Plein Air Hudson

I spent the weekend in mid-August in beautiful Hudson, Wisconsin, as part of Plein Air Hudson, 2016, through the Seasons on St. Croix Gallery. Such a fun event! There were twenty-one artists that participated, and we painted around town and the surrounding area for three days. It was my first time visiting Hudson, and I enjoyed walking and driving around and getting to know the area. Here are some of the paintings I did:

 The first day, Friday, started out cloudy. I was drawn to a spot just behind the gallery, the view through an alley with a mass of power lines overhead, and a colorful collection of buildings.

Color on a Cloudy Day, 9 x 12 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

The sun shone a few times during that first painting - and it was hot! But it always clouded up again, and began to rain off and on later while I did this painting of a collection of old sheds and a great old tree, with a mass of weeds and wildflowers in the foreground. I was cold and wet when I finished, but the sky was just beginning to clear and show some color as the sun set.

River Road Relic, 9 x 12 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

Saturday morning was busy in downtown Hudson, and I discovered that parking spaces were a rare find! I did a little more exploring before finding a spot pretty far from the river. I walked down and found a place in the shade to paint. This used to be a toll road across the St. Croix River, but now is part of Lakefront Park, a good place to walk and watch the boats, do some fishing, enjoy the sunshine. I finished just in time to refuel with a burger and fries and some good company, catching up with a group of some of the other artists.

Willow by the Bridge, 9 x 12 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

I went exploring in the afternoon, looking for some countryside, and a good place to watch the clouds. I...don't even know where this is. I went up and down so many roads, and I got pretty mixed up. But I liked this spot, wherever it was, with its line of trees between fields and the cloud shadows moving over the landscape.

Partly-Cloudy, 11 x 14 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

It took some time, but I did find my way back to Hudson, where I was happy to get to hang out for a bit with another group of artists, and eat some delicious bruschetta at Bricks - so good!

Then we all dashed out to catch the sunset. I didn't go too far, finding a spot on the dike where I could see the moon rising, and painting furiously to catch that beautiful sky before it got dark. I made good progress too, but had to finish some of the details with some help from my phone flashlight. :)

Last Light over Hudson, 12 x 9 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

The river was a busy place Sunday, with a lot of people out enjoying the sunshine and water. The sounds of it were all around me as I painted this one, watching the reflections dance, in a cool, shady spot near a swimming beach.

Wading in the River, 9 x 12 inch, plein air, oil on linen/hardboard.

I did some painting in the evening too, and then it was time to do some framing, and get some much-needed sleep. Monday was the day for hanging the show, and we each prepared and brought in three paintings. Then the gallery folks did their magic. 

Meanwhile, I did some more painting, and then explored downtown with some loved-ones, who traveled to see me and attend the opening. We did a little shopping, hunted out a bunch of Little Free Libraries (Hudson is where they began), and ate more bruschetta.

The opening reception was in the evening, and it was lovely. So fun to see where everyone painted, and the beautiful art created, hear some stories, and chat with some people met during the week. I was so happy to also receive an Honorable Mention for my painting "Color on a Cloudy Day"!

My three in the show!

The show will be up till August 28, 2016 - check it out!

 Explore Hudson! Find a Little Free Libary! Eat bruschetta!