Willow Tree Wonderland

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I love getting to paint something special in one of my favorite shops!  Willow Tree is always one of my first stops in Fairfield - and I always come out with little treasures to take home with me!  Cathy's husband built this shelf for her collectibles, and I loved painting it decked for fall!  This painting sold before the show, but I still wanted to capture it in a post for others to see.  Painting number 5035 in 5035 days. 

E Second and Main

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I love painting the small town charm of Fairfield up and down  Main Street!  As I walked back from my car, I saw this scene - which I never see driving by due to the one way street.  It was lovely, especially how the street landed at the historic hotel-turned- body-shop in my view. I've painted a few people in the painting - and one of them is me at my easel, with a patron looking over my shoulder!  Its fun to occasionally paint in a little surprise!  Painting number 5019 in 5019 days, and I'm so happy this painting has a new home, too!  

Night Falls on Court Street

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Just an hour before, this lovely home was the spot for the Artists Dinner, where good food and good friends gathered. Door prizes and gifts abounded - and I won the first one, true to form!  Dena, Melinda, Cindy, and the other committee members hosted us with flair, making sure that everyone had a gift before leaving. I have a history of winning door prizes often, and I even won a painting raffle, too!  As the artists drifted into the streets for nocturne painting, I kept coming back to this side view of Dena's house.  I asked them to turn on the lights, and then I knew I had to paint it.  As I painted, Kathy Morrison set up to paint the alley, after hanging multi colored string lights on her car!  That girl knows how to nocturne!  It was a fun evening of comraderie as we all painted and laughed.  I finished pretty early, and left the others to finish together, since I had a couple of commissions to work on.  We never leave an artist alone to finish. I'm so happy this painting found a home within those walls, too.  Painting number 5018 in 5018 days. 

Peace on the Farm

As I drove back to Fairfield from Shreve's Pumpkin Patch, this beautiful farm spread out before me.  I found a water treatment road to turn into and set up my easel on the spot.  The cattle were all in position, and the distant train rolled right in behind the barn - it was perfect!  As I was finishing up, the mist started to fall and I could see the rain moving in from the north.  I packed up quickly with no time to frame, and headed in for dinner with the group.  I love when all the stars align so well!  Painting number 5016 in 5016 days. 

55 Chevy

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It's always fun when I get special requests - and this will be a Christmas surprise for someone's husband!  I've used rough handmade cotton paper that absorbs the watercolor like crazy!  I had to go over and over that paper to get it the color I wanted, and then I needed to add ink to boost it.  That is the fun of handmade papers - I have to learn their needs before they can meet mine!  Painting number 5016 in 5016 days. 

 

Downtown Fairfield

What fun it was to paint such a wide view of historic downtown Fairfield!  This scene has been on my mind since I arrived on Tuesday.  Though I've painted Fairfield many times, I've never gotten these whole view, including the courthouse. I had to set up east of the courthouse, in front of a building that was one an historic hotel. There was an awning I had to back into several times when light rain started, to prevent my ink from running!  It's a challenge to capture it all - and a thrill to do so.  Come see this in person tomorrow at the Wet Paint Sale at Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Fairfield, Illinois.  Painting number 5014 in 5014 days. 

Sunset in Downtown Fairfield

 

No, I could NOT resist that amazing sunset tonight as we disbanded from our Fairfield PaintOut meeting!  I tried to persuade my artist friends to stay, but one by one they fell away to get to their host homes.  I simply could not leave, so I quickly sketched out the scene with a pastel stick on a gessoed  board. I still had plenty of sunset color in the sky so I quickly set up my easel and slapped on paint as quickly as possible, first the darks then that fabulous color that was still fresh in my mind, though fading in the sky. I won't know until tomorrow how it really looks, when I take it out of my trunk!  It was super fun and I'm so glad I stayed to capture it in oil!  Painting number 5012 in 5012 days. 

On Vacation

 

When I travel, it's great to paint the scenes I don't find at home.  I have not painted here before, but found this place while returning from another painting location.  With just enough time to paint before a meeting, I set up on the shade of an airplane hangar, and got to work.  The owner of the building stopped by to say hi, too.  Everyone is so friendly here!  Fairfield is FULL of painting opportunities, and I'm happy this painting has a home there, too!  Painting number 4711 in 4711 days. 

