Plein air

I've been to the downtown park blocks several times recently to paint, once at the lively Wednesday Farmers Market, and returned on Saturday, a cooler day, for another view of the Shemanski Fountain, with the classic beauty of Rebecca at the Well.  Both days were full of color, light, people, trees, architecture and sky.  I enjoyed comments from passersby, like the seven year old boy in an Obama tee shirt who told me that he wanted to be a famous artist when he grows up (me, too)!  Not all artists appreciate being distracted from their art work.  On Saturday, my friend Vicki approached an unknown artist and was told " I'm here to paint and that's it, so please leave me alone!"  If you see me outside painting, anywhere, feel free to say hello!


Both paintings are 11" x 14" on canvas board.


The California Impressionist exhibit at Portland Art Museum is well worth a trip downtown.

Flowers

Two recent floral paintings, one at R. Blooms in Lake Oswego last Saturday, the other a bouquet of lilies and gladiolas and irises from the Montavilla Farmers Market.  It was fun to paint plein air on a sunny day on the sidewalk during the Lake Oswego Farmers Market!

Candlelight Studio

One of my favorite places for painting figures is at Janet Amundson-Splidsboel's Candlelight Studio.  Our model was Kai, dressed in exotic belly dancer garb.  My first acrylic painting was on watercolor paper, then I did a portrait on 11" x 14" canvas board. 

Plein air

This is the season for plein air paint outs and I've been busy out there in on good days this week.  Monday I went to the Columbia Gorge and revisited the Women's Forum with the view of Crown Point, then found a wonderful spot to paint near the Vista House parking area.  It was not windy and there were just enough curious and friendly tourists to be interesting but not distracting.  I painted one of the Gorge view on a 6" x 12" panel, then a quick sketch of the Vista House, but it looked like a muffin so I ate it!  Not really, it got painted over back at my studio.  

During the week I painted flowers from a Farmers Market bouquet and today I painted flowers at R. Blooms in Lake Oswego.  More flower paintings will follow! 

Plein Air

Down the trail and across the bridge over Johnson Creek, there is an old stone cabin built by John and Lilla Leach in the 1930's.  A delightful shady place to paint and enjoy the quiet sounds of the creek!  While I painted, deer ambled by.  To learn more about Leach Garden in SE Portland, see www.leachgarden.org

Creek

I've been to several locations on the Johnson Creek watershed lately, painting, sketching, taking photos, observing birds, dogs and people at play, enjoying the beauty in the heart of Portland.  At Leach Botanical Garden, the trail winds gently down and across a bridge.  This painting is from a photo taken close to the creek.  It's cool on a hot summer day!

Red, white, blue

OK, not much white and some other colors!  Crown Point seen from the Women's Forum is cool and blue.  I've painted this favorite view before and will again.  This one is from a photo reference.


Now that it is really summer, my car's air conditioning needed to be repaired.  While waiting in the waiting room, John found a box of art supplies (probably for kids, but I'm a kid at heart!) so I drew his portrait.  I liked the markers with patterned points like flowers, kisses, question marks.  He's wearing his USA tee shirt.


Stay cool!

Paint out

Another paint out at Sauvie Island, another visit to the pond near the "hunting lodge", another day in paradise!  The Pond is 11" x 14", the Sauvie Island View is 6" x 12".