Welcome to Cockrell Mercantile

 

What a gorgeous day for painting and shopping at the Cockrell Mercantile!  Summit Art sponsored this one day plein air event with Cockrell Mercantile hosting. I have loved shopping here for years, and have been lucky enough to paint here for three years.  It was fun to visit with so many as they walked from one building to another.  And after this, I rushed home to host little Kirby's 3rd birthday party!  What a wonderful day of abundance!  Painting number 4631 in 4631 days. 

Waiting for a Ride

 

I'm so happy this painting was awarded third place in the Sunnit Art Plein Air event.  Legacy Park is full of beautiful places to paint!  It has been years since I've been to this park, and I hardly recognized the place.  I could see these boats of in the distance, so I hunted up the closest parking, then walked the trail to get here.  The light was perfect and it was a fun quick paint before meeting the other artists at the Kick Off Party.  Just as I was finishing up, a large party was arriving to take the boats out on the water.  Perfect timing!  Painting number in days. 

Cockrell Mercantile Company

SOLD

 

It was a spectacular day for plein air painting and shopping at Cockrell Mercantile!  Arriving early, the street was not busy in front of this shop.  I love the view from here, so I set up in the ditch!  Laying down my yoga mat first, it kept the tall, wet grass at bay.  With ink and watercolor, I painted as the scene unfolded.  I love when a painting comes together in such a lovely way, in such s gorgeous day.  Painting number 5157 in 5157 days, and I'm so happy this painting has a new home, too!  ♥️🎨

Fiesta Welcome

SOLD

I'm trying my new Qor watercolor palette for the first time at one of my favorite places to paint!  I love how these paints move, and the colors are well pigmented. The biggest surprise today?  I LOVE the Payne's gray, and I have not used that color since I first started acrylics many years ago.  My swatch test is even clipped to my board so o would know what color I was picking up.  Unlike my other watercolors, I could not tell the paint colors by the look of the half pans, so this step was necessary.  I did wipe my palette clean - you might not see this again, lol! The best part is that this painting has a new home, and it's image may be on a Cockrell Mercantile product soon!  Painting number 5156 in 5156 days. 

Stonehaus Farms Vineyard

 

It was super fun to explore this local winery with paint!  I hadn't been here before, so that made the day extra special.  A wine tasting after painting led to a lovely glass of wine to share with artist friends. Every paint out should end this way!  This painting is number 5077 in 5077 days and is now showing at the Lee's Summit City Hall.

Crestview Dairy Sunset

 

It's so fun to paint the whole scene at Crestview Dairy!  This may be the first time I've used this long piece of handmade paper, it frames to 27x7.  This is the perfect format for a long, rambling scene.  It was a little challenging because my support was not quite wide enough, but I made it work.  Now, I'll have to get the right size cut - just for times like this!  This was such a joy to paint, in perfect weather, with perfect light spreading over the scene.  I'm happy this sunset painting will stay right here in the farm!  Painting number 3818 in 3818 days 

SE Main Street

 I love painting the small town charm of historic downtown Lee's Summit!  There are SO many vintage buildings lining several blocks east and west of the old depot.  The town is vibrant with people and shops and truly a slice of Midwest living.  It's my pleasure to paint such a place for the Summit Art Plein Air event.  This painting is now showing at City Hall in Lee's Summit, Missouri, through the end of July.  Painting number 3817 in 3817 days.

Old Red Waiting

Old tractors always remind me of my Grandpa Frank, though many times I saw my grandma on the old John Deer 1010. She even showed me how to drive it when we were buying her farm.  We still have that tractor, but our Kubota is the work horse now. So, when I see these old tractors dotting farms, I wonder about the stories they could tell, and I feel compelled to paint them. Painting number 3816 in 3816 days. 

Cottage Garden

 

I love these beautiful summer days for painting in a garden!  Flanked by gorgeous hydrangeas, the view towards the "Bride House" was irresistible.  With ink and watercolor I painted the garden beauty, coming back in with a bit more ink at the end.  I love when the watercolor mingles in the wet masses of the trees!  So fun to push that paint - even while I'm mindful is the thinner paper on the easel.  Every paper is handmade, so each is a new exploration in paint!  Painting number 3815 in 3815 days. 

Dollhouse Hydrangea

 How could I possibly resist such a cute playhouse, surrounded by amazing hydrangea?  Well, of course, I couldn't!  The lush garden was heavenly to paint by as birds serenaded from the trees.  I'm giving more attention to the colors I see in the landscape, ever working on my skills.  I love this kind of place, and fully enjoy the process of capturing it in paint. Painting number 3814 in 3814 days. 

Morning at Crestview Dairy

 Is there anything better than greeting the morning with a quick paint?  Warm, golden light streaming into the dairy farm, making it irresistible to this artist!  Painting at Crestview Dairy, I found the back side of the barns for my subject matter.  I paint the light first, quickly followed by the shadow colors, because light is fleeting at this time of day.  I'm thankful to have reloaded ultramarine blue on my palette, because I needed it for those shadow blues!  I ran out of it in Iowa, and had forgotten it until the last day of this event!  That color is definitely one of my must have primaries, going back to my years of using a limited palette.  I still heavily rely on my favorite three, even with all those worms of paint!  Painting number 3813 in 3813 days. 

