Victor Celebrates The Arts

I am in Victor, Colorado (about an hour and 15 minutes from Colorado Springs) participating in "Victor Celebrates The Arts" a 10 day plain air event.  Victor is an old mining town, actually, the gold mine is still active, that sits at 10,000 feet!  It's hard for some people to breathe at this altitude.

Anyway, at the end of the week artists can submit up to 5 pieces painted within a 10 mile area.  Three pieces are plain air, 1 is a miniature (up to 4" x 6") and 1 is an interior.  The scenery is spectacular, the mines are historic and the town is charming.

This is my first piece.  I started with sketching in the buildings, then quickly putting in the shadows.

I have 2 plein air easels and set ups.  My old Julienne which I use on car trips (how great is it to paint right next to my car!!)  and an 8" x 10" Open Box M which I use if I'm hiking in to a location and when we travel by plane.

My next step was to quickly put in the shadows in the trees in the background, the sun is always changing outdoors.  Then I put the lights in the first house.

Next I put the lights in the 2nd house and painted part of the shadow sides of the houses.

Then, I worked on the grasses in the front of the houses.  Lastly I painted the trees in the back ground.  I'll post the final painting later int he week.

The following pictures are taken around Victor:

Standing On The Shoulders Of Cowboys

My paintings: Git Along Little Doggies, Lonesome Cattle Call and Standing Bull are in the show "Standing On The Shoulders Of Cowboys" at Cottonwood Center For The Arts 427 East Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs.  The show hangs until September 13, 2013.  Stop by if you're in the Springs!

By The Window

By The Window
20" x 20" Oil  on stretched canvas-ready to hang
$595.00 + $20. s/h

I painted this still life last spring and have loved having it here in my studio.  But, thought it's time to post.  I find that yellow flowers have both warm and cool yellows.  My inclination is to gray the warms for the darker areas, which I do, but in these daffodils many of the darks were cool.  So, I painted what I saw.  I should set up a fall bouquet in the same spot.

Cool Water

Cool Water
Oil  12" x 16"
$295.00 + $10.s/h

I really like the movement and constant light and color change that you have in a river, creek, or any body of water.  I don't get the chance to paint a lot of "big" bodies of water, as our rivers in Colorado are pretty small.  But, even small bits of water have fun, challenging changes.  I think that the title could refer to the actual temperature of this mountain creek or the temperature of the color of the water.

And, I'm happy to say that this piece was one of Daily Paintworks "Picks of the Day"!  Thank you Daily Paintworks!

Light At The End

Light At The End
Oil 11" x 14"
$195.00 + $10. s/h

I loved the drama in the sky and the light at the end of the road.  We have a lot of big, bold skies in the west.  I was drawn to the way the bold blue of the sky peeked through the clouds.

Back Yard Tea Rose

Backyard Tea Rose

Oil 6" x 8"  

SOLD

The tea roses, (I'm not sure that that's their "real" name, but it works for me) in our back yard are no longer blooming;  we had beautiful blossoms during June.  This painting recently sold, but I have many other florals available on my blog!