Main Street

 

I love the timeless feel of a fountain pen gliding across handmade paper! TWSBIs are my absolute favorite fountain pens, piston loaded with inks of my choice, the ink flows smoothly - no matter how long it's been since I've used them.  I have many pens, and these are the only ones that don't fail me in the field.  Painting number 4691 in 4691 days.

Sunset Over Fairfield

 

Sunset turns to nightfall in a moment!  Intending to paint a nocturne, I arrived early to set up my easel.  When this glorious sky was before me, I just could not wait to begin!  So, I painted as fast as I could to capture all that color, before I really got the street scene in.  As soon as color faded from the sky, I made quick work of those lines.  They, too, faded as the dark settled in.  It was fun to talk to a few visitors on the street as I painted. I love that this painting of historic Fairfield will hang in the bank on this street.  Painting number 4690 in 4690 days. 

Fairy House in the Pumpkin Patch

 I just can't resist painting beautiful pumpkin patches - and Shreve's is a yearly favorite!  The autumn mums and pumpkins adorn the lawn as the light dances over it all.  Children raced in and out of this little house, and I heard them call it the Fairy House.  This farm is the first place I paint when arriving in Fairfield, and the weather has been especially nice this year.  I couldn't get enough of this place - so I returned for two more paintings!  Painting number 4681 in 4681 days. 

Night at the Victorian

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This was my first time to paint this beautiful Victorian at night, and in the rain.  As I drove by, coming home from another paint, I simply could not resist the glow of this beauty in the rain!  Choosing watercolor for a nocturne made this painting so much more challenging! As the rain increased, I was forced to finish in my car, where it was really too dark to see my paints.  I learned a few lessons with this one, and the result was worth the extra work.  I'm so happy the painting hangs within it's walls.  Painting number 4680 in 4680 days. 

Afternoon at the Pumpkin Patch

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I've painted so much this fall that many paintings are yet unposted. Shreve's Pumpkin Patch is one of my all time favorite places to paint!  I had painted one here, getting the farmhouse into the view, but I couldn't quite squeeze in the events building.  So, I painted from this angle to include the back building and some of the side yard.  Honestly, the whole place is magical, and I really needed a long format panel to get it all in, but alas, I had none. It seems I am forever running out of panels and frames!  This painting is 4677 in 4677 days, and I'm so happy they purchased this painting, too! 

Night Falls at the Courthouse

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I love painting nocturnes so much - and love it even more when my paintings find a home!  Balmy, autumn nights are the absolute best for painting, so I set up on Main Street, even though my friends were too tired to join me.  Thankfully, the rain held off until I was finished with capturing the magic! Thanks to Farley Lewis, for the honorable mention and kind words!  Painting number 4671 in 4671 days. 

Sunset Over Main Street

 

I LOVE painting on Main Street in Fairfield - especially at night!  Intending to paint a nocturne, the gorgeous sunset drew me right in!  I very quickly sketched the lines, then jumped right to the sunset ablazeI.  The light is so fleeting that I lay in those colors fast and loose, adding more detail as I go.  When all the color faded, i began the buildings, with only a few color notes to guide me.  Before long, I could no longer see the shapes of the buildings, so I called it.  The painting is actually bluer than the yellow street lights portray.  I love the quiet of painting at night - even in town. I'm happy this painting has a new home in the bank on the left, with a couple of mine from previous years!  Painting number 4652 in 4652 days. 

Morning at Cider Barn Farm

 

What a beautiful place for an early morning quick paint!  An hour and a half was hardly enough time to capture it all!  From the little deer playing in their pen to the white swans sailing across the lake, I just had to paint it all.  There were other animals, too, but they were out of my view.  Our gracious hosts welcomed us with a delicious breakfast after we turned in our paintings.  This was a wonderful way to start my day!  Painting number 4650 in 4650 days. 

Sunset Glory

 

I painted this one in my hand while dipping my brush into my palette, in my open trunk - there was no time to waste setting up my easel.  Though rather awkward, I painted as fast as I could, pulling the colors up from a dark palette nocturne style, but knowing where they are.  It was dark in my trunk before it was dark on my panel. This was crazy fun and so exhilarating!  There is nothing like a race with the sun! This was a spectacular sunset, and I'm SO HAPPY I didn't miss my chance to paint it!  Painting number 4649 in 4649 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. 

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.