Cottage Swing

SOLD

I love the story this swing tells, and this small momento of a special place was left for our host in Lakeside. Pat and Robert have been lovely to stay with these last three years in Lakeside, but it looks like they may be selling their sweet cottage before we return next year.  A giant tree always greets us, with this beautiful old swing hanging from it's very large branches. Painting number 5112 in 5112 days. 

Swinging Tree

This glorious old tree beckoned to me from my first day in Owensville.  The swing told the story of little ones at play, and the beautiful branches swept up towards the sky.  At first light, I started sketching, using rough little lines, trying to stay true to their shapes.  As the drawing unfolded, the essence of the place oozed in.  So often that is how plein air works, something indefinable from the location finds it's way into the painting.  Love this peaceful place. Painting number 2848 in 2848 days. 

Saint John Community Garden

Saint John Community Garden
Oil on panel, 14x11
Scarritt Renaissance Coffee Club Demo

Yesterday morning, I was invited to paint and speak to the Scaritt Renaissance Coffee Club, hosted by Becky Koop at the Saint John Community Garden.  Becky's shop,  Backdoor Pottery, adjoins this property.  Behind the swinging bench lies the vegetable garden, with beautiful flowers sprinkled throughout.  These wonderful daylilies were not quite to their peak yet, so using my artistic license - I have opened their abundant blooms!  A lovely, but windy morning, we started with a wonderful breakfast.  I spent time talking and answering questions, until I was prompted with, "you have about 20 minutes left to paint" - yikes!  So, I got busy and let the brush do the work - laying in the masses intuitively, without thought.  Within 30 minutes, I had all the important parts in - and the painting was a true representation of how I felt in that spot.  With just a few touch ups, and removing the grass and debris from the surface (due to the strong winds) - this is what remains.  A lovely memory in oil of a morning spent with the gracious members of the Scaritt Renaissance Coffee Club.  This painting makes 531 in 531 days - Happy Father's Day to all!  Now, I am off for a family gathering!

Fairy Swing

Fairy Swing
Oil on glass, 9x12
print available here

This is my second day of painting in a fairy land!  It is a curious thing to just let the image evolve.  I have a simple sketch as a guideline, but each little part painted in seems to call for another thing....and so the painting grows.  I added onto yesterday's painting, as this one progressed, feeling the need to tie the two together.  When all six are finished, I will load the finished images with their little additions.  I wonder how long it will take the paint to dry on such a surface.  This one too, is primed with gesso.  I primed them all after the mishap of the first day.  And, as I worked these sunflowers, I also worked others that are in the adjoining panels.  In fact, I have applied paint to all six, working from the top down - stems of sunflowers, lower trunk of tree and phlox which I have added to the two sides.  This is such a challenge for me, not at all my regular plein air painting!  Learning to control the paint on such a surface is also challenging.  I reached for my palette knife - and had scratched right down to the glass with the first stroke.  Knives are a no-no on glass!  This second part of a series of 6 is my 388th painting in a row, and day 23 of the 30 day painting challenge.