Bean Field

Plein air painting in this weather is wonderful. 

6 x 8 oil on canvas panel To bid at auction 

Girl Scout Trail

This is the trail at the local girl scout camp. I really enjoyed walking through the many trails there.

12 x 9 oil on panel

Bicycle Trail

I have a request from a collector for a fall scene. This was based on a photograph taken last year. I added more color to the trees since last year like this was dry. I hope the colors will be much better this year.

This started as a watercolor painting but ended up on my reject pile. I then applied Golden ground for pastel over it. This has a tooth and if applied right will not leave brush strokes, but I was in a hurry and you will see brush strokes in this one. The pastel can be smoothed into the brush strokes but I like the look of pastel strokes. The background distant has the smooth look to help give the feeling of depth. 

10.5 x 11

Rodeo Park plein air no3

I went out painting this morning without my Liquin. My oil paint was also two days old. After getting frustrated with my brush I grabbed my pallette knife and started painting. I have played with pallette knife painting before but that was a painting I started with Liquin.

6 x 12 Oil on panel

Fallen Tree at Camp

SOLD

I found this fallen tree while hiking in the local girl scout camp.  It was off the beaten path so I suspect it will stay there to naturally decay.

5 x 12 pastel on gessoed watercolor paper.

Fall Along the Path

I had a commission for a fall scene. I plan to do several to give the client a choice. The client wanted pastel and I feel I little rusty in this so making several will get me up to speed. This one is a little more colorful than I usually do but I just got back from the paint out and was inspired by some of the other artists. 

18 x 24 pastel on panel

Lone Tree

This is a subject I come back to often. I love the gnarly trunk and branches of this tree. It is in Rodeo park and sets out in the open. I have always called it Lone tree because that is what I remember it called in my youth. When I mention that name nobody seems to know what tree I am talking about. Maybe Lone Tree is the unofficial name for it.

6 x 6 oil on gessoboard

Skunk River Access

This was a great spot for painting but I was not up to it. I wiped this clean. This is the skunk river and the drought has left it with a lot of exposed river banks. I did not capture the expanse of the river and the distance acurately. Along the river the conservation board has recreation areas with access to the river for boating. I carried my french easel down the ramp and set up in the rocks. On this trip I took the dogs, they don't wander off too far and as long as there aren't any people around they wouldn't bother anyone.

8 x 6 oil on Raymar panel.

Rodeo Park South Trail

I went plein air painting this morning and I think I am going to keep this one. I feel better about my greens.

12 x 9 oil on masonite panel

Fallen Tree Wilson Lake

This tree has been here for over a year. I am glad they did not haul it away. This time I did not take the dog and I think she suspected I was going to the timber. If I put on my fanny pack and grab my easel she knows.

6 x 6 oil on panel.

Shimek Forest 2

When I plein air paint I have to change me view of colors. Since it is brighter outside I end up with muted colors.

I did take my dashound with me and he ran off. I called for about 10 minutes and he showed up coming out of the tall weeds.

11 x 14 oil on panel

Lake Martin in Shimek Forest 2

My second try at this landscape. I brushed off the first image, applied a coat of Golden Acrylic ground for pastel and started over. I added the Queen Anne's lace in the front. There was scum on the pond but I could not get it to look like that so this is it.

Lake Martin in Shimek Forest

My husband made several frames for a client to choose from. He chose one and we were left with the other two. That is why I made this pastel painting to fit the frame.

16 x 24

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace is a wild flower that grows in meadows. This was growing on the forest edge. 

6 x 6 Oil on gessoed panel.

Shimek Forest

Yesterday was another good day for plein air painting. I went to Shimek Forest again and set near this horse trail. While I was set up a group went through, I should have taken a photo and added them to another painting.

6x8 Oil on Canvas panel.

Shimek Forest

Yesterday was a great day for plein air painting. I went to Shimek Forest and found this scene. The problem with this time of year is a lot of trees are still bare. I have green grass and bare branches in this scene. There were dead leaves on the ground maybe I should have accented them more.

6x6 Oil on Raymar panel.

Tall Cedar

Cedars at Rodeo Park

The spring weather has come and the parks are full of people again, not just the hardy ones. I took the dogs for a walk, I usually walk off the beaten path as I have a Staffordshire terrier (pit bull) which people tend to be afraid of, (she's a big sissy) left to me when the kid left home. I also have a dachound who was passed around till we ended up with her. She was originally given to my niece by an older woman in a discount store parking lot. We theorized that her grandchildren gave it to her to keep her company. She didn't like it because as she told my niece "It chased her cats". Cat people. She probably told the grandchildren that it ran away. My niece was too busy to keep on top of her housebreaking, so she talked my son into taking it. We went to visit my son to give him his dog back. He gave the dachound to us after chasing it down from under the car. We taught her, now "Lucy" to come when called and housebroke her, which took a while. I never bought a dog as we always end up with dogs that need homes, which is not a bad thing as we end up attached to them.

6x8 Oil on Raymar panel.

Snow through the Cedars

I haven't been posting lately because my computer was doing weird things which made it frustating to do anything on it.. I finally convinced my husband to look into it. It turns out my wireless mouse was not communicating with the computer correctly. New mouse, easy fix. Just one of those duh moments after trying almost everything else.

Round Bales in a Square Field

When I was growing up all the bales were square. They made great building blocks and we used to take those bales and build tunnels with them. It was probably not safe but we did a lot of things back then that wasn't safe. I wonder what the kids are doing with these bales?