Last Tuesday, not yesterday but Tuesday of last week, we painted at the House of Refuge on Hutchinson Island, a narrow strip of land called Gilbert’s Bar. It was a nice breezy day and I decided to paint the beach instead of the buildings. The limestone rocks alone are an interesting subject. Even though I had time for a second small painting I still painted the rocks and ocean instead of the buildings. So here are mama and baby paintings from last Tuesday.
House of Refuge Beach – 11×14 oil on panelMini House of Refuge Beach – 5×7 – oil on panel
Met some friendly beach walkers and one dog that was mostly interested in digging to China.
Recently I was asked to do a demonstration of my method of painting with watercolor and pastels at a local art club. It was a fun morning and well received. Here is the painting I did for them that I started with a watercolor underpainting.
On Tuesdays I’ve been plein air painting with a local group. We go to nearby parks and paint for about 2.5 hours. It’s great practice and fun to get out and paint.
Back in November I went to a paintout at the Pearce Homestead in Ft. Basinger, FL. The property sits on the western side of the Kissimmee River. It was a beautiful day and there was a pretty good turn out as far as I could tell.
These two paintings we done from the dock of the boat house.
Kissimmee River – 12×16 oil on panelKissimmee River Bank – 6×8 oil on panel
Here’s what we did on vacation. Mokie was worried at first but quickly acclimated, especially at the hotels. She even thought the elevator was fun in one hotel we stayed at. But she loved the cabin.
First of all, we had never been to Lake Lure, NC before and it is a really pretty place to go. We rented a cabin on the lake and even enjoyed the rainy days.
Lake Lure – 9×12 – watercolor on Fabriano cold pressed paper
Above is a watercolor that I painted after we got home, but one of the following sketchbook pages is of the same scene that was done on location (as all the sketchbook paintings are).
sketchbook-lake-lure-nc-1 – Pine Gables view from Canoe Rack – watercolor and ink
It was really thrilling to see this mountain the first thing in the morning. It’s a good thing I painted it then because the rest of the week it played hide and seek with me. One day it completely disappeared!
sketchbook-lake-lure-nc-2 – Pine Gables – The Fishing Pond – watercolor and ink
This little fishing pond was next to our cabin.
sketchbook-lake-lure-nc-3 – Pine Gables – The Duck Pond – watercolor and ink
The Duck Pond was sort of behind the Fishing Pond. The Duck Cabin is built right over the water. Most of the time that we were there, no one was in residence.
sketchbook-lake-lure-nc-4 – Pine Gables – view facing SE near canoe rack – watercolor and rain
This is the same scene as the first picture posted. It was drizzly so the rain made some nice marks on the painting.
sketchbook-lake-lure-nc-5 – Mokie on the couch – rainy day – pencil
Mokie was tired from all the painting and it was a rain day.
sketchbook-lake-lure-nc-6 – Inside the Fishing Cabin on a rain day – watercolor and pencil
It continued to rain, so here is the kitchen end of the cabin.
sketchbook-lake-lure-nc-7 – Pine Gables – View from the Meadow – watercolor and ink
There was a large meadow on the property and this mountain was usually visible. Across the roadway there was an area with pear trees and sometimes there were deer to bark at.
That’s all I was able to do there, but I did take lots of pictures and will be posting more from the trip – especially the Flowering Bridge.
Miltonia – 5×7 – Daniel Smith watercolors on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico hot pressed extra white
Already bending the rules a little, this is a watercolor sketch done near the end of June – but posted in July!
One of the main goals of watercolor month is to raise awareness of the need for art education and supplies for students through the Dreaming Zebra Foundation. I’ve put this link in my sidebar so you can check that out too.
“A Trip Down the Loxahatchee” by Jim Snyder will debut on Nov. 21 when the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum holds the “Lighthouse River Rendezvous.” The annual fund raiser will unfold along the river, at the foot of the museum, on Saturday evening starting at 6:00 pm. http://www.jupiterlighthouse.org/jupiter-events-november.php
This coffee table book is made up of paintings and photographs by local artist of the Loxahatchee River and will be for sale in local gift shops. Some time ago Jim asked me if he could include this painting in the book and of course I said yes. It’s a small pastel painting that I did on location.
Today on my bike ride I stopped by the gazebo at the front gate and painted a small (5×7) watercolor of the marsh there.
Gate Marsh – 5×7 – watercolor plein air
I used Fabriano hot pressed 140 lb. paper and not very many colors. Manganese blue, Quinacridone gold, Quinicradone sienna and green gold – all Daniel Smith.
Using All The Crayons 