Red Wing Plein Air 2018

Monday, June 11th:

The week started out cloudy. I headed for the woods.

 I had decided to visit Frontenac State Park this year, never having gone before, and I'm so glad I did! I ended up doing half my paintings there. I've only just begun to get acquainted with the place, and will have a lot more exploring to do in the future. Along the Upper Bluff Trail there were a couple of places with large fern beds on the steep hillsides facing the river. I set up my easel near one of these.

The Path through the Ferns, 10 x 8" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. June 11, 2018. sold

Just the right sort of place to spend a few hours quietly, taking in my surroundings, all the colors and sounds and fragrances of the woods, occasionally flicking away a spider or an ant or being scolded by a squirrel.

My easel and gear can get pretty heavy, and are always a bit cumbersome. I carry it all on my back and plod along like an overgrown turtle. This week I tried something new and brought a small folding scooter with me to use on paved trails. It got me around a lot faster, and wasn't much to wheel along with me in the places I couldn't ride. 

I'm still a turtle, but now slightly faster and slightly more ridiculous!

The day continued cloudy, but as the sun went down the clouds broke up a bit. I had my back to the sunset, looking out over Lake Pepin at the softer colors of the sky and the patterns on the water.

Dusk on the River, 8 x 6" plein air oil on linen/birch. June 11, 2018. sold

Tuesday, June 12th:

The clouds continue.

Had a good time painting with Jim Turner, who had found and got permission to paint at this little homestead on the previous day. I spent the humid morning wrestling with roof angles and flat light.

Jim's second painting was of me still working on my first!

"Hannah at Work", watercolor by Jim Turner.

Hill Avenue Farm, 14 x 11" plein air oil on linen/birch. June 12, 2018.

In the evening there was a cookout/potluck dinner for the artists and volunteers. I was late, but was glad I showed up. A beautiful location, and some good conversation.

The sky was clearing and the clouds were getting interesting, and on leaving I made a quick decision to head out towards the country and try to capture the clouds in paint. It was a mad dash to paint them before they changed too much and before the light faded! I didn't have quite enough time. I may work on this one again and see if I can fix a few things.

Cloud study, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch. June 12, 2018.

Wednesday, June 13th: Blue sky!

I headed back to Frontenac State Park, sat on a picnic table, and painted the early day.

Joy in the Morning, 8 x 16" plein air oil on linen/birch. June 13, 2018. sold

"...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

                                                   Psalm 30:5

In years past this plein air week was my time away - a break from caregiving, and a time to focus on painting. During the week I'd call home, checking in to see how my Grandma was doing, worrying, discussing her and her care. At the end of the week I'd return, exhausted. Often I'd be up with her in the night to follow - sometimes it was a battle of wills as I'd try to get her to drink more, or we'd sit together and talk or sing. I'd long for sleep, but give thanks that she was there. I miss her.

Still feeling my own loss keenly, I was perhaps extra emotional when it was announced Friday night that my painting "Joy in the Morning" had been selected for the Dan Guida Award. Dan was the longtime director of the Red Wing Arts Association and an enthusiastic force behind this plein air festival. His family created this award in his honor and memory, and I am deeply grateful.

Wednesday evening I returned to one of my favorite places: Rattlesnake Bluff Trail in Wacouta, Minnesota. Another study in greens. The trees cast shadows across the trail and grass and into the field, and the rocky face of the bluff caught the late afternoon sunshine.

Evening on the Trail, 8 x 16" plein air oil on linen/birch. June 13, 2018.

Thursday, June 14th: Back at the park, painting tree portraits.

My first painting of the day was again on the Upper Bluff Trail. A gnarled maple tree trunk, and the greens of leaves and underbrush.

Bluff Trail Maple, 12 x 9" plein air oil on linen/birch. June 14, 2018.

My last painting of the day was along the road near the park entrance. I love the shapes of these great trees, and the way they caught the late light before dusk.

Standing By, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch. June 14, 2018.

Friday, June 15th:

A hot, humid morning. Squeezing in one more painting, before framing and delivering three paintings to the gallery.

A beautiful little farm off the highway, with rich pastures, colorful cattle, and noisy guinea fowl. More greens. A little creek cutting through the pasture, and a silvery willow tree in the distance.

In Pastures Green, 10 x 8" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. June 15, 2018.

Friday evening was the special "First Glimpse" and Award Reception, a ticketed event. Judge Lisa Stauffer did a great job of speaking about the art, encouraging notice of and appreciation for technique and portrayal of atmosphere in the works. I was so happy to see Jim Turner receive Best in Show for his painting "Men at work"! Derek Davis got second place for "Back in the Saddle", and DK Palecek received third place for her painting "Late Sun". Dan Wiemer's painting "Majestic Maiden Rock" received the "Best Sense of Place" award.

