Snippets of life since moving to Florida... June 29 - Hello Florida! We arrived safe and sound in Naples late this afternoon! As I write this, I am feeling exhausted but happy. It was a long journey (4 days), taking us through areas of the eastern seaboard neither of us had ever seen. Much of the landscape was quite beautiful. The Shenandoah Valley was really lovely. Food (made by many of you), good music, and good conversation was the standard for each day. The clouds … [Read more...] about Welcome to Florida: Acclimating
painting
Painting Kripalu’s Labyrinth
Painting outdoors is often called "painting plein air." I didn't realize until recently that there are strong disagreements about what exactly constitutes "plein air" painting. One art group insists that "true plein air painting is always completed from beginning to end on site with the subject matter before the artist." Other groups allow some flexibility, with standards ranging anywhere from 90% to 45% of the painting being completed on site in one sitting. There's a great article about this … [Read more...] about Painting Kripalu’s Labyrinth
Bike ‘n Paint
I love bicycle riding and I love painting, so I often combine them into an experience I call "Bike 'n Paint". While bike riding, I scope out beautiful and interesting locations that make me think, "Wow, I'd like to paint this sometime!" I keep a running list in my head of places and things I want to paint. When the urge strikes, I'll bike to the area with my pastels and sit for a short time blocking out the scene. I then finish the painting back home in my garden. The supplies I take are … [Read more...] about Bike ‘n Paint
Treasure Chest of Art
The Belmont Gallery of Art is a beautiful gallery in one of the town buildings in Belmont Center. Curated lovingly and meticulously for years by Nan Rogers, it has attracted a steady number of local and not-so-local artists. Yesterday, Nan began the preparations for the upcoming Small Works Holiday Show & Sale: she figured out where each piece would go and started to hang the art. This morning, another artist, Kimberly Becker, and I joined forces and together we completed the job. It was … [Read more...] about Treasure Chest of Art
Omega Weekend Paintings Finished!
In August, I spent a weekend painting and relaxing at Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck, NY. I started 3 paintings that weekend, and now I'll share with you the process of finishing those paintings when I returned home. Sometimes, I'm able to start and finish a painting in 1 sitting, but it's not a common practice for me. Whether it's because I paint "slowly" (whatever that means!) or because I need to take a break, 2 to 3 hours is my "standard" block of time for a painting session. When I travel, … [Read more...] about Omega Weekend Paintings Finished!
Painting Weekend at Omega
This past weekend was the first time all summer that I've been able to paint for an entire day. I treated myself to some R&R at Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck, NY. It took 4 hours to drive there from Boston; not bad, considering the traffic backup we encountered around Springfield. After arriving in the early afternoon, I was able to scope out possible painting spots so that I could start bright and early the next morning. Morning at the Lake The last time I came here (in 2006), I spent an … [Read more...] about Painting Weekend at Omega
10 Tips for Pastel Painting En Plein Air
1. Choose your surface There are many wonderful surfaces to choose from for pastels. Some of my favorites are: Canson Mi-Teintes paper, Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper, Art Spectrum Colourfix Coated Pastel Paper, Ampersand Pastelboard, and Fabriano or Acquerello watercolor paper,. The key is to use an acid-free surface with some tooth to hold the pastel. 2. Prepare your surface Tone and Texture — Most often, I use Canson (rich array of tones) and Wallis (neutral tones with excellent toothed … [Read more...] about 10 Tips for Pastel Painting En Plein Air
Upcoming Solo Exhibit: "Gifts of Nature"
Where: Massachusetts Audubon Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary 10 Juniper Road Belmont, MA 02478 617-489-5050 (Call ahead; gallery may be closed for weekend functions) habitat@massaudubon.org http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Habitat/index.php … [Read more...] about Upcoming Solo Exhibit: "Gifts of Nature"