Tree study

 

 

 tree study     6"x 6" acrylic

This little plein air study was a lesson I gave myself.  Time limit of 20 minutes and leave out all but the basic shapes and values.  It's nothing to write home about, but it did serve it's purpose... I was tense starting it and loose when I finished.  It warmed me up to work on the oil portrait that's on my easel in the studio.

New Plein Air Group

 "RR Gingko"

12" x 12" oil on canvas

plein air in Madison, GA 10/13/10

The Fall Line Gang... that's what we are calling ourselves.  Newly formed, this group is the brainchild of Matthew Songer and the name refers to the region where we all live.  The Fall Line is where the Piedmont Plateau falls off and the Atlantic Ocean used to be millenia ago.  This group is like a breath of fresh air to me!  It is stretching me beyond my comfort zone and into new territory.  In the near future I will introduce you to each member and hopefully we will add more plein air lovers as we go.  So far we have watercolor, oil, acrylic and pastels represented.  We critique each other's work and learn from each other as we paint.  We enjoy the camaraderie that is so special to a group of artists.  I will post when and where we are gathering and open an invitation for you to paint with us if you are in the area.

Tomorrow, Monday Oct 18th, we will meet at 9:00a.m. at the Old Depot in Barnesville, GA and will be painting in and around the station.  Contact me by email (sidebar) if you think you can make it.

Breakfast Club - WIP

I had a blast at the Paint Out in Madison, Georgia this past Saturday...talking to the many locals and tourists that frequent the downtown square and chumming with other artists.  My sister met me there and we turned it into a mini-vacation   I've been back since Sunday noon, but this is the first chance I've had to post.  Life is busy with family and art...I'm lovin' it!

This 16" x 20" acrylic on canvas was what I painted plein air on Saturday.  Because of time and reference constraints, I left out one of the three figures I wanted to put in this group of men.  As I was setting up on this very overcast day, a group of ten or so men exited the corner restaurant.  They are a group of locals who meet on Saturday mornings for breakfast.  Most had dispersed by the time I could get to them to ask if they would linger a few moments for me to sketch them, but I got four to remain.  I also snapped a picture and the seated gentleman offered his name, as his wife is involved with the Cultural Center that co-sponsors the Paint Out... my good fortune.  Anyway, I had to turn the painting in for the afternoon auction as you see it here, so I'm not surprised it did not sell, as I can see fundamental compositional errors that I can now tackle back in the studio.  I want to add the third man to complete the composition and create a "conversation".  I'd also like to refine the figures and correct some proportion errors.  I'm pretty happy with the overall brushwork and the feeling ... it rings true to the place and time, so I'll probably leave that pretty much as is.

Plein Air Paint Out

Last year was such fun that I made sure to schedule this one in again!  This small town is buzzing with activities this weekend and the weather promises to be beautiful.  Join us if you can!

Plein Air in Madison

I am so excited to be spending this Friday and Saturday at the Paint Out in Madison, GA! It's part of their spring Georgia in Bloom 2009 Art Fest. Not only is this a terrific opportunity to fellowship with other artists, I really need this time away from my own "stuff" to concentrate on painting. This time of year I'm not sure I'm an artist who loves gardening or a gardener who loves painting! As I type this, there is dirt under my fingernails from the tomato plants I just stuck in the ground. I started way too many from seed, but I just couldn't resist all the wonderful different varieties that are unavailable as plants in the local stores... like Black Brandywine, Super Sioux, Jetsonic and Sugary Cherry to name a few.
See, I'm off on a tangent... back to the paint out. I've filled my Jullian easel with oils for the first time. I've used acrylics in the past, but it's always a mad dash to work before they dry. Since the temperature is supposed to be in the 80's this weekend and the last few days have been breezy too, I thought the oils would be a more relaxing experience. I think I'll go ahead and wear my paint spattered jeans since I'm a messy painter, though!
Can't wait to report back to you on Sunday!