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| on location |
Both of my dad's parents grew up in Marceline, Missouri. With family ties to this place, when I received the info about an upcoming OPA paint-out here - I knew I must attend! I have been to this place a few times as a child, and once or twice as an adult - but never as an artist before yesterday. With new eyes, I saw the beauty of Marceline - and longed to capture as much as I could in a single day. This coal shute is one of about three left in existence along the
Sante Fe Railroad. I have never seen a structure like this, and have only painted a grain elevator once - so I really wanted to paint this while I could! This very large cement structure has not been in use since the replacement of the steam engine - and yet it remains. The cement structure now homes many pigeons - who came streaming from it's windows at intervals en masse, only to return again and roost. I pulled my palette knife out to play with this one! After a detailed sketch done in pastel, I underpainted this with my oils and brushes. Once complete, I just thought it lacked excitement, so - I reached for the knife. Right away, the magic started to flow off it's tip - even using some interesting color choices for a little "pop"! Its funny how I get away from using such a valuable tool - as if I forget all about it, just to find it again like an old friend. I felt a bit like a child playing with a new toy today - and used this knife for all three of my oil paintings in Marceline! Day 7 of the
30 Day Painting Challenge and my 615th painting in as many days.
