Work From the 1st Brush of Spring Paint Out

I spent 4 days, 3 of them painting, in New Harmony, IN for the 1st Brush of Spring Paint Out competition.
This was my first time there and also the largest event I have entered to date.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself, staying completely immersed in painting from sunrise to sunset and meeting other artists and admiring their work. This won't be my last time there, for sure.

Here are the works I did in chronological order from the first to last. I don't have the painting I did for the Quick Draw, as it was purchased before I got a decent photo of it.

"Sycamore and Roofless Church"
7"x5" oil on panel
plein air

"Green Cabin"
5"x7" oil on panel
plein air

"Wall of Shadows"
8"x10" oil on panel
plein air

"Sunrise Fields"
12"x16" oil on panel
plein air

"Flood Along The Road"
10"x8" oil on panel
plein air

"Wabash Floodwaters"
8"x10" oil on panel
plein air

"Sunrise In New Harmony"
12"x16" oil on panel
plein air

"Red Wagons Red Barns"
8"x10" oil on panel
plein air

"A Hill of Cows"
8"x10" oil on panel
plein air

"Waterfall"
5"x7" oil on panel
plein air

"Pond Reflections"
5"x7" oil on panel
plein air

1st Brush of Spring Paint Out

I'm herein New Harmony, IN. for the 1st Brush of Spring Paint Out competition. The event is put on by The Hoosier Salon and the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association.

I will be updating this tomorrow. I'm plum worn out from a 900 mile drive from Florida yesterday and today's initial paintings, I did 3 small works that I'll post photos of after I get better pics of them tomorrow.

Stay tuned as I will post the days events up to the conclusion and awards on Saturday.

I also have the sketches that I did while in Florida that I need to post up here soon.

The Rain Kept Me In Today

I'll take this rain. Hoping winter is soon a distant memory.

Today I had a few projects around the house to do and I also made myself a wet panel carrier which I will post about soon. That left me a little time to squeeze in a studio painting that I worked from some of my Wyoming photos. This spot is just outside of Lander, WY. on a hillside from which I'd watch the sunrise.

"The Predawn Moon Over Wyoming"
           5"x7" oil on panel
                   studio
                    $95

   

An Afternoon Quick Study

I had to run over to Henderson, KY today to drop off a painting for an upcoming show, A Fresh Perspective.

While there I figured I might as well find a spot to paint and immediately thought of Audubon Park. I only had about an hour to work before I needed to get back home and meet my kids getting off the school bus.

I decided to work small and used one of my freshly made 5"x7" oil primed panels.

It was an overcast day with a few sprinkles here and there, which makes it nice for painting I think. I set up on a bank of the lake with some interesting trees and the reflections from the far side even though there is no green yet.

    "Overcast Reflections"
        5"x7" oil on panel
              plein air
                 $95

Frog Pond Plein Air

Went out this morning to the Rudy Mine Trails of Ben Hawes Park here in Owensboro. It was a picture perfect morning and I intended to find something perfect to make a picture.

I slung my pack onto my back and carried my french easel and took off down a trail to find that elusive vista to capture on canvas. After walking about 3/4 mile or so, I came to a large open field and was thinking about possibilities there, then, off in the distance and down a valley I could hear a chorus of frogs. My signal that spring is finally here and I went down to their pond...it turned out to be more of a marsh, but it works.

 

I found a spot in the shade of a stand of trees and honeysuckle that afforded me a view of the morning sun illuminating the marsh grass and cattails. A few sycamores in the middle distance served to balance the composition nicely.

 "Morning at the Frog Pond"
   9"x12" oil on linen panel
               plein air
                $245

Here are some shots from the scene.

First Plein Air of Spring

Finally had a chance to get outside and paint. These last few weeks of winter hanging on had me in a funk. So, the best way to get out of that funk was to seek some sunshine and search for a subject to paint.

It took me a while to find something, thanks to the intense bright light and very little to no color still surrounding us. I entered Yellow Creek Park here in Daviess Co, KY. and walked the hiking trail that meanders through the woods and along the muddy Yellow Creek.

There are several old, large trees in the park and some are either dead or barely hanging on to life. Today I picked this old oak tree to honor it's existence.

     "I'm Still Standing"
  9"x12" oil on linen panel
              plein air
                $245

Here are some shots from my cell photo of the spot I painted.

Rockport Rampage Cyclocross Watercolors

I have painted a few more watercolors from the Rockport Rampage cyclocross that is held in Rockport, IN.

What began as me just going over for the first one back in January to do some sketching on site has led to me making new friends, especially with the promoter of the race and we have agreed to use my watercolors (as a print from the original) to be used for the podium awards. Totally has me stoked!

So, these are some fresh works made from photo references taken during the last race in the snow and from the previous race.

           "Rampage #4"
         5"x7" watercolor
                 $75

          "Rampage #3"
        5"x7" watercolor
                $75

"Rampage #5"
5"x7" watercolor SOLD