Saturday, June 16th.

I awoke to the sound of thunder and rain. It had lessened somewhat by 9am, when the quick-paint competition started, but an occasional streak of lightning still flashed across the river and every so often I had to put up my umbrella as the rain blew in under the roof of the depot, where a few of us had taken shelter to paint. I did like how the rain changed the view and softened the distant trees. 

Crossing, 8 x 10" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. June 16, 2018. sold

At 11am the horn sounded and it was brushes down! Time to blow off the rain drops that still clung to the painting, and get it framed and into the gallery. Artist Greg Lecker took the award for the quick paint.

My four paintings in the show!

Now I will admit something here: early in the week, I hurt myself. I was zipping along on my scooter, scoping out painting locations (and, really, because it's fun and I'm only a kid pretending to be a grown-up) when we parted ways and I met the pavement. This incident slowed me down; I had to be more careful, couldn't hike far, had to spend more time patching myself up.  (Yes, guy at Walgreens, I am back for more bandages...) To adapt a famous quote, plein air painting is hard, and it's harder when you're stupid. But my bruises are fading and my new skin is coming in nicely. I still had a great week. Good times with painting friends, and a good dose of time alone. I met some lovely people, a dog who tried to make off with one of my shoes, sunshine and clouds and innumerable shades of green. 

 The show will be up till August 5th, and I hope you'll get a chance to stop in at the gallery to see all the work and pick out your own favorites.

 https://redwingarts.org/

Red Wing Plein Air - 2017

Tuesday, June 20th

Hello again, Red Wing!

After checking in at the Depot Gallery and getting a bunch of panels stamped for the event, I drove up to Memorial Park on Sorin's Bluff, which has a great view looking over the city, and is a perfect place for watching the sun set.

Painting a view like this is very different from what I usually paint, and trying to simplify all the shapes and colors of the houses and buildings and trees below was a big challenge for me. I liked the slanting shadows that could be seen across the street below, the bright greens of the trees and the clearing on the west end of Barn Bluff, and the long view over to Wisconsin in the distance.

June 20, 2017. Summer Begins in Red Wing - 12 x 9" oil on linen/hardboard

Wednesday, June 21st.

Hiking up to the top of Barn Bluff with an easel and bag full of gear on my back isn't exactly enjoyable, but once at the top it is so worth it. The Prairie Trail wends its way through blowing grasses and wildflowers to the eastern tip of the bluff, which overlooks the head of Lake Pepin.

I've painted here before, and this time I brought an 8 x 16 panel to paint, to capture more of the wide view. 

Half-way into blocking in color.

I really enjoyed working out in paint the shapes and patterns of the river here. A beautiful puzzle.

Worth the Hike - 8 x 16" oil on linen/hardboard. June 21, 2017

Notes for next time: Eat a bigger breakfast - cheddar crackers just don't cut it. Wear sunscreen - the wind may make using a hat or umbrella difficult.

Favorite overheard story while painting: "Grandma was smart to bring him up here! No wonder Grandpa fell in love with her!"

Dinner with some of my favorite painters, and then back out. I headed to Wacouta, where I also did some painting and exploring last year. Looks like the fields were planted with rye again - so pretty! And there was something very homey to me in the subtle, sweet fragrance of the field in the evening.

I walked down a little ways on Rattlesnake Bluff Trail to get closer to this corner with its contrast of shadow and light on the standing grain.

Around the Bend - 9 x 12" oil on linen/hardboard. June 21, 2017

 Thursday, June 22nd.
Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain.
A soggy, gray day. Artist Jim Turner suggested we go paint at Kelly's Taphouse, as we'd seen a good viewpoint from their patio the day before. They were so gracious and let us move tables and chairs and set up our easels to get almost out of the rain. It was so wet and humid that Jim's watercolors wouldn't dry! My oils worked out a bit better. The rain came and went and came again, but all the moisture in the air lent a nice depth to the scene of boat houses and Barn Bluff. Of course, I like my trees, and these two stood out so full and sharp in the wet weather.

100% Chance of Rain - 9 x 12" oil on linen/hardboard. June 22, 2017 sold

Late evening the clouds finally began to break, and I tried to capture a bit of that standing under Maiden Rock and looking out over Lake Pepin. When I was nearly finished, the sun broke through just before setting and the whole sky and river was aflame with pinks and orange and gorgeousness. I may have to attempt that scene in a studio painting in the future!

