Night Falls on Court Street

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Just an hour before, this lovely home was the spot for the Artists Dinner, where good food and good friends gathered. Door prizes and gifts abounded - and I won the first one, true to form!  Dena, Melinda, Cindy, and the other committee members hosted us with flair, making sure that everyone had a gift before leaving. I have a history of winning door prizes often, and I even won a painting raffle, too!  As the artists drifted into the streets for nocturne painting, I kept coming back to this side view of Dena's house.  I asked them to turn on the lights, and then I knew I had to paint it.  As I painted, Kathy Morrison set up to paint the alley, after hanging multi colored string lights on her car!  That girl knows how to nocturne!  It was a fun evening of comraderie as we all painted and laughed.  I finished pretty early, and left the others to finish together, since I had a couple of commissions to work on.  We never leave an artist alone to finish. I'm so happy this painting found a home within those walls, too.  Painting number 5018 in 5018 days. 

Giant Pumpkins on the Farm

How could I possibly resist painting those giant pumpkins?!! I have not seen them this big in all the years I've been coming to this patch in Barnhill, Illinois.  It sprinkled a few times during the painting process, and I moved back under the cover of a concession stand, moving back out when it stopped.  Once I have oils on my whole panel, then it is fine to stand out in the rain.  But if the dry panel gets wet - it will resist that oil paint, stopping it from adhering to the panel.  The rainy day wad the perfect backdrop for those rich, saturated colors  It feels like fall now that I've  painted Shreve's Pumpkin Patch!  Painting number 5013 in 5013 days. 

Sunset in Downtown Fairfield

 

No, I could NOT resist that amazing sunset tonight as we disbanded from our Fairfield PaintOut meeting!  I tried to persuade my artist friends to stay, but one by one they fell away to get to their host homes.  I simply could not leave, so I quickly sketched out the scene with a pastel stick on a gessoed  board. I still had plenty of sunset color in the sky so I quickly set up my easel and slapped on paint as quickly as possible, first the darks then that fabulous color that was still fresh in my mind, though fading in the sky. I won't know until tomorrow how it really looks, when I take it out of my trunk!  It was super fun and I'm so glad I stayed to capture it in oil!  Painting number 5012 in 5012 days. 

Legacy Park

What a beautiful morning to paint the Anita Gorman Conservation Center for the Brush Creek Art Walk!  This community garden is a favorite of mine to return to and paint.  I love the linear design with an those soft edges of blooms and vegetables.  The early light was amazing, and a treat to capture in oils.  I was happy to run into a few artist friends I haven't seen in a while, too!  Painting number 5008 in 5008 days. 

Blufftop View of the River

 

How quickly the light changes at the A Frame Les Bourgois!  This is THE best view of the Missouri River that I've found to paint in Rocheport!  It's been so fun exploring this place in paint - and equally fun to do it with artists friends!  I hope to return next year to see what other jewels I can find to paint!  Come see this one in person at ART Off the Trail gallery on Central!  Painting number 5006 ink 5006 days. 

Rocheport Winery

 

This beautiful vintage home-turned-winery is right off the Katy Trail in Rocheport, and I couldn't resist painting it!  I've painting quite a bit along this trail, and this is the busiest trailhead I've painted yet!  The Meriweather café and historic depot are right behind me, and if I had the time, I'd paint them, too!  I've really enjoyed these days in Rocheport! Now Showing at Art Off the Trail gallery on Central in town! 

Jazz in the Roses

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It was a lovely evening to paint Jazz in the Roses at the Loose Park Rose Garden!  It is a special treat when I can paint to live music - and these jazz musicians were stellar!  It was fun to visit when onlookers stopped to talk, and two young girls even painted petals onto my rose garden!  The littlest couldn't hardly reach - and she was very thoughtful with that stroke! Perhaps they are the next generation of painters in this rose garden!  I'm happy this painting went home with a new collector, too! Painting number 5003 in 5003 days 

#artistlife #jazzintheroses #looseparkrosegarden #kansascityart #pleinairpainting 

Downtown Rocheport

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I finished this painting up just as the rain started in downtown Rocheport.  This place is so charming that not even rain can discourage me from painting!  This was the first is my paintings to sell at the Wet Paint Sale! Painting number 5002 in 5002 days. 

