Sunday, October 22, 2017

Balloon Frenzy

We pulled into a tiny, quiet campground around 9 miles east of Akron, Ohio and were surprised when an hour later two trucks arrived with all the gear to launch two magnificent hot air balloons. We literally had a front row seat and I dashed to get my paints and capture as much of the excitement as I could.





 Quite a crowd gathered, and one friend of a ballooner took this picture of me as I moved into power painter mode. I did snap a few pics of my own and finished the painting as the balloons drifted out of sight. I was so excited that I posted on my FB page the first painting that evening.
But, here's the problem. I never took the time to really look at what I was painting. Second, I impulsively hit that Post button. 
So here's the "corrected" painting, which is, in fact, truer to the mood and scene that my first stab had been. 
Biggest lesson learned: it's never too late to fix something if you can. And, pause before posting!




Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Iconic

I walked around the campground, looking to see what caught my eye to paint. By the entrance, the American flag stood out against the stormy clouds. Bits of bright blue sky showed through the clouds and it appealed to me on many levels. I rushed back to capture the flag. As a painter, I am attracted to those marvelous folds of stripes, their movement and pattern interest me. Look for where I lost edges...this is exciting for me!

Monday, October 16, 2017

Airstream

I loved how many reflections I saw on this classic Airstream in the campground near Zion. I tried to capture them, at the same time thinking of simplifying them. As for all my paintings on this trip, this was also painted plein air and alla prima. Alla prima refers to wet paint into wet paint, all done in one painting session. It helps if the first layers of paint are quite thin, then you can build up subsequent layers quite easily. Did I just say easily? Ha! Sometimes there is success, sometimes I scrape it all off with a knife and start over. 

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Virgin River

Hot, sunny and peaceful. Standing beside the Virgin River which ran behind our campsite at the Zion River Resort, I stole away for a couple of hours to paint. I'm painting small and putting them on my DailyPaintworks gallery. This little river scene is 6x6, oil on panel.


Friday, October 6, 2017

Cody


I felt especially challenged as the wind picked up and the temperature continued to drop into the high 30's. I hadn't bargained for this but as I was determined to paint,  I took to my car.
Easel balanced on my knees, medium in the cup holder, an old apron draped over the dash, I tried to get this one done quickly. Heavy mist blotting out full view of the mountains, I still wanted their presence to dominate in the painting. A lone horse grazing gave it a quintessential Wyoming feeling.
I really enjoyed two visits to Buffalo Bill Center of the West, which is really 5 museums in one. The Whitney Western Art Museum has a staggering collection of big names and I especially enjoyed the reconstructed Frederic Remington Studio.

Monday, October 2, 2017

Late Summer Flowers

Another plein air study of flowers in their late summer glory.