sure... It should be cotton, but I don't think it's 100% based on the ink and water reaction.  It's not bad, but it's different, and every new paper is an exploration of how it handles my specific technique.  I love spending time in nature, and the birds are begging to be painted!  Painting number 5184 in 5184 days. 

Carolina Wren

 We have a pair of wrens that nest here several times a year.  The male makes multiple nests in any conceivable container, and his mate chooses her favorite.  It's a bit like hide and seek, just to discover their newest abode. Once, they even sneaked into the house - and I had to herd them back outside from their lofty perches!  I'm using a new TWSBI fountain pen filled with Diamine's Nutcracker to match the pen.  I've used a lot of it in the ink work, along with a couple of others.  This was so much fun, I think I'll paint more of my feathered friends!  Painting number 5183 in 5183 days. 

Burr Oaks

 

I'm playing with ink in the woods again, and trying out three different ones.  Diamine Nutcracker and J.Herbin's Caroube de Chypre are new in this paper, and my immoral sketch marks are with a Pitt pen.  I was hoping to achieve a fuller color range with these two, and black.  At the same time, I find myself wanting to drop in those gorgeous autumn reds. Perhaps I should revisit this paper with ink, and adding watercolor on top of it.  I have not done it yet with this paper.  It's very soft, thin and absorbent, so it may not lend itself well to watercolor.  There's only one way to find out!  Painting number 5182 in 5182 days. 

Monarchs Four

 

I'm playing with a new Diamine violet ink (All the Best) in this glow in the dark purple fountain pen by TWSBI, and I LOVE THEM BOTH!  I just loaded a dozen new pens with new inks, and I thought I was picking up  Robert Oster's Black Violet, but alas I got my purple pens mixed up, lol! This ink is a deep, velvety purple, and is actually perfect for deepening the blacks of the butterflies and shadow shades of the phlox. I will definitely be reaching for this pen often in the future, and exploring this ink in detail!  Painting number 5181 in 5181 days 

Parkville Overlook

This was a lovely bird's eye view over Parkville from the Evolytic's parking lot.  I spent a lovely afternoon painting with my daughter, Tiffany, to capture this scene.  With ink and watercolor I worked on my normal method, then went back into certain areas with more ink.  I have many fountain pens loaded with matching inks, and I carry a few with specific landscape colors.  I went to these four added impact and depth for the finish.  It's so fun exploring what the ink can add!  Painting number 5180 in 5180 days and I'm happy this painting won the Evolytics Purchase Award, too!  Still showing at Parkville Art House for the rest of the week! 

Chiefs Mouse

 

This little guy is cheering the Chiefs on towards that Threepeat!  GO CHIEFS!  I do love playing in the ink, and these little mice images just seem to march along in my mind!  So, when this one popped in today, I picked up a favorite fountain pen to get sketchy!  This handmade, dyed cotton paper is thin, soft and absorbent, which means I need to use a light touch on the nib, holding back in the water. To easily this paper can tear and pill, so careful is the key with this one. I love the vintage feel of black ink on this paper, even if my subject is quite contemporary!  Hoping for a win tonight as we cheer on our hometown boys! Painting number 5179 in 5179 days. 

Hickory and 13th St

 

The West Bottoms is such a cool historic place to paint, and this day my daughter, Tiffany, joined me with artist friends.  This building was beautiful in the morning light, and super fun to get all those lines and angles in! We only had about an hour and a half to sketch, and that goes by quickly with all that architecture!  I'd love to capture more of these vintage places as they are now, because much of the area is getting a face lift, and these streets will not be the same.  Painting number 5178 in 5178 days. 

Burr Oak Woods

 

Oh what a gorgeous morning for painting in Burr Oak Woods with Urban Sketchers KC!  It has been years since I've been here, and it is certainly worth the drive. Birdsong surrounded me as I sketched, and squirrels played among the branches. The cold morning soon warmed, and I found myself shedding layers. I enjoy this quiet time in the woods with ink, paint and paper.  Time stands still here as I work, and I can truly focus on my subject. I find myself wondering, is there any better meditation than this? I think not. Painting number 5177 in 5177 days. 

Heading to the Lake

It was so good to be painting in the shores of Lake Quivira after such a long absence.  The last scheduled plein air event here was 9 years ago. On this lovely day, my daughters finished their paintings while I started this oil, longing to capture the light in the kayaks. This was such a fun painting and it is now showing in the Lake Quivira Clubhouse along with three others of mine and 4 of my daughters' paintings, too.  Painting number 5176 in 5176 days.