Douglas and 3rd Street

I love getting to paint wonderful downtown Lee's Summit street scenes.  I don't think I've ever painted this street from this vantage before, but that historic building certainly called my name!  I sat outside the ice cream shop, sketching and painting as families and friends dotted the streets. It's so nice to see this Main Street district vibrant with life!  I wish all historic Main streets could thrive so well.  Thanks to the Country Club Bank for choosing my watercolor painting for their Purchase Award!  I'm so honored to have my painting hanging in their collection!  Painting number 3812 in 3812 days. 

Dualing Pianos

 

Well, this isn't something I do everyday!  Asked to abstractly capture the entertainment tonight, I pulled the smallest panels out of my car. What fun it was to quick paint dual paintings of dualing pianos playing at Crestview Dairy tonight!  I'm always up for a plein air challenge, and this was a wonderful exercise in capturing the moment.  Both were finished in just over an hour, and a fun momento of the evening.  Painting number 3809 in 3809 days. 

Night at Crestview Dairy

What a gorgeous night for a nocturne paint!  After finishing a sunset painting on the street side of this property, the gentle glow from the barn light led me here.  It gets dark so late this time of year, that it seemed the light would never fade!  I tried a new nocturne light tonight, a Braun slim rechargeable, magnetic one, but I found it to be too bright.  It sheds a bluish light, so I'm guessing this painting has warmer tones that will be revealed in daylight.  I tried painting with very little light on my panel, so tomorrow morning will truly be a surprise when I open my trunk!  I was nearly the last artist on site, and I'm so glad I stayed to capture the night magic! This painting will be hanging at the Crestview Dairy in the wet paint sale until Saturday evening - of it doesn't sell before that! Painting number 3808 in 3808 days 

Regatta

Any morning painting sailboats is a morning well spent!  The sky was so dramatic early, that I set up immediately at water's edge to capture it in oils. I had much of the scene in before the sailboats entered the water - so it was easy to position them as they set sail on the surface.  What a lovely morning to paint such a perfect summer scene!  Painting number 4296 in 4296 days. 

Longview Impressions

After a little scouting upon completion of my first painting, i found this lovely view of one of the homes just south of the south barn.  I remember walking through it to go into that barn, loving the detail on the house.  What fun to paint these historic buildings on the Longview Farm, after so many years.  Ink and watercolor was the perfect medium for this place, allowing the water to flow over the tall grasses and wildflowers.  I hope to see these restored one day, and to paint them again in all their glory!  This painting has found a new home, and it was fun to talk to the new owners.    I'm always happy to get a mention from the judge, and love when multiple patrons want a single, humble painting.  Painting number 4251 in 4251 days. 

Longview Barns

I absolutely LOVE returning to the Longview Barns to paint with Summit Art, for a quick paint and party by the lake.  It's been at least 15 years since I've painted the historic Longview Farm, and not things have changed!  The old buildings that once I toured with other Summit Art artists are more boarded up, with new vintage style housing all around.  And still, they have such presence in the landscape.  When other artists were painting comfortably by the Pergola, I just HAD to go paint the barns, they were calling me.  As I finished this one, I framed it in the car and turned it in early, because I already had my eye on another scene, and didn't want to risk missing the deadline!  I'm happy to get a mention from the judge, and it was fun to visit with the new owners of this painting, too!  Painting number 4250 in 4250 days. 

Leading to Crestview

 I had time for just one more painting, so I hiked away from the barns until I reached a pole barn for a windbreak, to set up my gear.  I sketched with India ink the scene before me, switching to the fountain pen inks, a dropper and a wash brush to float in the water.  I did add a small round brush for tiny areas, dropping in plenty of water as I added ink.  It is crazy to take this media into the field during a plein air event, but I just can't help myself!  It's so fun to watch the painting unfold, and I learn more about this media with every painting.  I'm so happy this painting went home with someone who likes my particular brand of crazy!  Painting number 3391 in 3391 days. 

Looking North on 4th St

We had a hard freeze last night, so this morning's start was quite cold.  With my self heating fingerless gloves, socks and battery heated socks, I was toasty warm as I sat near my car to block the wind.  I don't think I've ever painted this side of town, so it was fun to explore this place in paint!  The Texaco on the corner is charming, and now a wonderful BBQ place called the Filling Station. With the north wind blowing, I could smell that BBQ from here!  Painting number 3385 in 3385 days. 

Lee's Summit Depot in Metal

SOLDOld town Lee's Summit has so many wonderful things to paint!  This time, I am working metal to capture this historic train Depot!  I first sketch the scene out with a rounded metal tool, although I'm thinking of trying some wooden sculpting tools for this process. The metal works well for the copper side, but is a little too abrasive on the aluminum side, scratching a bit as it marks.  Even the seams on the plastic tools can leave additional marks.  I really want to explore more tools in this media before Christmas - I hope I get the time!  Painting number 2515 in 2515 days.