Departing Rain over Point-No-Point - 8 x 16" oil on linen/hardboard. June 22, 2017

Friday, June 23rd.
Headed out painting with Jim again, but I left him painting what would become an award winning piece, and backtracked to visit these cattle I'd seen on the way. This time of year is so green in Minnesota, but there are still a lot of variations and I want to be able to show the richness of the landscape without making it boring. There is always a lot to learn.
The clouds began moving in as the day progressed, and their shadows moved across the growing corn in the field beyond the pasture.

Noon at the Watering Hole - 10 x 8" oil on linen/hardboard. June 23, 2017

In the afternoon I ended up at Flower Valley Vineyard on Orchard Road. I'd driven past this barn before and knew I wanted to paint it. The dark clouds moving through set off its red sides nicely. It was built in 1872, and has beautiful stonework and narrow horizontal boards; barn swallows nest under its eaves.

The weather alternated between rain and sunshine, with occasional umbrella-flipping wind gusts.

One Hundred Forty-Five - 8 x 10" oil on linen/hardboard. June 23, 2017

Friday evening we all turned in three framed paintings to be hung for the show, and had a little gathering with the artists and arts association volunteers (and food!) which was really nice.

Saturday, June 24th.

Quick paint from 9 to 11 am! The sun came out just in time. The wind blew out of the north and it was surprisingly cold for a June day. Half-way through painting I ran back to my car to grab a sweater - it's hard to paint a straight line in the first place without adding shivering to the mix!

This spot is just across the street from the depot, and it always catches my eye. I liked how the morning light caught the wind-blown trees and grasses and made them stand out against the dark background of old brick.

Quick paint on my easel. A Little Wild Place - 8 x 10" oil on linen/hardboard.

This year's judge was Joshua Cunningham. I became acquainted with him and his work the first year that I was part of this event - in 2011 - and have been a fan ever since. He did a demo in the afternoon, through occasional spits of rain and amidst a mostly shivering crowd of onlookers, who sometimes left to go find jackets or coffee. It was great to watch his painting develop and have a chance to ask questions. 

My four paintings in the show.

I was surprised and so very grateful to receive Best of Show for my painting "Worth the Hike"!

I had a great time in Red Wing painting, and meeting and reconnecting with some wonderful people while there. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen, and to those of you who stopped by the opening! The show will be up till July 30th, 2017. Stop in and see all the new work, and pick out your own favorites. :)

Fieldwork

June 8, 2017

Perched on top of some round bales, overlooking the fields. Watching the clouds pile to the south and move to the east and the wind make waves in the tall grass, listening to the blackbirds and bobolinks call.

The grasses this time of year are full of texture and subtle colors as they flower and seed. The weedier parts of the fields are full of white cockle blooms and the tall flower spikes of yellow dock.

The sky was mostly clear towards the end of the first painting, but some distant clouds in the east showed pink as they caught the last light of the sunset.

Clearing Skies at Dusk, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/birch. 

There was just enough light, and just enough time, to paint another quick study: The moon rising above the southern-facing fields.

Moon Rising over South Fields, 6 x 8" plein air oil on linen/hardboard

Red Wing Plein Air 2016

June 20-25 - time once again for the Red Wing plein air festival! This was my 6th year participating. Every year brings a chance to get to know the Red Wing area a little better. I found some new (to me) places this year, and revisited old ones.

 My first painting of the week was on a farm that I'd admired and painted from a short distance away a few years ago. This time I got a closer look, and painted from another angle. It's such a beautiful place. The bittersweet beauty of these lovely old structures, with some rust, chipping paint, and failing shingles juxtaposed against the blue sky and lush greens of a summer landscape. These buildings are old and run-down. But they're still standing.

Still Standing, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. sold

Monday night was a picnic and paint event at the Harbor Bar in Hagar City, WI. I didn't do a painting there myself, but enjoyed some good food and watching other artists work. Afterwards I headed back out with my gear to try to capture the moonrise. The Full Strawberry Moon. I chose a spot facing a place called Rattlesnake Bluff and a field of tall standing grain. I am not at all an experienced painter of nocturnes! If the folks in that neighborhood looked out and saw someone with an easel under a streetlight, with a cellphone for extra light, flailing around trying to avoid biting insects... well, I know who it was.

Moon Rising over Rattlesnake Bluff, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

 Tuesday. Time for a hike. Before the week began I treated some of my clothing with permethrin, so I could go into fields and woods with a little less worry over insect bites - especially from ticks, which have been pretty bad this year. I gathered all my gear - easel, paints, umbrella, etc. and hiked up Mt. La Grange, a.k.a. Barn Bluff. It was a hot hike, but there was a good strong breeze at the top. I followed the Prairie Trail all the way to the east end of the bluff, and found a nice out-of-the-way spot to paint, with a view of the river.

