Gallery Work Wednesday

 

"Traditional Reds" oil  12"x12" has been juried into The Rice Gallery of Fine Art, 

Overland Park, Kansas, STEMS Plein Air Paint show.  The exhibit hangs through July.  

I love it when I can plein air paint right out my door!

Paint The Town Day 3 Painting 2

By Friday afternoon the wind was bad!  We looked for a location with a wind block and settled on the wall of an antique store.  I chose this old baby carriage.  During the afternoon, as the sun kept getting lower behind the building, I moved the carriage further and further away so I would still have the strong shadow to paint.

As the wind kept up, my palette had leaves in it, the sun disappeared, and I was gritty and dusty.  However, I loved the painting.  I thought of the many babies that had been pushed in this buggy;  how their mothers had held and loved them just as I had pushed, held and loved my babies.

I think that love shows in a painting (even one with dirt and dust in it.)  Yeah!  I won Best of Show!

Paint The Town - Day 3

Day 3 of the Paint The Town Plein Air Event in Florence, CO had a rule:  paint within 6 blocks of the center of town.  Day 3 for me was Friday of last week, the 5th day of the event.  Even early, the day was overcast and windy.  I drove around the designated area for about 45 minutes looking for something that jumped out and called "paint me, paint me!"  Finally, my friend Dottie Lirette and I parked by the old Depot and decided we would paint something right there.  Sometimes, that's easier.

I had painted a series of alley doors in a plein air event in Walsenburg, CO in May, so knew that I could make this door work.  I set up across a small, dried out creek and painted away.  After just a short time I had to create a wind block.  I turned my car around, opened the back hood, and used that as a wind break.  Even still, I often had to hold on to my easel.  It was really windy!

I moved some of the architectural features around to include them in the painting.  Artistic license is great.  When setting up a still life, you move the objects around until you create what you want.  The same can be done in a plein air piece.  You take what's in front of you and make it work compositonally.

Paint The Town - Day 2 Painting 2

On day 2 afternoon of the Paint The Town Plein Air Event in Florence, CO I painted the hay bales that I'd found on day 1 but couldn't paint due to the wind.  I hoped that the bales hadn't yet been loaded and hauled away.  I was in luck!  And hoped that the wind wouldn't pick up again!  More luck!

The ground was too dry and hard to push my shade umbrella in so I tied it around a conveniently located sign post.  One has to make due!

I left the sky until last and then decided to leave it yellow (the color I had toned the canvas.)  I like that it's just a bit unexpected and how it pulls out the colors of the golden fields.

Window At The Glen

Window At The Glen
plein air oil
9" x 12"
click here for PayPal
$395.00 + $10. s/h

Glen Eyrie is the former home of William Palmer, one of the founders of Colorado Springs. Like many big, old, beautiful homes around the country, it is now no longer a home.  In this case it is a retreat center.  My plein air group paints there almost every year.  This building was a carriage house, now it's a book store and location of a group meeting room.

I was drawn to the strong shadows and fun reflection in the window.  As well as the fact that there was shade to stand in while I painted!  Always a plus!

View From Above

The 3rd day of the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration is a "free" day, ie:  you can paint any where in Park County.  I wanted to paint the South Platte River from an over look.  But, I had to peak through the trees.  This kept me moving back and forth in front of my easel.  The painting sold during the opening Friday evening.

River's Bend

River's Bend
plein air oil  12" x 9"
click here for PayPal
$395.00 + $10. s/h

Day 2 of the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration was another great day!  We painted at DM Ranch.  Here is information from their site:

"The DM Ranch contains three miles of the South Fork of the South  Platte River and associated riparian corridor, a globally rare plant  community, and large meadows that support livestock and hay crops. A  historic survey revealed that 17 structures on the property qualify for  listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The ranch is now  available for public fly-fishing, by reservation only, at South Park Fly Fishers (DM Ranch). 

Conservation easements held by Colorado Open Lands encompass 612  acres of open space comprised of montane grasslands, willow shrubs, and  mixed forest that support a rich diversity of wildlife, including big  game and migratory water birds.

Funding for the conservation easement was provided by Great Outdoors  Colorado, NAWCA, the Colorado Wetlands Initiative Program, and the Park  County Land and Water Trust Fund."

My first painting was along the South Platte River.  I loved the bends and curves of the blue against the willows.
(I might have to re-photo this one..the colors are just a bit too light.)

