413 Market Sketch

There's always time to sketch when the sky lights up!  Mom and I stayed in a sweet Airbnb in Brookfield, and I just HAD to do a quick sketch in my art journal!  It's super fun to create a visual journey through my days in a sketchbook!  I keep several going at a time, one for travel, one in vintage pen and ink only, one for gardening and a few others picked up at random.  All have a blurring of the lines when it comes to theme, as I follow whatever creative muse calls out to me at a given time!  I hope these journals will be fun for my children, their children, and their children to browse through some day!  Painting number 4986 in 4986 days. 

413 Market Street

Mom and I stayed in this sweet vintage house in Brookfield, after a day spent visiting Jamesport.  We shopped the antique stores and I found a few vintage chicken things I had to have!  We had the buffet and Gingerich's Dutch Pantry, and closed down the town before heading out. I stocked up on Amish spices and Mexican vanilla at the local Amish store.  It's the largest Old Order Amish settlement in the state of Missouri.  This house was very comfortable to stay in, even with the quirky, wavy floor from the front door to the back!  Super nice host, too!  Painting number 4983 in 4983 days.  

Phillips Taylor Century Farm

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When I arrived in Marceline, I passed the most amazing field full of hay bales.  Instantly, I wanted to paint some, even though I have some dotting my pastoral landscape at home!  Rather than painting in town, I set off for this farm with the landscape in mind.  After scouting within the perimeter of the fence, i decided to walk out into the field, too see what I could see.  Of course, there was no going back after I saw this beautiful scene. Sometimes I've got to set up way back in the pasture to get the full scene I didn't even know I needed to paint!  I'm so happy and honored this painting was selected for the Magnolia Antiques Purchase Award in Paint Marceline!  The extra effort is always worth it.  Painting number 4982 in 4982 days. 

Garden at the Walt Disney Hometown Museum

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I'm so happy and honored this painting was selected for the Missouri Regional Bank Purchase Award tonight at the Marceline Paint Out!  I loved painting the garden leading to the old depot, visiting with guests as they entered.  There's a beautiful new clock on the grounds, and the garden has expanded since I was last here. I love seeing the extra additions from one year to the next.  Marceline is shining bright today!  Painting number 4981 in 4981 days. 

Bend in the Creek

 

It's so peaceful to paint along a wooded creek!  The song of the birds and rustling of the leaves blend with the rippling water to create a little magic at water's edge.  I'm so lucky to get to capture it in paint, and revel in the beauty of it all.  Painting number 4980 in 4980 days. 

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. 

Releasing Negativity

As a plein air artist, I've long wondered if I could possibly make watercolor batik work in the field. This weekend, I discovered that I could!  I ordered a tiny travel iron for wax removal and withmy tiny crockpot for melting wax, all I needed was an outlet.  It was super fun to participate in multiple classes - and paint in the other ones!  I love exploring new methods in painting AND yoga!  What a fun weekend!  Now Showing at Halcyon Spa in Augusta, Missouri!  Painting number 4954 in 4954 days. 

Yoga Bliss Festival

The very best part of a yoga retreat weekend is the total immersion in all things yoga.  This year, I've been drawn to the deep restorative and sound bath classes, so I've filled my schedule with them plus a little Myo Yin Yan.  Each is a special shared experience that lingers long after the session ends. I'm looking forward to all tomorrow's classes have to offer. Now Showing at the Yoga Bliss Festival at Harmonie Verein in Augusta, where you can come take a class and leave restored! Painting number 4952 in 4952 days. 

Neon Taco

 

I love painting all the fun places at the Lake of the Ozarks!  There are SO many restaurants on the lake, one can simply drive their boat up to the dock to enjoy the fun!  I loved the plein air events that were held down here a few years ago, and wish they would return. I found so many cool places to paint - caves included!  This commission will soon be heading to the Lake Fine Art Galleria, along with two others.  Painting number 4938 in 4938 days. 

World Cup 2026 KC

 

What fun to take in the excitement of the World Cup in Kansas City with ink and watercolor!  This is my first experience with World Cup soccer, it has never been on my radar.  My boys all played soccer, and it was one of my favorite sports of their's to watch, but that was pretty much the extent it.  Being with the fans from other countries is so much fun, and their enthusiasm is infectious!  I'm so happy I was able to come down and sketch the fun with dear artist friends, Liz Vargas and Marcia Willman!  Painting number 4927 in 4927 days. 