 Here's where I was set up:

Here's what I painted:

Prairie Trail View, 11 x 14 plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

The evening found many of us up on the neighboring bluff-top (you can drive up this one) at Memorial Park, painting the sunset on the first day of Summer. What a gorgeous night to watch the sky.

Beginning of Summer, End of the Day, 8 x 10" plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

Wednesday - a day that alternated between flat, overcast skies and intense sunshine. I returned to Old Frontenac and took a walk around the neighborhood. Had to go back and visit the barn I painted last year. I found another artist working nearby, and decided to join her and paint a different view of the same place I admired so much last time. It has such a great old face, and I appreciate it all the more after struggling with the perspective of it and trying to get all the windows and doors to fit in their proper places. I'm also glad the owner hadn't gotten around to painting the old gate yet - the variations and the wood showing through gave me more color to work with. And the great old trees provided a fine backdrop.

J's Barn, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/hardboard. sold

 Thursday morning started out cloudy and rainy, and I was so tired that my plans of getting an early start to the day just didn't happen. I drove around for awhile, got lost, and eventually got a better feel for one area outside of town, but no painting happened. After the rain stopped, it was still a very cool day. Perfect for another hike. This time I went up the other side of Barn Bluff, following the Quarry Trail with its cliff rising up on one side and the steep hill dropping off on the other. A fallen tree caught my eye and I had a go at painting it. The mosquitoes, when I was still, sitting in one place, were terrible, and I'd forgotten my bug spray. An extra shirt wrapped around my head helped keep the humming hoards away, and I could enjoy myself. I love being in the woods. The backdrop of cliff, rock, and gravel is quite different than what I usually paint and was a good challenge, and I reveled in painting the moss that covered the root flare of the fallen tree.

Quarry Trail Afternoon, 11 x 14" plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

By the time I'd cleaned up and hiked back down the bluff, the day was far spent. I wanted to do one more painting, though, and headed back to the area I'd explored in the early part of the day. The sun was getting low - a beautiful light, but a fleeting one. I set up near a farm, hoping to paint the cows, but also eyeing up the steeple on the horizon. After I'd sketched in the latter, the obliging bovines slowly grazed their way right to where I wanted them and I painted them in too.

Grazing in the Thistles, 9 x 12" plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

Friday was the day to pick three paintings, frame, and deliver them to the gallery to be hung. A private reception was held Friday evening, and awards were announced. I was so happy to receive an Honorable Mention on my first painting, "Still Standing"!

 This year's judge was Kathie Wheeler. I was first introduced to her and her work the first year I did this event, and I've been a fan ever since. 

Saturday morning was the quick paint. I had picked the spot I planned to paint the night before, but the morning started out hot, with a promise of getting even hotter, and the spot I'd picked was in full sun. I changed course, and ended up painting something different than what I'd planned, and also sort of revisited something I'd painted last year. But I don't regret it. It's amazing, though, how quickly two hours go by when trying to paint a complicated mass of ropes and cables in changing light.

Ropes and Pulley, 8 x 10" plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

The show will be hung till late August, and can be seen at the Depot Gallery in Red Wing, Minnesota. Stop by and see the whole show!

Red Wing Plein Air 2015

It's that time of year again!
 Monday: I drove up to Red Wing through pouring rain. It was good to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones at the welcome breakfast, where we were given more information about the week ahead, a schedule, maps, etc. The rain stopped, but then came the wind, whipping the trees outside the depot. It did not look like a good day for painting!

Wind and Wires, 12 x 9 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

 I was also running on very little sleep. Good thing Jim Turner, my painting companion for the day, has twice the energy and enthusiasm of most people and it's a little bit contagious. We drove out toward the country, turning down a long gravel drive that led to a farm. There were a couple of views that caught my interest, but I settled on this little red building that looked like it had seen many years go by. The day was looking sunny and bright at this point, and I commented on the nice breeze to keep the mosquitoes at bay. I had to eat my words when the clouds moved in again and I had to hang onto my easel in the gusts of wind.

South of the Tracks, 8 x 10 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

Later in the day, I found Jim again, this time painting near the railroad - one of the industrial working scenes he captures so well in watercolor. I looked across the tracks and had a go at the patterns of sunshine and shadow. The many lines of the structures in this area of railroad and river work are very difficult for me when painting wet into wet oils. I keep trying to figure out the best way to do it, but it's a work in progress!