Old Bristlecone Pine

Old Bristlecone Pine
plein air oil  14" x 11"
click here for PayPal
$395.00 + $10. s/h

Earlier this month I participated in the annual South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration in Fairplay, CO. I love this celebration and go every year.  It's a 4 day event where artists paint at ranches and different locations that the committee arranges throughout Park County. Or, you can paint anywhere nearby.  We have mountain property in South Park.  So, for me, I love seeing local ranches and close by locations that I don't know about.

The first day of the event we painting at Bristlecone View Ranch.  We painted there several years ago, so I knew that I wanted to paint one of the old bristlecone pines.

There are three closely related species of bristlecone pines one of which is the:

• "Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. The most populous species; capable of forming closed canopies and, unlike the other two, is commonly cultivated."  (according to wikipedia)

All three species are long-lived and highly resilient to harsh weather and bad soils, (which definitely describes South Park!)   The oldest bristlecone is more than 5,000 years old making it the oldest known individual of any species.

(more from wikipedia:)  "Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves just below the tree line, between 5,600 and 11,200 ft (Fairplay elevation is 9,000 feet) elevation on dolomitic soils.^[4] The trees grow in soils that are shallow lithosols, usually derived from dolomite and sometimes limestone, and occasionally sandstone or quartzite soils. Dolomitic soils are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium, and low in phosphorus. Those factors tend to exclude other plant species, allowing bristlecones to thrive.^[8] Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons,(again, great description of Fairplay)  the trees grow very slowly. Even the tree's needles, which grow in bunches of five, can remain on the tree for forty years, which gives the tree's terminal branches the unique appearance of a long bottle brush."

Summer Hollyhocks

Summer Hollyhocks
plein air oil  10" x 8"
click here for PayPal
$295.00 + $10. s/h

It's wonderful to be outside in the summer.  I love the warmth, the light, the smells.  We have lots of flowers in our backyard so the smells are fragrant.  One of our flowers is the hollyhock.  We have both white and pink.  I think many people love hollyhocks because we are reminded of our youth, our parents and grandparents gardens. For the gardener hollyhocks add a lot to a garden as they can grow up to 9 feet.  This adds a great vertical element to a yard.

However, hollyhocks are a short lived perennial.  They only live 2 or 3 seasons.  But, because they reseed themselves usually you will have hollyhocks every year.  The south side of our yard didn't get many hollyhocks this year.  I'm not sure why they didn't reseed.  Next spring,  just after our last frost I'll throw out some seeds from this years plants, and maybe add some fresh top soil.

Summer Geraniums

Summer Geraniums
plein air oil
24" x 20"
click here for PayPal
$895.00 + $20. s/h

I have to admit that these geraniums are from Costco. The last few years they really have had wonderful geraniums.  We have several pots of them on the corner of our deck.  Our deck is a great place to paint all afternoon as it's covered.  I don't need to worry about the sun, the wind, ants, and all of the other fun plein air situations!

Playa Bouganvillea

Playa Bouganvillea
plein air oil. 6” x 8”
$100.00 + $10. S/h
click here for PayPal

I love the way old Bouganvillea creep and crawl across walls.  Our hotel in Playa del Carmen is filled with bouganvillea of many colors.  These are right near the door to our room.  Certainly made it easy to paint!

Playa Palm

Playa Palm
Plein air oil. 8” x 6”
$100.00 + $10. S/h
click here for PayPal


Playa del Carmen, Mexico is a booming, loud, colorful, vibrant Mexican town.  During all but the hot summer months it is filled with tourists from around the world seeking warmth, beautiful water, and fun.  For my husband and me fun entails warm weather, lots of walking, painting and yoga for me, tennis for him.  All of that is here!

I’ll be posting a few paintings from Mexico and more when when we return to Colorado at the end of January.  I admit, posting on small devices is challenging!

We are lucky to have the opportunity to travel.  We are lucky to have a wonderful house sitter.  

Looks Like France To Me!

Looks Like France!
plein air oil  10" x 8"
SOLD
$295.00 + shipping

This door is not in France!  It's here in Colorado.  But, blue and yellow makes me think of France.  You often see blue and yellow table cloths and dishes from France.

I drove around Florence, CO looking for a door to paint.  I drove by this house several times and kept looking at it.  I think that the woman sitting out front must have thought I was nuts.  Finally, I pulled up and asked her if I could paint her door.  She looked at me like I was nuts.  But, paint away I did.  Her 3 kids kept running in and out to see what I was painting.  Every time the door mat kept moving! All part of the charm.

