Garden Nocturne

What a lovely night for a nocturne in the garden, at one of my favorite places - the Main Street Inn in Sainte Genevieve!  After dinner at the Brick House and walking through the town listening to the live music, Mom and I returned to the inn to find live music playing nearby, clearly heard from the garden!  So I grabbed my gear - and Mom - are started sketching.  The band stopped before I hardly got started, and my nocturne light went out.  So, I sketched with the ambient light, only turning this light back on for the photo.  I'll need to put that charging cord in my sketch bag from now on! Painting number 4967 in 4967 days. 

Looking Down Main Street

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Sometimes, I've just got to paint a nocturne! I love painting my favorite inn at Sainte Genevieve.  Mom and I are enjoying an early Mother's Day weekend at the Main Street Inn, where the proprietor and conversation are always entertaining! Great breakfasts, shopping, dining, Chaumette Winery and a tour of the Jean Baptiste Valle House where the art of local colony artists of the 30s and 40s was displayed, suns up our brief and fun filled days.  Oh - and of course squeezed in those daily paintings!  Painting number 5038 in 5038 days. 

Moon and Stars over Main Street Inn

I LOVE returning to this magical place to visit with friends and make new ones!  Sainte Genevieve is a special place in this world - and I'm thanking my lucky stars that I found it!  Most often, I paint en plein air, finding my perfect scenes and capturing them in oils. For this gorgeous scene, I actually captured the image while painting a different composition in oil, of the same nocturne.  Everything about your place screamed watercolor batik to me - clear skies, moon and stars, in hot wax bright vibrant color, and finally I had the time while painting other gallery pieces, to realize my vision in this special medium.  Its how it works with special places and scenes, and sometimes, I don't get the chance to paint that vision before it is gone.  I can see the painting so clearly in my mind, but sometimes life gets in the way, and all those other obligations call to me before I can bring the painting to fruition, and then it is gone, a lost opportunity forgotten until I revisit the place, and feel the urge anew.  This crazy artist life, how hard it is to describe to another.  I feel a painting, already a vision in my mind, waiting for the breath of life, and if I have the time I dive right in...... but then there are the times I just can't pick up the brushes yet..... Tonight I am thankful this one came to fruition, and I'm saying a little prayer for all those paintings yet to be! Painting number 3728 in 3728 days. 

Main Street Inn in Metal

 

LOVE working this special place in copper - almost as much as I love staying here!! The Main Street Inn in Sainte Genevieve is one of my favorite places to stay, and it often inspires me when in town.  Architecture is especially well suited for this metal technique, working both from the front and back of the metal.  After sketching my scene with a ball stylus, I begin pushing and pressing the scene into shape, following the planes of the building.  I keep finding new ways to use my tools, each piece teaching me something new.  Painting number 3727 in 3727 days 

Main Street Koi

Perhaps the first time I painted at the garden of the Main Street Inn, I set up my easel at the Koi Pond, looking towards the house.  Spending time watching the koi as they swam in calligraphic circles, I wanted to paint them.  I did include them that day in the foreground of that garden scene, but still I've thought about them.  So today, I am committing them to rice paper with ink, watercolor, abs hot wax, forever to swim on the wall. Maybe one day I'll have a koi pond in my own garden. Painting number 3719 in 3719 days. 

Main Street Inn - copper

 

It is fun and challenging to work on miniature metal pieces for Music Art Love in Sainte Genevieve!  With the image no bigger than 3.5x2.5 inches - it is a little tricky to work this metal at this scale.  No gallery carries these pieces for me - as I sell them quickly.  So, in gratitude to Music Art Love - my first gallery space in this lovely town, I am creating a few works of local places just for the proprietor to show.  I may have a couple pieces larger than this one, but for now I'm concentrating on the miniatures. My first one is of a favorite place in town - and the only place I stay  - Main Street Inn! Artwork number 3304 in 3304 days. 

Red Umbrella Morning

This is the morning view just outside of Mom's favorite room at the Main Street Inn in Sainte Genevieve.  I often paint before breakfast is served (and it is always amazing - one that I'll STOP PAINTING for, lol. And that speaks volumes - anyone who knows me, knows that I pick painting over food every time..... well, almost!  A sunny morning is glorious for spending some time here with a hot mug of tea or coffee, and it is my pleasure to paint the magic.  Love getting to paint such special places on my travels - and can't wait to return to paint AND stay here again!  Painting number 4383 in 4383 days. 

Red Door Welcome

 

I LOVE staying and painting at the Main Street Inn in Sainte Genevieve - where we ALWAYS get the VIP treatment!  In fact, my Mom's favorite room in the place is right behind those red doors, and with such an attractive corner - I couldn't resist painting it in the morning light.  This painting in not available because it is a special birthday gift for a special proprietor. Painting number 4379 in 4379 days. 

Main Street Inn Bed & Breakfast

 

I LOVE painting something special for someone special in Sainte Genevieve, Missouri!!  Special requests are a joy when the subject is near and dear to my heart - like this wonderful historic inn. I took special care to capture the essence of this place to commemorate our in smaller likenesses for others to enjoy.  Tonight was my Artist Reception at Music Art Love in Sainte Genevieve, and Chris put on a lovely spread! Wine, cheese, crackers and live music accompanied my art for a lovely showing of my Sainte Genevieve work.  So happy to meet new friends as well as catching up with old ones, too!  It was a wonderful "Meet and Greet" tonight at Music Art Love!!  Painting number 4306 in 4306 days. ❤️🎨

Main Street Inn

LOVE getting up early for a stroll along Main Street, and seeing the gentle light starting across the buildings.  Irresistible, I enjoyed painting that early morning light on the Main Street Inn, and a couple others before breakfast! This painting now avaliable on location, along with a select few! Inquire within, or better yet - book a stay at this incomparable bed and breakfast!  I won't stay anywhere else in Sainte Genevieve.  Painting number 4271 in 4271 days. 

A Watchful Eye

Each time we return to the Main Street Inn, these darling penguins are positioned throughout the inn.  This one was appeared to be on lookout, greeting guests upon entry, so I painted him at his post!  This Inn in Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, sets the bar for lovely rooms, spacious common areas, and a gracious proprietor who shares the local history in dashing style.  We've had another lovely stay as I set up a gallery show next door at Music Art Love.  Come see all of my local paintings showing through Jour De Fete in August.  Painting number 4270 in 4270 days. 

Main Street Inn

After choosing the perfect vantage of this wonderful inn, I set my easel up, and heard engines starting up behind me.  Within seconds, a lawn crew set up with weed eater, leaf blower, and mower, stirring up debris from all sides!  I stepped into the street wth my easel, in front of a parked car.  With one loaded brush, and the lid back on my palette, I started the composition, trying to shield the painting with my body.  I was then asked to step away from the curb for the blower, and they were gone in a flash!  As I really got into the painting, I kept hearing acorns drop all around me.  Looking up, I realized I was under a huge pin oak, and one bopped me on the shoulder!  Although I had sprayed for bugs, the mosquitos were out!  I had to point my Off clip on right at me, to keep them at bay.  After all of this, I finally finished before some other obstacle got in the way!  Painting number 2074 in 2074 days.

Main Street Inn Purchase Award Winner
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