Going Small

Texas Bluebonnets

I've been having fun with a challenge called The 100 Day Project (#the100dayproject on Instagram) where I'm supposed to do something everyday for 100 days. I decided to do 100 5x7s; mostly painting but any art form is acceptable

Many Minis. More Monday?

Sandy Road

Occasionally, I love working on small paintings.  I can get a feeling of accomplishment in one evening.  Because I don't have the luxury of working at painting full time, evenings and weekends are the only times I can find any time.  I decided to paint as many little paintings as possible in two weeks.  I first primed about eight boards and then found images where I could use a similar palette.  A couple of summers back, I took many photos of dunes on Cape Cod, so these became my subjects.  Now I'm hooked on capturing the beautiful colors in sand; the shadows and highlights at different times of day. I've also used work by other artists who were quite successful at capturing these colors as inspiration.  (If interested, these are all $50 each)

Empty Beach

Afternoon Dunes

Falmouth Marsh
SOLD

Hazy Day
SOLD

Dune Fence
SOLD

Wild Roses
SOLD

I'm Painting as Fast as I Can!

Before

After

 I found a great spot this morning, but it seemed that each time I looked up from my painting, the scene was a bit different.  I knew the sun would change so I tried to capture the color notes quickly, but I was quite surprised by how fast the tide came in.  The sand exposed at low tide was a beautiful shade of mauve/purple and my favorite part of the scene.  So glad I had my camera because the sand disappeared so fast.  Plein air painting is so much better than working from photos, but it does have it's pros and cons
 

Pros                                                                        Cons

Getting up at 5 AM                                            Getting up at 5 AM

and beating the beach crowd

The tan is looking good!                                     Missing a spot when putting on sunscreen

Friendly people stop by to chat                          Friendly bugs stop by for a close look at the painting 

                                                                            and sometimes get stuck in it.

Surrounded by nature, the sound of                 No place to go when the effects of coffee kick in.

birds and the smell of wild roses.

Following the Sun

Spring has not really sprung here in Rhode Island, so traveled a little south to meet it en route.  I went to Maryland for a long weekend where all the trees had leafed out, the azaleas were at peak and I didn't need to wear a jacket.  A little plein air painting and visiting with my sister was a nice boost.

Bird Houses

It has been pretty dreary since I got back, so I repainted those paintings - but not by choice!!!  I carefully arranged my car for all my wet paintings (forgot the carrier), only to have my paint box slide over them when I accelerated.  My landscapes had a bit of an abstract look, but they still had all the right color notes,  I just needed to put them back in the right places.  Here are two of my repair jobs.

The Old Man
SOLD 

 Can't wait to get some local plein air paintings done.  O.k. sun, I'm waiting.....