Down the Dock, 12 x 9 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

In the evening we had a group event, open to the public, over on the Wisconsin side of the river at the Harbor Bar. Many of us painted until I, at least, was mighty close to being a starving artist, and then we got to enjoy sandwiches or burgers at the restaurant and watch the sunset. After walking around for a while, I sat right at the corner end of this dock. I liked the perspective of the lines of the boards, and that red boat was sure eye-catching. I wonder just how many of us painted it that night!



Tuesday morning I ended up out on winding country roads, exploring. I "wasted" a lot of time and most of the nice morning light! But I found some really cool places I wouldn't have otherwise seen, and saw turkey, deer, groundhogs, and one narrow gravel road that was literally covered in tiny butterflies. Amazing.
 In the afternoon I painting this downtown street. I painted this same street a few years ago, but it's such a pretty one, and I had a different perspective this time. I love the style of these old buildings. The many windows and architectural details on their faces are so challenging to portray or imply in wet paint. Trying to accomplish this, I also appreciate those details even more.

Downtown Tuesday, 9 x 12 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

 In the evening I went back to one of the places I'd discovered on my morning drive: this farm on top of the hills. Reminds me of home, and just look at the shape of that hay field!
 I'm not always successful, but I do love to paint hay. I love the smell of it, and the subtle colors of the stubble between the rows of cut grass, alfalfa, clover. Part way through painting, I saw a tractor coming over the hill. The field I was next to, and almost in, was being raked! The farmer was so kind and I was able to stay put, finish painting, and have a more interesting foreground as the hay was turned up to dry.

The Intricate Land, 11 x 14 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

Wednesday the location of the day was Old Frontenac. What a find. I'd read about it previously (though my memory of the history had faded) and it was lovely to walk around the quiet streets of the historic little town on the river and see some of its wonderful old buildings and beautiful gardens. This white barn caught my eye the first time I made the rounds exploring. Its face, the grapevines that covered the near fence, all the various greens surrounding it. I painted the shadows in while the sun was out, but it didn't stay out. It came and went, and I took my time with this painting, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Met a few of the residents, which was really lovely, and heard some more anecdotes about the place.

Quiet Day on Manypenny Ave, 9 x 12 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

 After a pretty laid-back Wednesday, I was anxious to get out and get painting right away on Thursday. More exploring in Old Frontenac! I ended up down by the river, watching cloud shadows on the bluffs across the river, and their reflections in the water. This is a rather "quiet" painting, but it was nice to take in the scene of the sky and clouds, the currents in the river, the shadows cast by the tree I took shelter under, and a little sand castle left on the beach.

Mississippi Moment, 12 x 9 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

Just after the first one, I turned my easel and painted another looking downriver. More shadows and reflections; the fish weren't biting, but it was a good day for dogs.

Old Man River, 9 x 12 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

Late in the afternoon I went back to my new favorite farm fields to check on the hay. Nice plump round bales stood in the field that had been raked while I had painted previously. The clouds were building, and I painted until I saw rain moving in and heard thunder roll. The evening was spent framing.

Hill-Valley Hay, 14 x 11 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

 Friday was the day to turn in 3 of the paintings done during the week. In the evening was the annual riverfront reception- a chance to be the first to see the show, and the price of the ticket could go toward the purchase of a painting. Good food, and nice to relax a little and visit with people there, including the wonderful volunteers who put it all together. It's really nice to catch up with some of the other artists and see what they found and painted during the week. This year's judge was the talented Mike Rada. First place went to Jim Turner, second to Lisa Stauffer, third to Laura Frykman, and Best Downtown to Ivan Zassavitski. I was very happy to receive an Honorable Mention for my Manypenny Ave painting!

My corner of the gallery on Friday night.

 I had set myself a goal to complete ten paintings this week. Not to focus on cranking out a certain number, but because getting a week away to paint is such a great opportunity and I wanted to take full advantage of that, and experience and learn what I could during a pretty intense time of observation and painting. Saturday morning's 2-hour "quick-paint" met my goal.

Arrived early to scope out my spot before the 9am start time.

Wet painting framed and on display outside the Depot.

Some of the other quick paints.

There were many beautiful paintings done in the two hours allotted for the quick paint. The public and artists voted for the best one - it was hard to choose! This year's winner was Dan Mondloch who had a great little painting of the boat houses.

Ropes and Pilings, 8 x 10 inch plein air oil on linen/hardboard.

This was my fifth year doing this event, and every year I discover new places and, I hope, grow as an artist.
 The show runs through the third week of August. If you're in the Red Wing area, check it out! Info at redwingartsassociation.org.