What's Inside?

What's Inside?

Plein air Oil  11" x 14"

click here for PayPal

$395.00 + shipping

I love old western barns.  I wonder about their age, the animals, tools, old "things" that might be inside of them.  They seem to tell a story of the present and the past.  I wonder how long they've been standing and how much longer they'll stand.  

This barn was on a road outside of Florence, CO.  I posted the plein air start of the piece earlier this fall.  I parked nearby to set up to paint.  There were horses in the corral.  The ranch seemed friendly, and no one might not have cared if I walked up and peeked inside.  But, I didn't.  Would you have?

Paint The Town Plein Air Event, Florence, CO

I recently participated in the "Paint The Town" Plein Air Event in Florence, CO.  Florence is 

about 35 miles south of us.  It is most known for its' antique stores in the downtown area 

and for having several prisons (including max-security!)

Here are pictures of the locations for my first 3 paintings. 

The week started out with cold and snow and finished with warm, 65 degree days!

   

I've painted lots of old barns.  I love their character, age, and color varieties.  Every time

 I paint an old barn or aging structure, I wonder about all of the stories that are hidden 

within the walls.

  I also wonder how long these relics will be standing.

With the ease of immediate posting on Instagram, I find myself posting less on my blog.  

I'm going to "try" to remedy that!

Roux & Cyr International Fine Art Gallery, Portland, Maine

Restored To Perfection

Oil  9" x 12" 

Old Windmill

Oil  12" x 9"

Tomorrow night, Friday October 5th, is the opening of "Changes" at Roux & Cyr International Gallery in Portland, Maine.  I'm thrilled that these two paintings were juried into the show. If you live in the Portland area, I hope that you can stop by the gallery during October to see the exhibition.

I "met" Susan Roux, owner of the gallery many years ago online.  We've actually never met in person but have known each other for about 10 years.  She reached out to me last year to submit to a show.  I love how the internet has made gallery & show submissions, making friends & meeting people, selling art and so much more (think about social media!!) possible today!

Back Alley

Back Alley

plein air oil  12" x 9"

SOLD

Back Alley was the last painting from the recent South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration.  It was my "quick draw".  In many plein air events, the last morning is a quick painting.  In this event the paintings had to be done along Front Street, the main street in Fairplay, CO.  Or, in my case the Front Street alley also counted.

In a quick draw you have a limited time to paint....we had 2 hours, from 10 - 12.  Then, the paintings are turned in framed and at 1:00 an auction begins.  I've painted in the event for 5 years, and have scouted out the many locations along Front Street every year.  Front Street is about 7 blocks long.  I thought that I wanted to paint an alley scene.  When I saw the sun light on the buildings and trash can I knew I'd found my spot!  

The picture below was taken at 11:00, or halfway through the quick draw.  It's a fun event.  It makes you look, simplify the shapes, concentrate and paint!  The profits from the quick draw benefit the South Park Food Bank.

Log Cabin Door

Log Cabin Door

plein air oil 10" x 8"

click here for PayPal 

I love painting doors.  I've painted doors in Mexico, Santa Fe, here in Colorado, Italy.  I love their character, their stories.  I wonder who walked through these doors.  What stories do they tell?  This door is at High Plains Ranch in Jefferson, CO.  This ranch was part of the recent South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration.  

Below is a picture of the whole cabin.  Most of the time while I was painting it was bright and sunny. The ranch was homesteaded in the 1870s by a family from Sweden.  I wonder about the trip from Sweden to the Colorado mountains.  What adventures that family must have told!

Pond Reflections

Pond Reflections

plein air oil  12" x 9"

SOLD

Earlier this month I participated in the annual South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration in Fairplay, CO. I love this Celebration and go every year.  It's a 4 day event where we can paint at the ranches and different locations the committee arranges.  Or, you can paint anywhere nearby.  We have mountain property in Park County.  So, for me I love seeing local ranches and close by locations that I don't know about.

One of this years locations was Warm Springs Ranch.  It's a former huge, working ranch, which now has several areas of houses and miles of open space.  It was beautiful!  This was one of the many ponds on the ranch.

Aspen Grove

Aspen Grove
plein air oil  12" x 9"
click here for PayPal

Fall is upon us.  I think it's such a beautiful season.  September is a gorgeous month no matter where you are.  I'm not sure that it's possible to be a plein air painter in Colorado and not get out and paint the autumn aspen.  This is a recent painting done in the mountains a bit west of Colorado Springs.