Looking Down Second St

 

It was a beautiful day to paint the streets of Rocheport! There are SO many lovely, historic buildings lining the streets of this small town, it's hard to choose my painting location.  The red brick homes in the lush green landscape called to me the loudest - so this is where I landed!  This painting is now showing at Art Off the Trail Gallery in Rocheport, Missouri.  I'm so happy this gallery is now showing my work, too!  Painting number 5001 in 5001 days. 

Red House on Second

 I'm so happy the rain let up just long enough to get a couple of paintings in!  Rocheport is so charming! This is only my second time here, and my first to paint the area in plein air.  This small town of 200 has many historic homes and a few wonderful shops that I HAD to check out before my first brushstroke.  With matcha late in hand, I started painting this in oils, filling in the areas quickly.  I work fast when rain is in the air, and I hung my new bug scarf from my easel to ward off any unwanted visitors. It was fun to visit with the locals as they walked by, and I look forward to painting this town tomorrow and Saturday, too. This painting is now showing at Art Off the Trail Gallery in Rocheport, Missouri.  I'm so happy this gallery is now showing my work, too!  Painting number 5001 in 5001 days. 

Long House Summer

 

It was fun to gather with artist friends for a quick paint at the Overland Park Arboretum!  The Long House is a cool feature in the landscape to paint!  I first spotted the construction on this hill from Monet's Pond, as I painted a sunset quick paint.  I couldn't imagine how the building would enhance the gardens, and could only think of the loss of natural space.  Well, now I see how it anchors the landscape, and has become a wonderful community space.  I love capturing this place in oil, and it is now showing in the gallery space inside that building.  Painting number 4996 in 4996 days. 

Sunflower Song

It was a beautiful evening for painting sunflowers at the Overland Park Arboretum.  These Maximilian sunflowers have been planted in dedication to a member who has enriched the arboretum through the years, and they are putting on a show!  It was a wild and crazy tangle of flowers to try to make sense of, but I gave it my best - and it was fun, too!  I am honored to be among the top 4 with this painting.  This painting is 4996 in 4996 days, and now showing at the Long House gallery on site.  

Nocturne at the Nelson

 

What fun it was to paint the illuminated Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art from across the reflecting pool - at NIGHT!  LOVE the painting opportunities that arise for the Brush Creek Art Walk!  It was my first time to paint this beauty at night - and also the first time for me to paint the back of this iconic building.  The evening weather had cooled back from nearly 100 degrees, and it was fun to share this space with other artists, and visit along the way.  Painting number 4991 in 4991 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. 

Sunflower Cheer

 

What a beautiful day to spend in the garden - among the sunflowers!  A cool front moved in and we're only in the 80s today - so I spent most of the day weeding near the sunflowers.  I planted some rose moss and portulaca to fill in a couple of spots, and have many cosmos volunteers that I'm thinking of transplanting them to other beds.  Could they possibly make full bloom before frost?!! These beauties will quickly fade and then the birds will start pecking out the seed. I'm happy to paint them while I can, they have suffered in our extreme heat.  Painting number 4976 in 4976 days. 

Sunflower Salute

 

I love the process of painting sunflowers!  Each brushstroke describing the turn of a petal is like magic, and the painting slowly unfolds.  Even on these hot days pushing towards 100 degrees, it is a joy to paint in the garden. I'm so thankful for all the grows on this fertile land. Painting number 4970 in 4970 days. 

A Daughter's Love

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I love capturing special memories in paint, and sharing them with others.  This was a special commission of a moment caught in time, to celebrate the special bond of mother and daughter.  I'm honored to have been chosen for such  meaningful work.  Painting number 4969 in 4969 days. 

Riot of Roses

 

Beautiful roses are meant to be immortalized in paint - how could I resist painting them?!!  The rich dual coloring on each petal is gorgeous, and so unusual!  Cut bouquets don't last for long, but this painting will live on forever!  Painting number 4966 in 4966 days. 

Able and His Chicks

What a beautiful evening for "chicken time"!!  These chicks are fast becoming my favorite models, and Able and his girls are on the easel today!  I started this painting with my granddaughter, Quinn, on Sunday - and finished it tonight.  I rarely break up a painting session, but we were in the middle of a family gathering when Quinn asked me to paint.  So, I dropped everything and were went out to paint the chickens.  We stopped when Quinn was finished, so I went back to hosting to finish this later.  The light was perfect tonight, and had me wanting to capture the sunset - too late!  Painting number 4963 in 4963 days.