Skies

Smallest Fattest sleeping in the shadow of my easel.

Smallest Fattest Niece (and her mother) accompanied me painting today. Smallest Fattest slept while I set up my easel and got started, and awoke delighted to find herself in a hay field and got right to work. After all, Auntie Hannah's painting gear wasn't going to strew itself about the field, now was it? Someone had to take it in hand!

Pretty much finished... 9 x 12" oil on linen

 My eyes are always drawn to beautiful skies, dramatic clouds and fleeting light effects. Painting them seems to be a practice in frustration, but I keep trying.

In any case, it was a great day to be out. :)

Valley Farm

Sometimes, on my way home, I drive up this road just because I like the views. This is one place that has always caught my eye, and it was fun having the chance to poke around a bit and see the place from different angles. There is a collection of old outbuildings, a beautiful little barn, and this lovely old worn farm house.

Old Valley Farm, 9 x 12" oil on linen

 I'd forgotten to put some of my paints back into my plein air gear, which made this a bit more challenging. I was missing my main yellow, and had to squeeze paint from some almost empty tubes to get at the yellow I had, and the blue and white I needed. Oops!

Driftless Art Festival and Between the Bluffs

My booth stuffed full of paintings. :)

I spent September 20th and 21st in beautiful Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, at the Driftless Area Art Festival. There are so many talented and skilled artists and artisans in this region, and I was delighted to be included in this event for the first time this year. Thanks to the organizers, who do such a wonderful job, and to everyone who stopped by my booth! It was a great and exhausting weekend.

  I was also really excited and honored to receive the People's Choice Award! Thank you, everyone!

Overlook, above La Crescent, Minnesota. 9 x 12" oil on mounted linen.

The following week I was able to get some time to paint as part of the Between the Bluffs plein air event in La Crosse, Wisconsin. All painting was to be done within ten miles of the downtown area, and I did some painting on the Minnesota side of the river.

Another painting done above La Crescent, Minnesota. The sky was filled with low clouds, and as I painted I watched the weather move in. A good day to have an umbrella, even if the mosquitoes did congregate underneath it. It rained, cleared, and rained again, as I painted autumn grasses and wildflowers, and a couple of trees.

September Showers, 9 x 12" oil on mounted linen. This painting received a merit award at the opening of the show on Saturday!

Thursday, September 25th was the quick paint. I walked around downtown for awhile, but ended up down in Riverside Park, along with several other artists. I did this little view below the Cass Street bridge.

It was a beautiful morning to paint, AND I received the quick paint award! :-D

No Wake Zone, 12 x 9" oil on mounted linen.

So it's been a pretty exciting few weeks for me! :) I'm so grateful.