Night at Cobblestone Lodge

During the High School Plein Air event where I mentored for the weekend, I led a group of students each night in a nocturne painting.  The first night painting for many of them, it was a fun adventure!  We painted under some street lamps while looking out at illuminated buildings.  I painted the lodge at the Cobblestone River Resort, who hosted is all for the weekend.  What a fun evening spent sharing my love of art with another generation!  Painting number 4920 in 4920 days. Now Showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville, Missouri. 
 

Winding Maramec Spring

 

This winding spring from the Maramec Spring Park is SO peaceful to paint! Now Showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville, Missouri!  

In the Gallery of Oaks

I loved standing in a gallery of oaks to paint the setting of this cabin and the path to the river.  The morning was cool in the shade, and the breeze light, making the day perfect for painting. The trees called to me.  Each large shape and form begged to be immortalized in ink and watercolor, casting the cabin as the understudy.  Truly a study of oaks, I hope I did them justice.  Now Showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville.❤️🎨

Sunset Over the River

 It was so much fun to paint the sunset with my friends along the Meramec River at Cobblestone Lodge!!  I was the first to hike down to the bank, and thought the others might not make it - so I painted fast! It gets very dark down there at night, and I didn't want to make that climb in full darkness.  Within minutes, here come Larry, Jamie, Dennis and Gabriele, driven down on a side by side in luxury fashion!  It was fun to speed paint the sunset together, then we all hiked up and gathered for some fun conversation outside of the cabins Now showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville, Missouri. 

Morning on Sunset Ridge

 

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It was a lovely afternoon to paint the view from the top of Sunset Ridge. As I was cleaning my brushes, the two horses walked into my scene - and I added them before my last brush was clean!  What a treat to see them in their happy place - and paint them!  On a personal note - I also have a palomino and a black horse, who is a Rocky Mountain horse, so these two reminded me of my own.  It's so much fun to paint a place I feel such an affinity to!  I'm happy this painting has a new home here, too!  Painting number 4912 in 4912 days. 

In the Gallery of Oaks

 This cabin studio tucked into the woods is surrounded mostly by oak trees.  The path through the trees leads down to the river, offering another amazing view.  I couldn't help but paint this lovely gallery of oaks offering a canopy of shade from the cabin to the river, as the morning light spread across the landscape.  This one now showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville! Painting number 4911 in 4911 days. 

Along the River

 

It was worth standing in the full sun to paint this view of the Meramec River from the Cobblestone Lodge beach!  With a painting in every direction, it's hard to decide which view to paint!  The light quality in the Eastern direction called to me, so I chose this for my demo with the High School Plein Air students.   The saturated colors following the rain were glorious - and I get to reap the rewards in paint - and share my process with a new generation. This painting Now Showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville, and is painting number 4910 in 4910 days. 

Boats at the Boathouse

 

I couldn't resist painting this vintage boathouse with a few boats in the lawn! My morning paint was of this same boathouse, but from the other side, at water's edge. I never saw these boats until I scouted for a second painting! This has been a lovely day of painting that started with the most precarious back road I have ever traveled. I'm so thankful I got myself out of that mess to enjoy the beauty here!  Sometimes, I really shouldn't follow my GPS!  Now Showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville, and painting number 4908 in 4908 days. 

Cabin Time

 What fun it was to stay at Cobblestone Lodge during the Steelville Plein Air! After working a mentors for the High School Plein Air for the weekend, we stayed on with about 11 other artists to enjoy this place between paint outs.  We gathered together at night to talk - and T even played her guitar and sang!  It was such a wonderful time of bonding in a beautiful place along the Meramec River!  I just had to paint this sweet vintage cabin and leave it for a gift. Painting number 4907 in 4907 days. 

Bridge at the Spring

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My demo for the High School Plein Air at Maramec Spring was so much fun!  Each of us artists had a group of students at the park during the Folky Fish Fest. We chose this gorgeous area by the waterfall for our painting location.  Each student could choose their own subject and medium of choice. I shared my process as I checked in with each during our painting time.  It was a wonderful painting and learning experience for us all! One of my favorite paintings of the week - I'm happy this painting has a new home in Springfield! Painting number 4905 in 4905 days.