Oasis at Augusta Shores

 This was a peaceful place to spend the afternoon, serenaded by birdsong as I painted.  Rain drifted in and out, so I tried to get that panel covered early. I fought that early lay in a bit, when I tried to adjust those first colors.  The temps were warm and my rain gear kept me dry, the perfect outcome for this rainy day!  Painting number 5025 in 5025 days. 

Day's End on the Water

I love painting by the water, and with the warmer temps this week - it really feels like summer!  The color is up in the water, with those gold greens just starting to show.  I've been painting en plein air so long, that I can tell the season by the color in creeks and lakes.  I've been painting larger, preparing for shows and galleries.  This one is 18x24, and I just dropped it off at Gallery Augusta today.  Such a great day for dropping off artwork across the state!  Painting number 3067 in 3067 days. 

Hickory Lake Boat Launch

We arrived just in time to pick up our packets at the registration in town, dashing to our host home to unload a few things from the car.  Starting a little late, we scouted down the main road through Augusta Shores.  As soon as I saw the light on Hickory Lake, I wanted to paint it!  The very clear blue sky reflected so beautifully off the surface!  Standing mid way up the drive, in the sun, I found my perfect vantage and sketched it out in paint.  Starting a paint at 1:00 is something I almost never do, so the light was a challenge!  I struggled to make sense of the light and shadow in the distant trees, I even had to walk away from my painting to clear my head!  Haha!  With so many daily paintings under my belt, this almost never happens.  With perseverance I tried to make sense of it all as color came back into the scene with time.  This painting took twice as long as it should have - and it ended up winning the Augusta Shores Paint Out!!  The moral of this story is - NEVER GIVE UP!  Painting number 3025 in 3025 days.