Starkey Park

 

I love painting the coots in this marshy area in Starkey Park!  There was a good sized alligator by the distant grass when I arrived, but he was not to be seen when I again looked for him.  My brother loves to ride his bike in this park as my nephew hikes.  There are several viewing areas from which to bird watch, each stretching out into the water a bit.  Mom likes to watch the wildlife as water birds fly in and out, never paying attention to us.  Two other ducks were parading along with tiny ducklings much further away, and I couldn't help but look for that alligator again.  Again, my mind is on my dear friend, who will not be able to share such moments with her family now.  How can it be when it seems so wrong?  Once again, I think my practice is daily painting is good therapy, in all the seasons of life.  Painting number 5119 in 5119 days. 

Brooker Creek

Some paintings are a hard won battle - and this is such a painting.  After a walk along the boardwalk, I selected this location on the bridge for my preferred composition. It was in dappled shade with very little breeze, but I was in for the hot and humid conditions here in Tarpon Springs.  The giant resident alligator slapped the water hard while grabbing a fish - which we heard from the trail.  He then went on to glide through the water with grasses on his back, to lay like a log on the opposite bank.  Fish were jumping, a large white bird snagged food from a hole in a tree top, and it was a lovely afternoon of painting, until the sun came out and the biting flies found me!  I've never seen such large bee flies - looked like bees but have a hard bite! The only way to keep them off me was to keep moving, they did not mind my sprays in the least!  So I tried to work faster, dance around to avoid them, and yelped as they drew blood - but I did not leave that spot until I finished.  Plein air is not for sissies - I gave up a little blood for this one!  Painting number 3188 in 3188 days. 

Morning at Moonlight Bay

After watching the sunrise at Gordon Lodge, we headed over to Moonlight Bay for the morning workshop.  The temperature soon heated up, and the girls were dropping like flies!  As they headed back to the Red Shed, I finished my painting.  We were able to finish the class later, in the comfort of the shade!  This painting is the 1300th in 1300 days!! Wowza!

Twisting Creek

We got both of our male dogs neutered on Friday, and our red lab has been especially needy.  He will hardly let me paint!   When I stop moving, it is a signal to him to paw me, cling to me and get his paws up on my easel and into my paint!  I can't count the times that I barely saved my wet brushes from his mouth!  I finished near dark, and I'll check this tomorrow to see if I really am done!  Some days it really is hard to get a painting in!!  Painting number 1259 in 1259 days.

Twisting Creek
Oil on panel, 6x6
purchase here

Skies of Glory

Skies of Glory
Oil on masonite, 24x18
purchase here

Starting rather late in the day on this one, I did have a few hours of uninterrupted painting time.  After sifting through reference photos I have taken over the years, I kept returning to this sky.  I merged the sky with a different landscape, to bounce that wonderful color off the surface of the water.  I have used both brush and knife on this one - my old, worn out brushes since my new ones have not come in yet.  The connoisseurs hold up very well for the first 150 paintings, and then begin to show some wear.  But, in their defense, they have very slowly degraded - and I will keep them for all the rough, scrubby work.  That will leave my new ones for the finish work and places where I want sharp edges on the brush.  My favorite palette knife remains the pie shaped one - I use it 90% of the time I reach for a knife.  Since it is now dark, I will let this rest until tomorrow, checking it again in the natural light of day.  Are these blues too strong?.........maybe.........painting number 1125 in 1125 days.

Clouds Over the Marshland

Clouds Over the Marshland
Oil on canvas panel, 7x5 - purchase here

Another full day, all company has left, and bedtime has come and gone - I can return to my easel for my daily art fix.  Tonight, I am really in the mood for clouds - dark and full of drama.  The skies have offered up much inspiration these last days, and now I am committing them to canvas.  Only using two brushes, and my favorite palette knife, I have quickly captured this with broad, loose strokes.  And, this painting has a surprise underneath - one fourth of another landscape which I cut down to reuse the panel!  Waste not, want not - and now I must get my things ready for the paint out tomorrow! This is painting number 970 in 970 days :)

Magic Over the Marsh

Magic Over the Marsh
Oil on panel, 12x9
purchase here

Every summer, we go visit my parents near Lake Erie, and I have so many wonderful photos from this beautiful area!  I am using that reference for today, and started with a pastel sketch.  Next, I brushed in the blues of the sky, working from cool to warm at the horizon, and I lay in the water at the same time.  Next, I brushed in the thick, warm whites of the clouds, followed by the plum shadow sides.  The landscape is just a supporting role to the main feature of the sky, so I handle the colors accordingly, being sure to get those sky colors into that landscape for good color harmony. I did not use my palette knife on this - I had so many distractions today, that it is a miracle I was able to finish this at all!  Painting number 787 in as many days.

Glory in the Sky

Glory in the Sky
Oil on panel, 6x6
sold

I spent the entire day working in the yard, getting the many flower beds ready for winter, and even transplanting a couple of plum trees to the orchard.  After so much hard manual labor, I was left at a bit of a loss when it came to selecting subject matter for tonight's painting.  I had planned to paint our windmill, with the yellow fall foliage of the maples which are crowding it, but it just didn't appeal to me.  As I looked through my many reference photos, it occurred to me that in the last 306 paintings I have painted, not one has been a cloudscape.  In fact, I think cloud painting is very difficult with all the subtle color changes within the clouds.  But tonight, I thought, why not try it?  What do I have to lose?  So, here I have painted a glorious sky using a couple of my recent additions to my palette - manganese and prussian blues, along with my old favorite - ultramarine.  It was fun using them all to create depth in the sky - and challenging!  I was able to finish this small one in an hour, and have another 6x6 to choose from for the Randy Higbee Show coming up soon.  Painting number 307 in as many days.

Morning at Moonlight Bay

Morning at Moonlight Bay
Door County, WI
Oil on panel, 14x11

Well, I have finally found some Wi-Fi here in Door County, but the signal is weak.  Here is this morning's paint from the marsh just north of Ridges Sanctuary on the Lake Michigan side.  The distant body of water is that lake.  The beauty around here is just breath-taking - I couldn't capture all of it if I lived here.  I painted with eight or nine other artists along the road, each lined up almost shoulder to shoulder!  I will attach those photos at a later date.  I just can't wait to capture another marsh in oils.....I hope I have enough time.  This is painting number 204 in 204 days - and I am loving Door County!

At Water's Edge

At Water's Edge
Oil on panel, 16x12
Peculiar, Missouri

Thanks to a phone call from a dear friend, I had the chance to do a little plein air painting from her back yard today.  Her lake is absolutely gorgeous, with marsh grasses and cat tails on the back side.  The weather was perfect, and this was such a peaceful location from which to paint!  Yes, I played hooky for a while from my long to-do list, but it was totally worth it!  I'm looking forward to many more painting days like this one!  This is my 180th painting in 180 days.

Whispering Spring

Whispering Spring
Oil over acrylic on panel
On display at the Executive offices of Blue Cross Blue Shield

With my son's wedding quickly approaching, I had worked a couple of paintings ahead in the event I could not get to the easel.  Good thing I did!  I painted this from photos I had taken at the Maggie Marsh up in Ohio near Lake Erie.  Years ago, it was very well maintained, almost manicured.  I remember the park full of people enjoying the wildlife refuge, beach and walking trails.   As so many places, they have lost funding with the economy downturn.  Now, this place has almost returned to it's natural state.  Still lovely, but lonely and remote. Long beaches now inhabited only with seagulls and outbuiidings no longer used. Painting number 90 in 90 days :)